St. Monica Catholic Church anchors the corner of California Avenue and 7th Street, its twin Romanesque towers among the more distinctive pieces of architecture in the city. The church has been on this site since 1886, though the current building dates to 1925. Santa Monica takes its name from this parish — the city was named by early Spanish settlers near a spring said to remind them of the tears of Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine.
The interior is relatively modest for a church of this size, but the exterior deserves a look if you are passing through the neighbourhood. Sunday Mass remains well attended, giving the church a genuine congregational life rather than purely architectural interest.