The Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart founded Queen of Angels Hospital in 1926. Father Wilhelm Berger, founder of the Franciscan Sisters, defined their ministries as ‘works of neighborly love’. With the establishment of the hospital, the sisters accepted the challenge to serve the poor, the sick, and the aging of Los Angeles for more than a half-century before closing their doors due to financial issues.

The growth of Los Angeles’ population throughout the mid-1920’s and into the 1940’s was directly reflected in the steady rise in admissions, births and patient day care at the hospital. This warranted major expansion projects to the facility in 1938 and 1945. The expanded 360,000 square foot campus now housed nine buildings and covered over eight acres. The distinction as the largest teaching hospital west of the Mississippi soon followed.

Despite enduring The Great Depression and World War II, the healing center fell victim to financial troubles in the early 1980′s, forcing a merger with neighboring Hollywood Clara Barton Memorial Hospital. The newer medical facility, located just three miles away, was renamed Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in 1989, at which time the fabled Queen of Angels Hospital in Echo Park closed its doors.

The site was mostly vacant but for a handful of loyal Franciscan Sisters that undertook caretaking duties. The property was also a popular location for commercial, film, music video and television productions.

The owner of the facility rejected lucrative offers from major entertainment companies in favor of Pastors Tommy and Matthew Barnett’s vision to convert the facility into a ‘spiritual healing center’, but the $10 million dollar asking price was still out of their range. Prayer and negotiations brought the asking price down to $3.9 million dollars and ‘The Church That Never Sleeps’ established its new home in 1996.