Religious Leader. He became a member of the Lazarists and was ordained a priest at the house of that Congregation in Paris. Father Amat immigrated to the United States in 1838 and worked in the missions in Louisiana. On the promotion of Bishop Alemany to be Archbishop of San Francisco, the diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles had a vacancy. Father Amat was named to succeed him and was consecrated a Bishop in Rome in 1854. The opening of gold mining in California attracted a large number of new settlers to the Los Angeles area. In 1857, he was given permission by the Holy See, to call himself Bishop of Los Angeles, and he became a city resident. Bishop Amat headed for Europe to obtain religious workers for the booming diocese. He brought back several Lazarist priest who opened St. Vincents College as well as Franciscans and Sisters of Charity who took charge of the parochial schools. He began construction of a new cathedral (St Viviana) and lived to see its dedication on April 9, 1876 even though he was in the advanced stages of a serious spinal affection which finally took his life at age 67. He was interred in the floor of the church and remained there until Cardinal James McIntyre during his tenure as head of the diocese deemed it inappropriate to have a grave in a church and ordered him evicted. The disinterring was witnessed by a host of church dignitaries. The body was in a perfect state of preservation. He was redressed in traditional Bishops vestments and then placed in a new casket before interrment in a crypt reserved for church leaders in the great Mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery. With the completion of the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, he was transferred to the new mausoleum located in the lower floor where he joined Cardinal James McIntyre who was also relocated from the Bishops crypt . His legacy upon his death was the remarkable growth of the Los Angeles Diocese. It now had 51 priests, 32 churches, 15 chapels, and a substantial parochial school system. He is best honored by the construction of Bishop Amat High School. Its achievement in scholastics and sports are legendary.
Religious Leader. He became a member of the Lazarists and was ordained a priest at the house of that Congregation in Paris. Father Amat immigrated to the United States in 1838 and worked in the missions in Louisiana. On the promotion of Bishop Alemany to be Archbishop of San Francisco, the diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles had a vacancy. Father Amat was named to succeed him and was consecrated a Bishop in Rome in 1854. The opening of gold mining in California attracted a large number of new settlers to the Los Angeles area. In 1857, he was given permission by the Holy See, to call himself Bishop of Los Angeles, and he became a city resident. Bishop Amat headed for Europe to obtain religious workers for the booming diocese. He brought back several Lazarist priest who opened St. Vincents College as well as Franciscans and Sisters of Charity who took charge of the parochial schools. He began construction of a new cathedral (St Viviana) and lived to see its dedication on April 9, 1876 even though he was in the advanced stages of a serious spinal affection which finally took his life at age 67. He was interred in the floor of the church and remained there until Cardinal James McIntyre during his tenure as head of the diocese deemed it inappropriate to have a grave in a church and ordered him evicted. The disinterring was witnessed by a host of church dignitaries. The body was in a perfect state of preservation. He was redressed in traditional Bishops vestments and then placed in a new casket before interrment in a crypt reserved for church leaders in the great Mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery. With the completion of the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, he was transferred to the new mausoleum located in the lower floor where he joined Cardinal James McIntyre who was also relocated from the Bishops crypt . His legacy upon his death was the remarkable growth of the Los Angeles Diocese. It now had 51 priests, 32 churches, 15 chapels, and a substantial parochial school system. He is best honored by the construction of Bishop Amat High School. Its achievement in scholastics and sports are legendary.
Bio by: Paul S.
