Archbishop José H. Gomez will celebrate the Archdiocese of Los Angeles's annual Mass in Recognition of All Immigrants this Sunday at 3:30 p.m., a tradition that has drawn Catholics from across Southern California since 2013. The Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels will recognize immigrants and their families, and this year it will include a procession of ribbons bearing the names of people touched by immigration, some of whom died in federal custody.
The Mass takes place at the Cathedral, located at 555 W. Temple St. in downtown Los Angeles, according to christcathedralcalifornia.org. The ribbons come from a new chapel installation called Ribbons of Prayer, which was installed at the Cathedral on September 1 and features works by Mission Hills sacred artist Lalo Garcia, per lacatholics.org. As MyNewsLA.com reported, parishes throughout the Archdiocese have been invited to bring handwritten ribbons and prayer petitions from people unable to attend the Mass in person.
How the Ribbons of Prayer Chapel Works
Visitors to the chapel can write the name of a person affected by immigration on a ribbon and tie it to a stand at its center, the same source notes. Those who cannot visit in person are invited to submit a name online at lacatholics.org/ribbons-of-prayer, and it will be included in Sunday's Mass. The collected ribbons will then be processed into the Cathedral as part of the celebration, according to the archdiocesan site.
Each ribbon in the installation bears the handwritten name of an individual who has died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody or who was otherwise personally affected by immigration policies and enforcement actions, according to the San Fernando Sun. All ribbons submitted for the installation will be included in Sunday's Mass, the outlet reports, and the display commemorates this year's International Day of Migrants and Refugees, observed worldwide on September 27.
Artwork Honors 'The Migrant's Journey'
Garcia's contributions to the chapel include the paintings “El Viaje del Migrante,” which translates to “The Migrant's Journey,” and “Protectora de Migrantes,” the San Fernando Sun reports. Local parishes were urged to bring their own handwritten ribbons and prayer petitions to be part of the Mass, according to the Daily News, which notes the annual Mass has brought parishioners together in prayer and celebration since 2013. The Ribbons of Prayer installation and program will remain on display through mid-October, giving visitors additional weeks to participate after Sunday's service.
A Tradition Spanning Four Southern California Dioceses
The Mass has historically united faithful from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles with the Dioceses of San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego, according to Angelus News, which covered a 2019 edition of the Mass also presided over by Archbishop Gomez. Last year's Mass, held September 21, 2025, was likewise intended to unite Catholic faithful from the tri-county Archdiocese along with the Dioceses of Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego, per DowntownLA.com, and was also scheduled to be presided over by Gomez. This year's gathering continues that pattern, again bringing Catholics from across Southern California to the downtown Cathedral for what has become an annual expression of solidarity with immigrant communities.
