light inside. There were a number of baptisms happening whilst I was there (it was a Sunday, after all!) which was quite an experience to almost be part of! I was about to leave the building after having spent some time there when one of the staff asked whether I'd been downstairs - the answer was no as I didn't know there was a downstairs. So off I duly went...There is a mausoleum underneath the Cathedral, with over 1200 crypts and 5000 cremation niches. It's 'advertised' as one of the few places in the US where lay people can be buried within a Cathedral Church (interestingly enough, my LA guidebooks only referred to this as a Church, not a Cathedral...) As it's still a very new church (the blessing and dedication only took place in 2002) there are still many open spots within the mausoleum. I found two things rather unnerving which will stay with me from my visit: the 'reserved' spots as well as the plaques with birth dates and names but nothing else!
