Church History

Inglewood’s first Catholic family, that of Antonio Yanacio Avila, moved to this area in 1826 and built a ranch home near the springs in what is now Centinela Park. However, organized Catholic life in the community did not begin nearly a century later… See More

About the Priests

A native of Havana, Cuba, Father Gonzalez has lived in Los Angeles since 1971.  He attended public schools and later Catholic schools, graduating from Pater Noster High School in 1981.  He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Philosophy and Spanish Studies along with a Master’s Degree in Divinity from St. John’s Seminary.  He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral in 1994. He has served as an Associate Pastor at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo, St. Andrew’s Church in Pasadena and Holy Family Church in Glendale prior to his assignment to St. John Chrysostom’s in 2007.

Prior to his theological training he worked in the banking, healthcare and insurance industries. His ministerial training includes elder care, work with the developmentally disabled, education of elementary, junior high and high school students, youth and adult detention ministry and hospital ministry.

In addition to his current duties as Pastor he has served as Spiritual Advisor to the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders in Los Angeles, Board member to the California Association of Natural Family Planning and is currently Treasurer for the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy as well as spiritual director to the Agrupacion Catolica Caridad del Cobre for the Cuban community in Los Angeles. Additionally, he has been active in Catholic Engaged Encounter since 1999 serving on the National Board for the past 3 years.  He was recently elected to be the Priest Member of their National Executive Team.

Father is a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and has been honored as a Knight Commander in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and Senior Chaplain in the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.

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Father Anthony Garcias is a cradle Catholic and native Angeleno with family roots stretching out to China, Macau, Hong Kong, Peru, Ecuador, and Spain.

He grew up in Westchester and graduated from St. Jerome School and St. Bernard High School. He completed a double-major in Philosophy and Latin at UCLA and has earned three master’s degrees: one in Philosophy and another in Theology from the Dominican School and Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, and one in Divinity from St. John Seminary in Camarillo.

Before entering St. John, he was a religious Brother in the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) for seven years. During his years of priestly formation, Father Garcias has had the opportunity to live and work in Oakland and San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Seattle, Lincoln, and Baltimore. In 2014, he visited Tanzania in East Africa as a Global Fellow with Catholic Relief Services.

He was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Gomez on August 15, 2015 and received his Ordination to the Priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on June 4, 2016. His first assignment as a priest is here at St. John Chrysostom’s where he began on July 1, 2016.

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Monsignor Pilato was born and raised in San Pedro. He attended the public schools there while being a parishioner at Mary Star of the Sea Parish. After graduating from San Pedro High School he entered St. John’s Seminary where he earned a BA in Philosophy.

 He earned his teaching credentials through Cal State Dominguez Hills and taught at Dana Jr. High in San Pedro – one of his alma maters. He also served as a college instructor in the teacher education program at Dominguez Hills. During his summers he served as camp director of the 700-acre Camp Emerald Bay on Santa Catalina Island.

After completing his MA and credential in school administration, he returned to St. John’s where he completed his last two years of theology. In 1992 he earned his Master of Divinity and was ordained by Cardinal Mahony. He served four years as associate pastor at Christ the King Parish in Hollywood.

Msgr. Pilato was appointed principal of Junipero Serra High School in Gardena in 1996. Cardinal Mahony appointed him to the Archdiocesan Catholic Life Issues Commission in 2000, to the Priest Personnel Board in August 2005 and Superintendent of High Schools in 2008. As Superintendent he has served on the Executive Committee as an Officer of the California Catholic School Superintendents (CCSS).

Msgr. Pilato is Vice President of the U.S. Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. He is a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a Knight Commander in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. He was named a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. He was invested in 2012 as a Magistral Chaplain for the Order of Malta.

Msgr. Pilato was named Outstanding Alum 2008 for Cal State Dominguez Hills, awarded the Dedication to Excellence Award from Cathedral High School in December 2011, the Mother Luisita Spirit Award of the Carmelite Sisters in March 2012 and inducted in Kappa Delta Pi at Loyola Marymount University in April 2012.

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Parish Staff

Velazquez Yanet         Ext. 118
Trujillo Elizabeth        Ext. 119
Noemi Baron              Ext. 120
Joshua Beckett            Ext. 110
Miguel Tornes            Ext. 110
Javier Guevara            Ext. 110
Emilio Correa            Ext. 110