St. Augustine Catholic Church, Culver City - Parish History - Father O'Donnell

Father O'Donnell

Father John O'Donnell was the pastor at St. Augustine from 1923 to 1938. As the pastor of the church located across the street from MGM Studios, Father O'Donnell developed close ties with the entertainment business. He often acted as a technical advisor for MGM films, and the studio helped the parish raise funds with an annual barbecue.

The parish built a new Franco-Gothic church in 1936 with a seating capacity of 700 on Washington Boulevard. The new church was dedicated in April 1937 in a ceremony presided over by Archbishop John Cantwell. The Los Angeles Times reported on the opening of the new church: "More than 2000 worshipers, including motion picture stars from the M-G-M studios across Washington Boulevard, attended the services. ... Leaning to the Gothic style of architecture, the building's interior is unique."

In November 1938, a controversy arose when Archbishop Cantwell announced plans to transfer Father O'Donnell to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hollywood. Parishioners called a mass meeting to object to the transfer, signed petitions, and presented their objections to the archbishop. Despite the protest, the transfer was not rescinded. In 1946, a wealthy parishioner left her $100,000 estate to Father O'Donnell, who the Los Angeles Times described as "the Irish priest who won the hearts of many a movie mogul during the 15 years he was pastor of Culver City's St. Augustine Catholic Church."