Public funeral for Dodgers icon Fernando Valenzuela to be held at downtown LA cathedral
A public funeral Mass is scheduled to honor late-Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela on Wednesday.
The service is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, with entry processions beginning at 9:45 a.m.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles says that the Mass is open on a first-come, first-served basis due to the limited space inside of the cathedral, located at 555 W. Temple Street. Additionally, a public viewing area will be provided on the Cathedral Plaza. There will also be limited availability there due to the capacity it can hold.
People can watch from home on the cathedral's website or via their YouTube channel.
Since there is no public parking inside of the cathedral's parking structure, church officials urged those hoping to attend to take public transportation or use ridesharing services.
Valenzuela died on Oct. 22 at 63-years-old, just days before his beloved Boys in Blue secured the franchises's eighth World Series Championship over the Yankees in five games.
He was beloved for both his time on the field and behind the microphone for the Dodgers franchise. After spending the first 10 seasons of his MLB career with the Boys in Blue, the man known to many as "El Toro" would end up calling games with the team's Spanish broadcast for more than two decades, gaining new fans throughout generations of Angelenos.
He stepped away from the booth prior to the 2024 Postseason for unknown health reasons that led to his hospitalization. A cause for death still has not yet been revealed.
Valenzuela was born in Etchohauquila, Sonora, Mexico as the youngest of 12 children. He made his big league debut for the Dodgers in 1980, and took the league and Los Angeles by storm in the summer of 1981, which started "Fernandomania," which enthralled the city's Latino population.
He was named the Opening Day starter in 1981, beginning an incredible season that saw him take home both the National League Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award. He would go on to be named to six All-Star Games, win a World Series with the Dodgers in 1981 and win one Gold Glove Award and two Silver Slugger Awards.
Valenzuela's Dodger playing career came to an end in 1990, but not before he left the city with one last taste of "Fernandomania," tossing his lone career no-hitter. His number was retired by the Dodgers in 2023, and during their fated run to the title this season the team wore a patch bearing his No. 34 in his memory.
News of his death with met with an outpouring of support from former teammates and Los Angeles city officials alike, and in the days following the World Series parade, which was held on Valenzuela's birthday, a massive mural honoring the lefty was unveiled in Boyle Heights.
