The

My Work To Do session to begin on Thursday via Zoom

A new session of "Getting Started: The Original My Work To Do" will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21 and continue weekly until Nov. 16. To register, click here.

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." Learn more about the program here.

My Work To Do past participant Serena Beeks, executive director of the diocese's Commission on Schools, offers this description of the program:

"For all of us who know we have work to do to become better anti-racists, and for all of us who have ever learned through painful experience that having good intentions is not always enough to keep us from making big mistakes, and for all of us who know just enough to realize that we have a lot more to learn, I can recommend from experience My Work To Do. It's a five-week session with short readings or a film clip to watch, and then guided brief conversations among the participants. It's free, although donations are appreciated. It's not divisive or confrontational, but supportive of the journey. Everyone is welcome, but the intention is to guide people who identify as white to do their own work of learning about racism instead of requesting people of color to explain it over and over."

New sessions are scheduled regularly. To learn more, visit www.myworktodo.com.

This year is the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Episcopal Urban Intern Program (now known as Jubilee Year Los Angeles), established in 1991 by Bishop Frederick H. Borsch.

To mark the milestone, Jubilee Year will host a virtual event and fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 11, 3 - 4 p.m. to celebrate the program's longstanding impact on L.A.-area communities. Two important figures in EUIP/JYLA history will be honored: the Rev. Canon Gary Commins, co-founder of the program, and the Rev. Canon Joanne Leslie, co-founder of Jubilee Consortium (now celebrating its 20th anniversary) and chair of the JYLA board.

Since 1991, more than 250 young adults have come to Los Angeles to serve as EUIP/JYLA interns, living in community, working for a wide range of area nonprofit service organizations, and learning to be change makers in the world.

More information on the Dec. 11 event will be published as plans are finalized. To learn more about EUIP/JYLA, click here.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Laguna Beach, will host a special Holy Eucharist to celebrate and give thanks for more than 400 years of Indigenous peoples' history in the Episcopal Church at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 24.

The Rev. Canon Mary Crist, Ed.D. (Blackfeet), coordinator of Indigenous Theological Education for The Episcopal Church and priest at St. Michael's Ministry Center, Riverside, will celebrate and preach for the enculturated Eucharist. Members of the First Women Gather around the Fire Talking Circles from many tribes and nations will present the lessons and offer songs. Singing Byrd (Mescalero Apache) and friends will also offer prayers and sacred songs accompanied by Native drum. The service will begin with a Land Acknowledgement to honor the First People of the land where Laguna Beach is now located.

Crist (pictured at left), a longtime Laguna Beach resident, is enrolled Blackfeet (Amskapi Pikuni) from the Douglas family in Babb on the reservation Montana. She is married to the Rev. Will Crist and is the mother of an adult son and daughter, grandmother of five, and great-grandmother of one. She earned a doctorate in education at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York; a master of divinity at Bloy House (The Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, now Los Angeles) and Claremont School of Theology; and a bachelor of arts from the University of California Berkeley. She is former dean of the Metcalf School of Education and professor in the Online and Professional Studies Division at California Baptist University in Riverside. She has been active in Indigenous ministry in The Episcopal Church for many years as a member of the Executive Council’s Committee on Indigenous Ministry, and is now a member of the Indigenous Missioner’s Advisory Council. At the church's General Convention in 2012 Crist preached at a service of Holy Eucharist honoring Native American.

The service will be livestreamed on the congregation's Facebook page and YouTube channel. All are welcome. St. Mary's Church is located at 428 Park Avenue, Laguna Beach 92651-2337. For information, click here.

Salvage by Tim Alderson returns to LA theater scene

Salvage, a play with music written by Tim Alderson, has opened at the Hudson Theater MainStage, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles 90038, and will run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday (matinee) until Nov. 14.

Alderson is executive director of Seeds of Hope, the food justice ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles, a position he has held since the agency was founded by the late Bishop J. Jon Bruno in 2013.

The play is directed by Damian D. Lewis, with musical direction by Colin Linden.

In Salvage, Harley, a singer-songwriter whose wife is expecting their first child, has decided to hang it up. On his way to pawn his guitar, he stumbles across the bar where his musical hero, Floyd Whitaker, died. Entering, he finds Johnson, the inhospitable bartender, and a single, surly customer, known as Preacher, who’s strumming the blues on an old guitar. Dueling words and songs ensue, dislodging uncomfortable truths, until an unexpected arrival turns everything on its ear.

According to Alderson, he wrote the 95-minute play in 2011. It first opened in 2019 in Los Angeles to enthusiastic audiences and reviews. The current cast includes David Atkinson, Sam O'Byrne, Leonard Earl Howze and Natalie Llerena.

Tickets are $35; for reservations click here. All audience members must present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, along with a government-issued ID. Face masks must be worn at all times.

Un grupo de clérigos ha preparado una serie de sesiones en las que utilizando el esquema de "El Camino del Amor" caminaremos juntos creciendo en nuestra fe por medio de estudios bíblicos, juegos, alabanzas, y muchas cosas más.

Martes a las 7 p.m. por Zoom; ID de la reunión 823 2959 7637. Conéctate también por teléfono: 669.900.9128 | 823.2959.7637

The Guibord Center will present "There’s Something About Mary: Why Major Religions Revere the Mother of Jesus" on Saturday, Dec. 4, 1 - 2:30 p.m., via Zoom. What is it about Mary, mother of Jesus, that inspires reverence from such a wide range of belief traditions? Join The Guibord Center via Zoom to learn why people of both Eastern and Western faiths find strength, encouragement and hope in Mary.

To register, click here. More information will be available soon.

The Guibord Center, founded by the late Rev. Gwynne Guibord, a priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles, works to increase understanding among Los Angeles' diverse faith communities. All events at The Guibord Center are free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted.

The schedule for Diocesan Convention has been altered so that the convention Eucharist will be held in Riverside on Saturday, Nov. 13, to conclude the gathering, rather than on Sunday, Nov. 14 at St. John's Cathedral as previously announced.

"A Sunday service was a great idea at the time, when many of you were still livestreaming," Bishop John Harvey Taylor told clergy of the diocese in a recent email. "With most of our churches back in person, we don’t want to do anything to interrupt your folks’ expectations."

Archdeacon Laura Siriani will be the convention Eucharist preacher. Bishop Suffragan Diane M. Jardine Bruce, who is expected to be confirmed early in November as bishop provisional for the Diocese of Western Missouri, will celebrate. If she is confirmed by the Western Missouri diocese, the Nov. 13 convention will be her last official event as bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Los Angeles.

The meeting will be held at the Riverside Convention Center, 3637 5th Street. Masks will be required in all indoor spaces; delegates and clergy who are not vaccinated are asked to log in via Zoom. Voting delegates participating remotely will need a smartphone, tablet, or other web-connected device to vote. All registered delegates have been sent information about logging in and voting: delegates who have not received the information or foresee difficulties may contact the convention office at [email protected] for assistance.

Registration will open at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, Nov. 13. Bishop Taylor will call the convention to order at 9 a.m. There will be breaks throughout the day, including a lunch period. A buffet lunch will be provided: tickets will be available to purchase soon. The meeting will conclude with Eucharist, ending by 6 p.m.

The convention center may require security and temperature checks at the door. Visitors are welcome, but must adhere to all COVID-19 safety protocols. All convention proceedings will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Spanish translation and ASL interpretation will be provided onsite.

Due to COVID restrictions and the one-day convention schedule, the exhibit hall will be scaled back this year, according to convention coordinator Samantha Wylie. The in-person exhibits will be limited to ministries; all others will be invited to join the virtual exhibit hall here. To learn about exhibiting at convention, either live or virtually, click here.

As in past years, clergy spouses and partners will have their own meeting space in the Convention Center, according to Canon Kathy O'Connor, spouse of Bishop Taylor. "[W]e can be together to catch up, share stories, or have some quiet time – and this year, to say goodbye to our dear friend and partner in ministry as a spouse, Steve Bruce," O'Connor wrote in a recent email. O'Connor asks clergy spouses and partners who will be attending convention to contact her as soon as possible via email at [email protected].

The convention office has contracted with the Mission Inn and Marriott hotels for a block rate on rooms Friday and Saturday night. To make reservations, click here.

Childcare will be available onsite for children ages 0 – 8 during Convention in a breakout room adjacent to the main meeting hall. Toys, activities, snacks, and meals will be provided. There is no charge for childcare but donations are appreciated. Older children (8 – 13) will be invited to join "Camp Convention," staffed by Camp Stevens. Click here to pre-register for children's programs.

Since Diocesan Convention is back in person this year, the diocesan youth ministry once again will need high school students and young adults to help run various aspects of the meeting. Young people guard the doors, staff the microphones for floor discussions, run errands and generally help keep the convention running smoothly.

A select group of young people will have the opportunity to join the youth press corps, which will work with The Episcopal News to cover the convention. Assignments will include photographers, videographers and reporters.

Youth volunteers will gather in Riverside on Friday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. Dinner will be provided, as will hotel rooms. All youth work will be supervised by adult leaders. The youth corps' responsibilities will begin early on Saturday, Nov. 13 and be completed at the close of convention business at about 5 p.m.

For more information and to register, click here. For additional information, or to inquire about places on the press corps, contact Gabriel Vasquez-Reyes, diocesan youth coordinator, at [email protected]

Pre-convention presentations, to be held via Zoom, are approaching rapidly. The three sessions are:

Deaneries 3, 4 & 5: Saturday, October 23, 10 a.m.

Deaneries 6, 7 & 8: Sunday, October 24, 3 p.m.

Deaneries 1, 2, 9 & 10: Saturday, October 30, 10 a.m.

These meetings will only be the diocesan portion of the usual deanery assemblies. Clergy and convention delegates will be pre-registered for these meetings, and will receive Zoom links from the secretary of convention's office. (For additional information contact Convention Coordinator Samantha Wylie, [email protected].)

As always, the convention will elect officers to several boards, commissions and committees, and members of the diocesan community are invited to consider running for offices suiting their talents, interests and experience.

Offices open for election are listed here, along with nomination forms and instructions. To learn more about the various groups and how they work, see the following Episcopal News articles (from 2020):

Current nominees are listed here.

Read more about convention here, or visit the convention website here.

By Bob Williams

[The Episcopal News – September 15, 2021] Mary Nichols, whose leadership as chair of the California Air Resources Board has played a key role in guiding statewide environmental advances for five decades, will deliver Diocesan Convention’s biennial Margaret Parker Lecture set for Nov. 13 in Riverside.

Convention delegates – together with all who will view the lecture via livestream – are encouraged to prepare for the talk by reading the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, edited by Paul Hawken, and to consult additional resources posted here.

Read more here.

[The Episcopal News – September 8, 2021, updated October 6, 2021] The 2021 meeting of Diocesan Convention will take place in person on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Riverside Convention Center, concluding with Eucharist. Along with the usual reports of work, approval of the next year's budget, election of officers and other business, the convention will host the biannual Margaret Parker Lecture, delivered this year by environmental advocate Mary Nichols

Read more here. (This article has been updated and reposted to reflect changes in the convention schedule and information.)

Bishop Diocesan John Harvey Taylor will install the Rev. Liz (McQuitty) Kronenberg (pictured) as vicar of St. John's Church, La Verne, on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m. The service will be in person and also livestreamed here (YouTube). The prayers and presence of the diocesan community are invited. (Clergy: red stoles.) For in-person attendance, please contact [email protected] for reservations. St. John's is located at 4745 Wheeler Avenue, La Verne 91750.

Canon Barbara Sampson Borsch – whose skills in advancing lay ministry, preparing clergy for ordination, educating youth at risk, and countering oppression of Palestinians were hallmarks of her work in the Episcopal Church and beyond – died peacefully in her sleep on Oct. 14. She was 84 and had been hospitalized with complications after a fall in her home in Gwynedd Township, Pa.

Borsch and her late husband, the Rt. Rev. Frederick H. Borsch, bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles from 1988 to 2002, were devoted partners in life and ministry that included his years as parish priest, seminary dean, diocesan bishop, theologian, and author.

Predeceased by her husband in 2017, Borsch is survived by their sons and daughters-in-law, Benjamin and Jeannie of Tampa, Fla.; Matthew and Elizabeth of Millbrook, N.Y.; and Stuart and Fang Zhang of Worcester, Mass., and grandchildren Jack, Emily, Owen, and Zoe. Borsch is also survived by two sisters, Deborah Branch of Santa Barbara and Sarah Moody of suburban Chicago, and their families.

Requiem Eucharist is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Oct. 30 at St. Martin in-the-Fields Church in Philadelphia, and the family is planning an additional service in the Diocese of Los Angeles, likely next spring. At the family’s request, memorial gifts in lieu of flowers may be made to Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2450 Le Conte Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709. Cards and notes of condolence may be mailed in care of the Bishops’ Office, 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90026, or emailed to [email protected].

An obituary from The Episcopal News is here.

Valerie Joan Bishop, widow of the late Rev. Michael Bishop, former rector of St. Ambrose Church, Claremont, died Sept. 18 at her home in England. She was 93.

Survivors include her two sons, Tim and Ian, their spouses, and two grandchildren. A service was held Oct. 8 at St. Mary's Church, Colkirk, England. Memorial gifts may be made to St. Ambrose's Church, online here, or by check to 830 W. Bonita Ave., Claremont, CA 91711.

Born in Sri Lanka in 1928, Valerie Joan Spurway grew up in England, where she joined the Women's Royal Naval Service during World War II. She married Michael Bishop in Devon, England in 1952. Four years later the couple bought a dairy farm, which they ran together for nine years until Michael was called to ordained ministry. They served several congregations before a pulpit exchange program in 1976 brought them to St. Ambrose's Church. They returned in 1981 when he was called there as rector. Valerie Bishop, a member of a professional employer association, was active in the parish and community.

The couple retired in 1989 and returned to England. She continued to travel and remained active in church life before and after being widowed in 2007.

An obituary from the Claremont Courier is here.

Arthur Littleworth – attorney, member of All Saints' Church, Riverside, and that city's designated "citizen of the century" for his work for school integration, clean water and the environment, urban revitalization, inlcuding preservation of the landmark Mission Inn, and more – died Oct. 18. He was 98.

In 2020, the City of Riverside produced a two-hour documentary film, A Good Life, about Littleworth’s contributions, and proclaimed him its “citizen of the century.” The film chronicles Littleworth’s exceptional accomplishments through the eyes of those who know and worked alongside him to make Riverside public schools the first to integrate in the nation without a court order; to save the iconic Mission Inn, the largest mission revival style building in the United States; and to ensure quality regional drinking water.

In spite of the effects of a 2008 stroke that limited his speech and movement, Littleworth continued to be a mentor and resource to other attorneys and activist until the end of his life. In his 2014 memoir, No Easy Way, he told how he, as school board president, led the effort to integrate Riverside's public schools.

Service arrangements are pending. Survivors include his wife, Peggy; his daughter, Anne Taylor; and his son, Todd Littleworth. His first wife, Evelyn Low, died in 1984.

A June 2021 Episcopal News "Voices of Justice" profile of Littleworth, written by the Rev. Pat McCaughan, is here. An obituary from The Press Enterprise is here.

A service for the late Billie Youngblood has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at St. Edmund’s Church, 1175 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Marino 91108. Youngblood, a parishioner of St. Edmund's and a member for many years of the Diocese of Los Angeles' Program Group on Communication & Public Affairs and the Episcopal News editorial board, died Dec. 13, 2020. She was 97 and had been recovering from recent hip surgery after a fall. Survivors include her sons, William and Charles.

Services will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14, at St. Matthew’s, Pacific Palisades for the late Canon Alice Bucquet McCully, artist, needleworker and former longtime member and directress of the diocesan Altar Guild. Bishop J. Jon Bruno named her an honorary canon of the diocese in 2004. She died Nov. 19, 2020 at age 99 from pneumonia in Seattle. Survivors include her daughter Anne McCully Murphy (Jim Murphy), her son Duncan McCully (Molly Cadmus), three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her husband, Grant, and daughter Janet predeceased her.

The Japanese Convocation of the Diocese of Los Angeles will present "Homecoming," an afternoon of poetry, tea and Japanese treats, featuring the insightful poetry of Mitsuye Yamada, on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. at at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 961 S. Mariposa Avenue, Los Angeles 90006.

Yamada, 98, will read poems about her early life incarcerated with her family in Minidoka Internment Camp during World War II, as well as other topics. Yamada is an acclaimed poet, essayist, feminist, professor and activist, born in Japan and reared in Seattle. She is the author of several books, including Camp Notes and Other Writings, Full Circle: New and Selected Poems, and What You Left Behind. The Episcopal News published a Q&A article in August 2021 about her life and work.

The Oct. 24 event will be hybrid Zoom and in-person. To attend through Zoom, contact Anne Ito by email ([email protected]) or phone (310.994.0594) to receive the Zoom link. A flyer is here.

The Gathering will host an online remembrance of the 1871 Los Angeles Chinese Massacre, in which 10% of the city's Chinese population was murdered.

Bishop Suffragan Diane M. Jardine Bruce and The Gathering invite the diocesan community to a virtual presentation and discussion on Saturday, Oct. 23, 4 - 5:30 p.m. Guest speaker John Liu of the University of California, Irvine, will review the history of the lynching, the impact on Chinese and Asian people in Los Angeles and the country, and the sociological and historical events that followed.

Liu is professor emeritus of the departments of Asian American Studies and Sociology at UC Irvine. He founded the Asian American Studies Program at UCI and helped in the creation of the Department. He is a former associate editor of Amerasia Journal and was a founding co-editor of the Journal of the Association of Asian American studies. His areas of concentration were in race/ethnic relations, comparative studies of ethnic communities, comparative international immigration studies, and social theory. Before moving north, Dr. Liu attended Church of the Messiah in Santa Ana.

The Q&A discussion will be moderated by the Rev. Peggy Lo, associate rector of St. Chrysostom's Church, Chicago.

The Gathering – a Space for Asian Pacific American Spirituality is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to Asian Pacific Americans.

The event is free. The Gathering holds events to engage topics relevant to Asian Pacific American communities and offers a space for Asian Pacific Americans to share their spiritual journeys.

To register, click here. For additional information, email [email protected].

PRISM Restorative Justice will host "A Conversation with Dr. Catherine Meeks" online on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. in a program focused on racial healing, reconciliation and the justice system.

The event will also feature the story of a father and son facing police violence and the after-effects of incarceration and trial.

To register in advance click here. To log into the Zoom meeting, click here. There is no charge.

Catherine Meeks, Ph.D (pictured above) is the founding executive director of the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing as well as the retired Clara Carter Acree distinguished professor of socio-cultural studies and sociology at Wesleyan College. She has published seven books, including Passionate for Justice: Ida B. Wells - A Prophet for Our Times (co-author) which was released in September 2019. She is editor of Living Into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America, which focuses on racial healing and reconciliation and was published in 2016.

Meeks is a regular contributor to Hospitality which is published monthly by the Open Door Community. She is involved with prison work and faithfully visits a person who was formerly on death row. She is committed to working for the abolition of the death penalty, writing and helping to create spaces where transformation and rebirth can occur.

Canon Anilin Collado, human resources missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles (EDLA), will host several Zoom meetings this month outlining available health insurance and other benefits for church employees.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

Monday, October 25, 2021, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting here

Meeting ID: 988 3846 5708

Passcode: 606845

Monday, October 25, 2021, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting here

Meeting ID: 988 3846 5708

Passcode: 606845

Wednesday, October 27, 2021, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Miércoles 27 de octubre de 2021, de 15:30 a 17:00 h.

Join Zoom Meeting here | Unirse a la reunión de Zoom

Meeting ID / ID de reunión: 988 3846 5708

Passcode / Contraseña: 606845

All employees participating in EDLA medical and dental plans will receive their annual enrollment packets in the mail directly from the Episcopal Church Medical Trust prior to Oct. 27. The packet will provide information on how to enroll online for medical and/or dental benefits for 2022.

Additional documents are available online. Click on these links to download:

For more information contact Collado at [email protected] or 213.482.2040, ext. 250.

Versed, a series that brings together young adults with engaging speakers around a dinner table for discussions of a wide range of subjects, has returned to the Diocese of Los Angeles, according to youth missioner Gabriel Vasquez-Reyes. The next gathering will be on Friday, Nov. 19 in Claremont (time TBA). More information will be posted soon. For reservations and more information, click here.

Episcopal Community Federal Credit Union invites all members to its virtual annual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. CEO and manager Urla Gomes, board president Dan Valdez, and the rest of the ECFCU staff and leadership will discuss the credit union’s newest innovations, coming to a smartphone near you.

"Hear our plans to shake it up, expand services, grow our reach, and use technology to bring the credit union to you," board member Jennifer Miramontes wrote in an invitation to ECFCU members. All meeting participants will be entered in an opportunity drawing to win "super cool" prizes.

To register for the meeting, email [email protected].

Christ Church, Ontario, invites the diocesan community to the grand opening of Rebecca’s Garden, an urban oasis for plants, animals, and people, on Saturday, Nov. 6, beginning at 2 p.m. The day's events, which are free of charge, will include a concert and opening ceremony, followed by a party featuring a live band.

Christ Church Parish is located at 1127 N. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario, CA 91762.

The concert at 2 p.m. will feature Margaret Irwin-Brandon, organ, and Jerry Ripley, organ & harp. An opening ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m., followed by a party from 5 to 6:30 p.m., featuring the music of On the Rocks, a band specializing in 60’s and 70’s hits, country, rock, ballads, and blues.

Rebecca’s Garden is a contemplative space that is open to all. It includes an olive grove and cloister, a network of paths, benches for rest and refreshment, and a labyrinth. Christ Church parishioners created the garden as a place of rest and renewal, where all are invited to walk, chat, read, meditate, gather, and enjoy the beauty of nature. The garden, the result of several years of planning and building despite the pandemic, is named for the late Rebecca Rollins – recitalist, professor emerita of Saddleback College, and former organist of the parish, who began a garden on the site in the early 2000s. The new garden is was designed by Ashanti Smalls (MLA), Patricia Reyes-Cappelli (RA), and members of the parish’s garden committee.

Christ Church Parish was founded in 1886. It is one of the oldest churches in Ontario, and one of the 25 oldest continuing congregations in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

The Rev. Sylvia Sweeney will present "Ministry in an Age of Ecological Crisis," a semester-long academic class open to lay and clergy auditors, during the spring semester at Bloy House (Episcopal Theological School, Los Angeles).

The class will be held in person at the seminary's Glendale campus from 1 to 4 p.m. on alternate Saturdays beginning Jan. 15, 2022. (The spring semester academic schedule is here.)

This ecological theology class will explore both abstract theological questions related to humanity's relationship with creation and practical strategies for how Christians can translate their theology into action, serving as sources of comfort, hope, and healing for the world and all its vulnerable creatures (including humans).

Audit fee for the course is $250. Scholarship are available for financial need. Bloy House is located at 1300 E. Colorado Street, Glendale 91205. For more information, or to register, email [email protected].

Read more here.

St. Wilfrid's Episcopal Preschool

18631 Chapel Lane, Huntington Beach 92646

Information: 714.968.3100

Free admission for decorated cars. Games, food and fun. $10 wristbands for children.

St. John's Episcopal Church

30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita 92688

Information: 949.888.4595 or here

St. James Episcopal Church

3209 Via Lido, Newport Beach 92663

Information: [email protected]

 Spooky, eerie music evoking ghosts, ghouls, and goblins will be performed by the spooktacular musicians of St. James'. The concert will feature costumed performances of such well-known pieces as Saint-Saëns’ "Danse Macabre," Bach’s "Toccata in D minor," the delightful "I Put a Spell on You," and other fun Halloween-themed surprises. It’s going to be too shocking to miss! Child care will be provided. Parking is available in the church lot across 32nd Street and in metered parking around the church.

All Saints Church / Iglesia de Todos los Santos

144 South C Street, Oxnard 93030

Information: 805.483.2347

All Saints Church

3847 Terracina Drive, Riverside 92506

Information: 951.683.8466 or here http://www.allsaintsriverside.org/

Games and a barbecue lunch will follow the 10 a.m. service. Children and all are invited to wear costumes.

Church of Our Saviour

535 W. Roses Road, San Gabriel 91775

Information here

Candy, food, games, and more will be offered in the small parking lot on the COS campus. Costumes are encouraged.

St. John's Episcopal Church

4775 Wheeler Avenue, La Verne 91750

Two ways to participate: Bring your kids to trick or treat among the decorated trunks. We'll also be grilling up hot dogs for participants as long as supplies last. Or decorate your car's trunk in a Halloween or Fall theme and bring candy to pass out to trick or treaters. You'll want to make your trunk light and inviting and not too scary for the little ones. Please contact [email protected] if you plan to decorate your trunk.

Church of Our Saviour

535 West Roses Road, San Gabriel 91775

Information/Reservations here

Young people in 6th to 12th grade are invited to join in a night of spooky fun. There is no charge, but donations of quarters for Laundry Love are welcome.

If your congregation will host a Halloween community event, please send information to [email protected]. We also welcome photos after the event: please include caption information.

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. Mark's Episcopal Parish

Parish Hall

330 E. 16th Street, Upland 91784

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

Sponsor code: stmarks

St. James' Episcopal Church

(The Great Hall)

3209 Via Lido, Newport Beach 92663

Reservations here or call 1.800.RED.CROSS (1.800.733.2767) or St. James' Church website here

Sponsor code: stjamesnewport

St. John Chrysostom Church and School

Multipurpose Room

30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita 92688

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

Sponsor Code: St. John

Christ Episcopal Church

1127 N. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario 91762

Information: 909.983.1859

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

Sponsor code: CCPOntario

Additional dates at this location: Saturday, Dec. 11.

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 date at this location is Monday, Dec. 27.

Will your church host blood drives in coming months? Send the information to [email protected] for inclusion in the calendar. Please include the date, times, location and sponsor code.

My heart is heavy today with the news of the death of Colin Powell, former secretary of state, four-star general, and lifelong Episcopalian. I pray for his family and all his many loved ones, and I give thanks for his model of integrity, faithful service to our nation, and his witness to the impact of a quiet, dignified faith in public life.

Powell also dedicated himself to service in his retirement. I recall fondly having breakfast with him a couple years ago. He became energized and passionate about his work with the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, which is part of his alma mater, The City College of New York.

He cared about people deeply. He served his country and humanity nobly. He loved his family and his God unswervingly. As Jesus says in the New Testament, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry

Presiding Bishop and Primate

By David Paulsen

[Episcopal News Service – October 20, 2021] Grace Episcopal Church in Ishpeming, Michigan, has faced a double-edged dilemma in recent years – rising building maintenance costs and steadily fewer Sunday worshippers covering those costs. Across the street, the Cognition Brewing Company was dealing with its own difficulties. Its owner’s ambition to create a welcoming space for community gatherings had run up against a bitter landlord dispute.

This year, the Episcopal congregation and the brewery in this small Upper Peninsula city came together on a shared solution. Cognition Brewing is taking over ownership and maintenance of the 1902 church and eventually will move part of its brewing operations and a tap room there while opening the space to broader community use, in addition to the worship services that Grace Episcopal will continue to celebrate there.

The needs and missions of the church and brewery happened to align with each other, said the Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin, the Diocese of Northern Michigan’s canon to the ordinary for discipleship and vitality. “It just ended up being a really good time and good movement of the Spirit that we started talking to each other,” Bucklin told Episcopal News Service.

Read more here.

More reporting from Episcopal News Service is here.

By Adrian O'Hanlon III

[McAlester (Oklahoma) News-Capital – October 16, 2021] Twenty-three boxes rest on a table with the cremated remains of unclaimed individuals over 20 years.

Some boxes include names, birth and death dates, and a picture of the person. One box has remains of three people in it. Another has the remains of an unclaimed infant. Other boxes contain remains of unknown people.

Rev. Janie Koch, of All Saints Episcopal Church in McAlester, said she hopes to honor those individuals with a ceremony on Nov. 2 to place the boxes in the church’s columbarium.

“It’s a time for McAlester and our surrounding communities for everyone to come in and have a space to put their grief, to put their trauma,” Koch said. “We’re all carrying it whether we recognize it or name it — it’s there.”

The ceremony is open everyone and set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at All Saints Episcopal Church in McAlester.

Read more here.

[The Episcopal News – October 13, 2021] St. Paul’s Commons Building Superintendent Canon Luis Garibay is on his way to pick up a vintage chapel altar table, once used by the late Rev. Canon Morris Vaughn Samuel Jr, canon pastor at the former cathedral before it was demolished in 1980. Recovering historical artifacts from across the diocese is just one aspect of Garibay’s role. Read more here.

[The Episcopal News – October 13, 2021] Lamar Mott Hill, professor of history at UC Irvine from 1968 to 2007 and active parishioner in four Southland congregations, died Sept. 2 in Corona del Mar at age 83. At his side was his wife, the Rev. Ellen R. Hill, an active assisting priest of the Diocese of Los Angeles who served from 1993 to 2003 as rector of St. Michael and All Angels, Studio City. Read more here.

[The Episcopal News - October 6, 2021] As churches reimagine post-pandemic ministry, two Southland congregations hope a budding relationship will blossom into a full-fledged cross-cultural exchange. Read more here.

[The Episcopal Church – October 6, 2021] Following a churchwide call for applications, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has named 24 delegates – selected from 70 applicants — to represent the presiding bishop’s office at the United Nations 26th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as “COP26.” Read more here. The Rev. Canon Melissa McCarthy, canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Los Angeles and a passionate environmentalist, is one of the 24 delegates. Read more about her here.

[The Episcopal News - October 6, 2021] Episcopal Enterprises officially launched its Episcopal Enterprises Service Corps program at the episcopal residence in Pasadena on Thursday, Sept. 30. The Episcopal Enterprises Service Corps seeks to connect experts in management, entrepreneurship, marketing and other areas with members from the diocese's churches who want to start initiatives to serve their communities and generate income. Read more here.

[The Episcopal News] Word was recently received that longtime diocesan lay leader Charlotte Jean McKay "Scottie" DeShazo died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on June 17, 2021. Read more here.

[The Episcopal News] The Rev. Samuel Leslie Hall – who, after ordination as a priest in the Diocese of Los Angeles served congregations in San Marino and Whittier, and as chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital – died Sept. 21 with family members and friends at his bedside. He was 92 and had resided since 1987 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Read more here.

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

Livestreamed and on demand here

Bid online here

More information: Kathy Wilder, [email protected]

New auction items will be released each Thursday in October. Current offerings include: A quarterly supply of smoked meats; art photographs; an oil painting; three nights on Lake Tahoe. All proceeds will support Camp Stevens' Transformation Fund as the camp works to recover, rebuild, and reimagine its future.

HFS Adoption and Foster Care Agency

Online: To register, email [email protected]

HFS, a foster care and adoption agency and diocesan institution, is seeking seeking individuals and families in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties willing to provide temporary care for a child or children experiencing abuse or neglect. Interested families can learn about foster care and how to become a Resource Family. HFS provides foster parents with training, support, and guidance throughout the entire process. All foster parents are provided with a tax-free stipend to care for the children along with coverage for all medical, dental, and therapeutic needs.

Via Zoom: Register here

The Daughters of the King in the Diocese of Los Angeles will hear from Jane Tomaine, author of St. Benedict's Toolbox, at their online Fall Retreat Day, titled "Fashioning My Life For His Sake." The program, to be conducted via Zoom, will also include a welcome from the diocese's bishops; morning prayer and installation of officers; and a business meeting, as well as closing prayer. The agenda and more information is found here. Fee for the conference is $10. (Attendees may also contribute more, or request a scholarship.)

Girls Friendly Society - Los Angeles (GFS-LA)

Via Zoom: Meeting ID: 883 4225 9683; Passcode: 086515

Part of the "Step Up and Speak Out" Justice series. Grace Cross, who lives with cerebral palsy, is a high school student, dancer, and advocate for the disabled. Girls, parents and leaders are invited to attend and learn what it's like to live with a physical challenge. As always, events are open to all; girls do not have to be members of GFS.

St Mary's Parish (Palms)

3647 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles

St. Mary's Schola Marialis, under the direction of Sean Smith, will sing the Queen's Responses by Philip Stopford (b. 1977), Anglican chant by Peter Tranchell (1922-1993), the Westminster Service by Herbert Howells (1892-1983), and the Salve Regina for four voices by William Byrd (c. 1540-1623). The church is well ventilated, and no reservations are required.

The Church of Our Saviour

535 W. Roses Road, San Gabriel 91775

An evening of classical chamber music curated and presented by COS staff cellist Dustin Seo. This program will explore themes of evening, dreaming, and transformation through musical performance and in-concert dialogue. Beginning with a lullaby by Rebecca Clarke, the program will then continue with dream-like music by Claude Debussy, Gabriel Faure, and Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. The second half of the program will feature Arnold Schoenberg’s “Verklarte Nacht,” or Transfigured Night," an epic string sextet inspired by Richard Dehmel’s “Verklarte Nacht.” Featuring Vijay Gupta, Chandler Yu, Aiko Jimena Richter, violin; Elizabeth Asher, Alexander Granger, Sunwoo Lee, viola; Christopher Cho, Niall Ferguson, Dustin Seo, cello; Irene Kim, piano. A reception will follow the service. There is no charge.

By Your Side Vigil Companions

Via Zoom: to register, contact Susan Brown, [email protected] or by phone at 818.822.6044

By Your Side Vigil Companions, a program of Episcopal Communities and Services, will train volunteers to be a compassionate presence in the lives of those nearing the end of life. The training program will take place in two-hour sessions over five weeks via Zoom. There is no obligation to volunteer at the completion of the training. Enrollment is limited to 30 people. A fee of $70 (which includes all materials) is due by the second class. Scholarships are available. CE credit (12 hours) for nurses is available for an additional $30 under California Board of Registered Nursing provider number CEP 16239.

ALTADENA: Bookkeeper, St. Mark's Church. Part-time. Duties include processing cash receipts, processing account payable and receivable, general ledger posting and reconciliation, account statement reconciliation, payroll processing and other related tasks. Qualifications: Five years of of experience as a bookkeeper; knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles; strong knowledge of QuickBooks, proficient in Microsoft Office, detail-oriented and analytical, strong communications skills. A full job description is here. Interested candidates should send resume to the Rev. Carri Patterson Grindon, rector, at [email protected].

GLENDORA: Organist. Grace Episcopal Church is seeking a professionally trained church organist to be a part of our strong and vital music ministry. The organist will be expected to play for one Sunday service and one choir rehearsal per week, feast days, and for festive concerts. We offer a traditional Rite II service at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The preferred style of music is classical sacred music, ranging from Palestrina to Rutter. The pipe organ is by Manuel Rosales, built in 1977, with a new console in 1980, and substantial reconditioning work in 2016. The organ has two manuals and 26 ranks. The organist will work directly under our choirmaster/director of music in a collaborative manner. Salary: Starting at $12,000 per year, negotiable with demonstrated ability and experience. Weddings and funerals will provide additional compensation. Position available: Fall 2021. Application deadline: September 1, 2021. Send resume to the Rev. Susan Scranton via email at [email protected] or by postal mail at 555 E. Mountain View Avenue, Glendora 91741.

LAGUNA BEACH: Office Administrator. St. Mary's Church is seeking a collaborative person with strong verbal and written communication skills who enjoys working both alone and with colleagues. The applicant must be able to work independently, exhibiting good judgment, integrity, and common sense. A full job description with application contact information is here.

OAK PARK: Parish Administrator. Church of the Epiphany is looking for a friendly, highly organized and detail-oriented parish administrator with excellent written and verbal communication skills, to keep its church office running smoothly and efficiently. A job description is here.

PACIFIC PALISADES: Director of Advancement. St. Matthew’s Parish School seeks a dynamic, creative and entrepreneurial professional with a successful record of fundraising, including planning and executing a development program and a capital campaign as its next director of advancement. Reporting to the head of school and as a member of the senior leadership team, the director of advancement is responsible for overseeing and executing St. Matthew’s development activities including major giving, annual fund, corporate and foundation relations, alumni relations, and special events as well as a future capital campaign. The successful candidate should have strategic planning skills and be capable of working with the head of school, board members and other administrators to develop and implement clear annual fund and development goals, systems and priorities. A passion for working in early childhood education and with families is highly valued. Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred. Salary range: $150,000 - $175,000, based on experience. Full job description here. To apply, send resume and letter of interest through this website.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA: Early Childhood Division – Assistant Teacher (3 positions, St. John's School. One regular, two Infant/Toddler program). Full time with benefits (medical/dental, pension, employer matching 403b contribution). $17.00 per hour Starts August 23. Primary responsibilities: support the classroom teacher in providing a loving classroom environment that supports children’s emotional, physical, and cognitive development; communicate effectively and maintain a positive rapport with students, parents, and colleagues; help implement the curriculum created by the classroom teacher and collaborate accordingly. Early childhood education coursework required (minimum of 12 units). Full job descriptions and application instructions here (select "Faculty").

SANTA CLARITA: Director of Children's Education and Formation, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and Preschool. The role of the director will be to develop and execute strategies, curriculum and related programs that create an environment for children to grow and thrive in their pursuit of early childhood education, socialization, and spiritual foundations. This position reports to the Rector and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the preschool including staff management, Summer VBS and management of the parish Sunday School program. A full job description is here.

VAN NUYS: Bookkeeper (part time), St. Mark’s Church. The bookkeeper will handle bank account reconciliation, chart of accounts review and report generation, as well as year end fiscal reporting.Contact the Rev. Robin Kassabian at 818.946.8099 or [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.