St. Anastasia Catholic Church in Westchester welcomes new pastor, Monsignor Gabriel Gonzales, a.k.a., Father Gabe, who replaces the retiring Father Tom King, who served at St. Anastasia for eight years. 

Father Gabe is a Culver City native and attended St. Gerard Majella Elementary School before going on to Queen of Angels High School. He studied at St. John’s Seminary and was ordained in 1984. A lifelong Southern Californian, the monsignor served at St. Joseph in La Puente from 1984-1988, St. Mark in Venice, 1988-1992 and Lincoln Heights’ Sacred Heart between 1992 and 2003. Since then he has served as the vicar for the clergy office.

The avid Dodger fan loves to travel and has visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Columbia, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Australia. In a recent interview, Father Gabe said that his two favorite movies were Avatar and The Notebook. His favorite priest, he says, is Damien of Molokai, who ministered to the quarantined victims of Hansen’s disease [formerly known as leprosy] on the Hawaiian island of Molokai before contracting and dying of the disease himself. Father Gabe says he admires Damien’s genuine concern and devotion to his parishioners.  

In addition to being a master of the grill, Father Gabe is also a talented mariachi singer.

St. Anastasia Church is at 7390 W. Manchester Ave., between Stanmoor Drive and Park Hill, near Westchester High School. Weekend mass schedules are Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon and 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.