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The historic chapel at Holy Trinity and St. Benedict's Episcopal Church in Alhambra was badly damaged by fire the morning of June 1.

The fire was confined to the chapel, which is near the main church, but not attached to it. According to Cherrylin Longid, senior warden, the cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. 

City firefighters were already on the scene when Jasmine Quines, wife of the Rev. Brent Quines Jr., rector, noticed smoke coming from the chapel at around 6 a.m., Longid said, and the couple went to check on it.

"We don't know who called for help," says Longid. "Our assumption is that a neighbor called it in."

Despite quick action by firefighters, the interior and part of the exterior of the chapel was gutted.

"Though we feel sad that this event occurred we are grateful and blessed that nobody got hurt and that it didn't spread to the main church or the [parish] hall," said Longid. We are also so thankful to the firefighters that worked hard to contain and stop the fire."

The chapel was constructed in 1908 as Holy Trinity's main worship space, and saw continued use for smaller services after the congregation built a new church and parish hall in the early 1960s. Holy Trinity and St. Benedict's Church, founded in 1978 as a mission to Filipinos, merged in 1998.

The San Pedro Faith Consortium was recognized on May 27, 2021 by the Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging, and Community Service with the John Anson Ford Human Relations Award for its noteworthy service to the community, especially its unhoused residents. The consortium includes St. Peter's Episcopal Church, First Presbyterian, The Garden Church, San Pedro United Methodist Church and Temple Beth El, working and worshiping together. Among its shared ministries are Laundry Love, Family Promise, Shower Ministry and One San Pedro. In the video above, clergy from the five congregations – including the Very Rev. Jeanette Repp, rector of St. Peter's – outline the consortium's many ministries.

The Episcopal News Update is beginning its biweekly summer schedule.

The Update will be published on the following dates:

June 20 (publication June 16)

July 4 (publication June 30)

July 18 (publication July 14)

August 1 (publication July 28)

August 15 (publication August 11)

The regular weekly schedule will resume after Aug. 15.

Items for the Update may be emailed to [email protected]. Deadline for each issue is Tuesday at noon.

A service on May 23 remembering those lost to COVID-19, featuring readings, music and prayer. The service bulletin is here.

The annual pilgrimage to the United States - Mexico border was held online this year on May 15, and may be viewed above, or on the YouTube channel of the Diocese of San Diego, which teamed with the dioceses of Los Angeles and Western Mexico for the event.

Register here

Presenter: Tim Alderson, Executive Director of Seeds of Hope. Learn more about organizing food distribution efforts, implementing measures to mitigate food waste, and best practices for cultivating wellness for our congregational communities.

Register here

Presenter: The Rev. Michele Racusin, CFO of the Diocese of California. By popular demand, we’ve added another session to this series of workshops with valuable resources, tools, tips, and best practices for serving as treasurer of your congregation.

Additional information about the workshop series is here. All workshops are livestreamed and recorded, and will be made available for on-demand viewing here.

Due to illness in his family in Uganda, Godfrey Mubiru has notified the Diocese of Los Angeles that he reluctantly must decline his recent appointment as diocesan controller.

"The decision has not been easy, as you were all so nice and gracious to me," Mubiru wrote, "but I am not in the right state of mind to embark on such a responsibility at the moment.

Mubiru asked for the prayers of the diocesan community for himself and his mother, whose health is poor and who requires constant care.

The controller position will be reposted soon as the diocese begins a new search process. The Rev. Susan Ashley Stanton began her new job as diocesan finance director on June 1. See a related story from The Episcopal News here.

Julie Anne Lovelock Beals, Jose Luis García-Juárez, Joshua Nathanael Francoeur Paget and Katherine Y. Feng will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 12 at Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel. The in-person service will be invitational only to include presenters, friends and family members of the ordinands, but will be livestreamed on the diocese's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The Very Rev. Thomas Carey, vicar of Church of the Epiphany, Los Angeles, and dean of Deanery 4, is among the honorees at the annual "Giants of Justice" celebration and fundraiser for CLUE (Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice), to be held online on Thursday, June 3, 5 p.m.

Carey will be recognized as a "committed foot soldier” in the struggle for justice.

Other honorees include the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, AME Church pastor and program manager for the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement at USC "for her leadership in developing clergy for civic engagement and community development"; and Harriette Ellis, 97, of Long Beach who has for eight decades been an activist and advocate for economic and immigration justice.

Kent Wong of the UCLA Labor Center will be the keynote speaker. He also will be named a "Giant of Justice" for "his exemplary life as an educator, leader, and activist in the cause of dignity and fair work for all."

The event will begin at 5 p.m. with an ingathering, followed by the program at 5:30 p.m. For event tickets and to donate to CLUE, click here.

Girls Friendly Society Los Angeles invites girls ages 6 and up and their mothers, grandmothers, aunts or female mentors to register for "Me and My Mama Bear" Camp Sept. 17 - 19 at Camp Wrightwood.

Overnight and one-day options will be available for the camp, which will be operated using social distancing and other precautions as needed, depending on CDC guidelines at that time.

Registration will open on June 15 and close July 15; early registration is encouraged. Girls do not have to be members of GFS to register or attend.

A flyer with complete cost, safety and registration information is here. For additional information, email [email protected].

Camp Stevens has launched its annual campership drive with a video appeal featuring comments from camp staff and the bishops of the dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego.

"I think it is one of the most important things our young people can do, to go spend a week in nature, spend a week with other people, learn about the values of our faith, and learn what it means to form true community together," says Bishop Susan Brown Snook of the Diocese of San Diego, where the camp is physically located.

The 69-year-old camp ministry began when the Diocese of Los Angeles spanned Southern California. When the Diocese of San Diego was formed in 1974, Camp Stevens continued to serve all Southland Episcopalians.

"I've been a Camp Stevens camper at heart for a quarter of a century," says Bishop John Harvey Taylor of the Diocese of Los Angeles, "from family camp to serving as a chaplain to these days doing all I can to support this institution for both of our dioceses."

Camp director Kathy Wilder reports that all 2021 summer camp sessions are full and have waiting lists. Continued pandemic restrictions require reduced capacity and special precautions.

Read more here.

The Ecumenical and Interfaith Program Group of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is developing programs that highlight racial justice and solidarity through the voices of local leaders of faith and moral conscience. The initiative is called “We Are Each Other's Keeper,” and its first webinar, on “Allyship,” is set for 1 – 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 13.

With support from Bishop John Harvey Taylor and the program group, the diocesan Interfaith Ministers in Residence are taking the lead in making this programming available to congregations within the diocese and members of various faith communities online. This series of events was made possible by the Interfaith Youth Core's Racial Equity & Interfaith Cooperation Award from their We Are Each Other’s Fund.

The June 13 training will begin with an in-depth discussion on allyship with local Black leaders, representing various worldview perspectives, to lay the foundation for what is and is not allyship. Building upon the speakers' sharings, participants will take part in an interactive allyship training that equips them with skills and practices in addressing their own biases and community contexts when discussing race relations.

Read more here.

My Work To Do has announced new sessions specifically for men, beginning June 7, and for youth and young adults, beginning June 16.

Founded in 2018, My Work To Do is an online affinity group designed to help white people build stamina for discussing racism, systemic injustice, racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in their everyday lives. "Black, Indigenous and People of Color allies are welcome with an understanding this is a white-centered, and therefore not always safe, space," according to the program's website.

"We invite those feeling lost or overwhelmed into the conversation, especially white people who might not have a local anti-racism program or accessible discussion happening in their life," the invitation continues.

Each session is a listening and learning circle that meets via Zoom for 90 minutes. Themes include housing discrimination, implicit bias, whiteness as a function, and systems of white supremacy, and "where we go from here." It is "space to learn, share, heal, and grow."

​For youth and young adults

My Work To Do is supported by donations; there is no direct cost for the sessions, but participants are asked to pay what they can.

For information and registration links for all sessions, click here.

The Center for Lay Chaplaincy in the Diocese of Los Angeles has several upcoming trainings for lay ministers.

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) for Lay Pastoral Care Providers is designed to provoke, encourage, and instill the practice of self-reflection in order to support the exploration of how one’s beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, and theological heritage shape one’s pastoral presence.

Two sessions of CPE for Lay Pastoral Care Providers are being offered, one beginning the week of June 6, and the second the week of Sept. 26. These courses include 12 weeks of in-person meetings followed by eight weeks of online sessions. More information is here.

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) for Youth Ministry is designed to be an introduction to the practice of pastoral care within the context of youth ministry. The class is structured around case studies, drawn from the student’s ministry experiences, with attention to developing the student’s capacity for identifying and then appropriately exercising their personal and pastoral authority. The course is offered through Bloy House, The Episcopal Theology School at Los Angeles, and will meet every other week beginning Aug. 20. To sign up for the course, click here.

The Rev. Jana Milhon-Martin is director of the Center for Lay Chaplaincy. She may be reached at [email protected] or 909.685.3424.

Blood supplies are critically low in California, and congregations in the Diocese of Los Angeles have stepped up to help replenish them by hosting blood drives. Currently scheduled events are listed below.

Donors may save up to 15 minutes by completing pre-donation reading and answering health history questions here, rather than filling out forms on the day of donation.

Reservations through the Red Cross are required. All donors and staff will be screened before entering the facilities.

St. Francis of Assisi Church

280 Royal Avenue, Simi Valley 930065

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: StFrancisSimi

Upcoming dates at this location are: Monday, June 14; Monday, July 12; Thursday, July 22; Thursday, Aug. 5; Thursday, Nov. 18.

Grace Episcopal Church

555 East Mountain View Avenue, Glendora 91741

Information: Jennifer Bachman, 909-257-9921

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: GECG

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

100 N. Third Avenue, Covina 91723

Information: 626.967.3939

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: HTEC

Holy Trinity will offer a blood drive each month. Upcoming dates: July 8, August 5.

Christ Episcopal Church

1127 N. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario 91762

Informatiocn: 909.983.1859

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: CCPOntario

Additional dates at this location: Thursday, July 8; Monday, Aug. 16; Thursday, Sept. 16; Thursday, Oct. 7; Thursday, Nov. 11; Saturday, Dec. 11.

All Saints Episcopal Church

132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena 91101.

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: ASEC

Information: [email protected]

Upcoming date at this location is Aug. 17.

St. John Chrysostom Church and School

Cardinal Gym

30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita 92688

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor Code: St. John

Upcoming date: Sunday, Nov. 7

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church

12692 Fifth Street, Yucaipa 92399

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: ST ALBANS

Upcoming dates at this location are Mondays; July 26, Aug. 23, Sept. 27, Oct. 18, Nov. 22 and Dec. 27.

St. Mark's Episcopal Parish

330 E 16th Street, Upland 91784

Register here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767)

Sponsor code: stmarks

Upcoming date at this location: Tuesday, Nov. 2

By appointment only. Donors must be healthy and identification is required.

Will your church host blood drives in 2021? Send the information to [email protected] for inclusion in the calendar.

Church of Our Saviour, San Gabriel, has 50 chairs (pictured at left) from its chapel that are no longer in use, and are offered free to any church in the diocese that needs some good chairs for their worship space or other use. Chairs have kneelers and can be hooked together, as seen in photos. Recipients will need to pick up the chairs. Please email inquiries to [email protected]

St. James in-the-City Church, Los Angeles

Live-streamed and on demand here

St. John's Cathedral

514 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 90007

Reservations: 213.747.6285 or [email protected]

Sponsored by the congregation's Writers Group, the retreat will be held in person indoors, socially distanced, and open to those who have been fully vaccinated. "It has been over a year since we encountered the COVID-19 pandemic. We have sheltered in place, masked up, remained at home, worked and prayed from home," says the invitation to the event. "We have heard cries for justice and have marched and have grieved for those we have lost. Many of us learned to zoom for worship, for work, for school and for almost everything. Our worlds became quieter and slower and for many of us solitude was a part of our everyday life. As the City of Los Angeles reopens and we prepare for a post-pandemic world, with changes we wish for and worry about, The Writers Group of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral invites you to a quiet morning of writing and reflection." Temperature checks and masks will be required.

Center for Spirituality in Ontario

Via Zoom

Register here

A critical appraisal with historian Sara Moslener. Recently, religious studies scholars have introduced the concept of white Christian nationalism (WCN) in the wake of the Trump presidency and the assault on the U.S. capitol. In this discussion we will examine two intersecting systems of privilege and oppression (racism and misogyny) that contribute to the normalization of white Christian nationalism. Sara Moslener, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the department of Philosophy and Religion at Central Michigan University where she teaches courses on the intersection of religion, race, and sexuality. She has conducted research on evangelical purity culture for 15 years and is the author of the book Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence (Oxford University Press, 2015).

Church of the Blessed Sacrament

1314 N. Angelina Drive, Placentia 92870

Information: 714.528.2995 or here

Bishop John Harvey Taylor will be present for this festive gathering. The mayor of Placentia and other guests also will attend to present a city proclamation to the parish.

Church of Our Saviour (invitation only)

Streaming here (Facebook) and here (YouTube)

Julie Anne Lovelock Beals, Jose Luis García-Juárez, Joshua Nathanael Francoeur Paget and Katherine Y. Feng will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 12 at Church of Our Saviour. The in-person service will be invitational only to include presenters, friends and family members of the ordinands.

September 2022

Join Bishop Guy Erwin of the ELCA and Canon Jim Newman of the Episcopal Church for a 13-day journey across central Europe to Oberammergau, Germany. The day-long Oberammergau Passion Play is produced every decade and is a four-century “thank you” to God for saving the people of this picturesque Bavarian Alpine village. Experience this spiritual event and look at the culture and religion of Poland (Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz and Czestochowa), Hungary (Budapest), Czech Republic (Bratislava), Austria (Vienna & the Salzkammergut) and Germany (Oberammergau & Munich). Cost is $4,899 from Los Angeles including $450 taxes/airline surcharges.) Information: Jim Newman, 3590 Grand View Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066; 310.391.5522 or 888.802.6722; [email protected]. A full itinerary is here.

ALTADENA: Church Office Administrator, St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Part-time (20-25 hours/week, Monday - Friday). Responsible for church communications, maintenance of office a records, assisting with financial operations, administrative support for the rector and other staff. A full job description is here. Salary is commensurate with experience. Contact: The Rev. Carrie Patterson Grindon, rector, at [email protected].

BEVERLY HILLS: Administrative Coordinator, All Saints Episcopal Church. Seeking a detail-oriented person to handle a wide range of responsibilities, including financial, calendar, coordinating volunteers, offices support, phone and more. Compensation based on experience. Benefits include health (dental and vision) and pension. Full job description and application information here.

CORONA DEL MAR: Communication Specialist (part time) at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church. The Communications Specialist supports parish ministries by ensuring that important, engaging, and relevant events in the life of Saint Michael and All Angels are communicated through multiple channels both internally and externally. Through both front-end development of our website, email campaigns, and live-streamed parish events, this role contributes to the church’s total effort to communicate our mission to love God, grow together, and connect with the community. Full job description and application instructions are here.

HOLLYWOOD-LOS ANGELES: Seeds of Hope Food Distribution Associate. Bilingual (English-Spanish). This position will be an essential part of the Seeds of Hope team getting healthy, nutritious food to more families in need in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. Job duties include picking up, sorting, organizing and delivering produce; providing great customer service; documenting quantities and submitting data for reports. Work hours are full time, but variable. Valid Class C driver's license, experience with driving 16-ft or larger truck required. Full job description is here.

LA CAÑADA: Preschool Director, St. George’s Preschool. Full time, beginning this June-July, before students return to classrooms in mid-August. Program is presently a half-day, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., plus an optional after-care program 12 - 2:30 p.m.; we may be expanding our hours to a full day in the future. Classrooms range from potty-trained two-year-olds through pre-K five-year olds. Enrichments include regular music and movement programs, special visitors, and themed day celebrations. Our philosophy is learning-through-play and hands-on experiences, tailored to each child’s developmental needs. We are just beginning to use Brightwheel management software; experience with Brightwheel is a plus. This position is full-time, pays health care benefits, and offers a matching pension plan. Salary negotiable, based on both experience and vision for the school. Send CV and letter of interest to the Rev. Amy Pringle at [email protected].

LA CRESCENTA: Coordinador(a) de Oficina Parroquial. San Lucas de las Montañas. San Lucas está buscando un(a) Coordinador(a) de Oficina como parte del equipo de esta Misión para apoyar a Dios en lograr su visión para el mundo. Somos un congregación diversa que aspira a estar cada día más unida en Cristo, y con un alto grado de participación de voluntarios comprometidos. Si estás interesado(a) en utilizar tus talentos para una gran causa, aprender, y hacer una diferencia, te invitamos a aplicar. Puedes conseguir aquí la descripción de trabajo e información de cómo aplicar.

LA CRESCENTA: Church Office Coordinator, St. Luke’s of the Mountains. St. Luke’s is looking for a Church Office Coordinator as part of the team of this mission to support God in achieving God’s vision for the world. We are a diverse congregation that aspires to be more united in Christ every day, and with a high degree of participation of committed volunteers. If you are interested in using your talents for a great cause, learning, and making a difference, we invite you to apply. You can get the job description and information on how to apply here.

LONG BEACH: Bookkeeper for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Part time. Responsible for recording and maintaining the church’s financial transactions, such as donations, expenses, and payments. This person will record financial data into QuickBooks and Realm software to ensure our database reflects accurate giving records. An effective bookkeeper will be integrity-filled, consistent and accurate. This person will have a knowledge of accounting and the ability to understand how to use accounting software systems. Full job description and application instructions here.

TUSTIN: Director of Family Ministries, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Part-time (15-20 hours weekly) Seeking a high-energy leader to direct our church school, plan activities for families, and minister to parents. A more detailed job listing can be found here. St. Paul's hopes to hire someone to begin working alongside its departing director around May 16. Please send resume and cover letter to: the Rev. Kay Sylvester, rector, at [email protected].

Additional job listings are here. Listings are free: send information to [email protected]. Applications for jobs must be sent to the contact included in the listing.