Congregations, diocese respond to fire crisis
by Bob Williams
At least 11 homes of Southland Episcopalians have been lost in the raging Woolsey and Hill brush fires that displaced some 200,000 residents and burned more than 83,000 acres, with flames racing to the driveways and parking lots of parish properties in Malibu, Oak Park and Thousand Oaks but sparing church buildings.
At least 10 homes of parishioners of St. Aidan’s Church in Malibu, and one home of members of Epiphany Church, Oak Park, were destroyed, according to reports from leaders of the local congregations.
Pastoral and practical response continues in a united effort of clergy and laity in the region, joined by Bishop Diocesan John Harvey Taylor, Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce, and Canon to the Ordinary Melissa McCarthy, together with the diocesan disaster relief task force, chaired by the Very Rev. Michael Bamberger, rector of Ascension Church, Sierra Madre, and dean of diocesan Deanery 5.
Contributions to the diocesan Fire and Mudslide Relief Fund may be made online at
www.edlagives.org. Priority is placed on disbursement of aid to the region’s low-income and otherwise most vulnerable who might not otherwise receive relief amid the disaster.
As prayers encouraged by the bishops and clergy ascended across the diocese, firefighters doused the property of Thousand Oaks’ St. Patrick’s Church on Friday, Nov. 9, protecting it from devastation, reported the Rev. George Daisa, rector, who had the evening before been a leader in the city hall prayer vigil responding to the Nov. 8 shooting deaths of 13 at the nearby Borderline Bar and Grill. Sunday services were conducted in the church.
In Oak Park, flames charred landscaping and vegetation around Epiphany Church, located on Churchwood Drive where several homes did not survive the blaze. Neither church buildings nor the congregation’s vineyard suffered damage, said the Rev. Greg Brown, vicar. Parishioners were able to visit the church and gather for services.
In Malibu, the Rev. Joyce Stickney, vicar of St. Aidan’s Church there, is mobilizing support for profoundly affected parishioners, and also called the sparing of the church buildings and adjacent clergy residence a true miracle. She expressed gratitude for the members of the Malibu Muslim community who have called hourly with offers of food, housing and other support for St. Aidan’s parishioners. Stickney added that that Aidan, a 7th-century bishop on this island of Lindesfarne in the North Sea, has been considered a protector against wildfires, his name meaning “fire” in Gaelic.
Due to mandatory evacuation orders still in effect, services were not held at the newly remodeled Malibu church on November 11 but are expected to resume on November 18, Stickney said, with a dedication of the renovated sanctuary set for November 25.
In neighboring communities as far southwest as Pacific Palisades, parishioners and clergy had “go bags” packed and ready for evacuation on a moment’s notice.
The Woolsey fire follows nearly one year after other devastating firestorms in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and the disastrous Montecito mudslide last January. The recent blaze burned concurrently with the Camp Fire in the northern California town of Paradise, where at least 29 persons died, 200 went missing, and 6,700 structures were destroyed.
The Episcopal News will continue to monitor and report on congregational and diocesan responses to the fire disaster.
|
|
Gun violence prevention in focus following Thousand Oaks mass shooting
By Bob Williams
The Southland’s joint Episcopal-Lutheran on Gun Violence Prevention Task Force is calling for renewed advocacy for sensible weapons policy in the wake of the Nov. 7 shootings that left 13 dead in Thousand Oaks.
Co-chaired by Patricia Terry of St. Cross, Hermosa Beach, and consultant Virginia Classick of All Saints, Pasadena, with the Rev. Janet Hansted of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the task force offers for individual and congregational response a toolkit, online
here. Further resources are available through Bishops Against Gun Violence,
http://bishopsagainstgunviolence.org/.
In the hours following the shooting, Bishop Diocesan John Harvey Taylor commended numerous clergy — including local priest Julie A. Morris, who immediately responded with on-site pastoral care to those affected, and the Rev. George Daisa, rector of St. Patrick’s Church in Thousand Oaks, who shared in counseling and an interfaith vigil — for the tireless pastoral care they extended amid the crisis.
Hard-hit with grief were the people of California Lutheran University, devastated by the loss of a student who died in the incident.
|
|
CONVENTION REMINDERS
Click on titles or links to read more.
Nominations are open for officers to be elected at Diocesan Convention Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, and the bishops and canon to the ordinary invite church members to consider standing for one of the available offices.
Bishop John Harvey Taylor will convene the 123rd annual meeting of Diocesan Convention Nov. 30 – Dec. 1 under the theme “Come Home, EDLA” (“Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles”).
Singers, clergy and lay, from around the diocese are invited to participate in a choir for Diocesan Convention. The choir will support congregational singing and offer an anthem at the closing Eucharist on Saturday, Dec. 1 at about 3:25 pm.
2019 calendars featuring institutions to be available at Convention
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles will once again be publishing a calendar for the upcoming new year, featuring institutions of the diocese. Fifty free copies will be available to each congregation and will be distributed at Diocesan Convention. For more information, contact the Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija,
[email protected].
Hotel room reservations are now being accepted for the 2018 Diocesan Convention, to be held Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 at the Ontario Convention Center. Reservations for any of the participating hotels may be made
here. Hotels offering convention rates are: Doubletree by Hilton Ontario; Azure Hotel & Suites; and the Holiday Inn at Ontario Airport. All reservations must be made from the link above to get the special convention rates.
Due to prohibitive cost of purchasing hundreds of accounts for use of convention delegates, a WiFi password and access will be unavailable this year in the Convention Hall. Mobile devices will operate as usual on their own cellular plans. Convention planners will work to address this issue for future annual meetings.
Meetings continue this weekend: Check the date for your deanery
here
.
Diocesan Convention delegates, clergy and all other interested church members should mark their calendars for the pre-convention deanery assemblies, which will take place during the first three weekends of November. One or more members of a team including the bishops, canon to the ordinary, chief financial officer and treasurer will attend each meeting.
|
|
Volunteers needed for Cathedral Center Thanksgiving Dinner
Please call Provost Frank Alton or Francisco Torrerro, food bank leader, at 213.482.2010 to volunteer at the community Thanksgiving dinner at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, located at 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles.
|
|
St. Stephen’s in Beaumont to hold annual Christmas Tree Festival
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Beaumont will open its 13th Annual Christmas Tree Festival with a Wassail Party from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on Wednesday, November 28. A limited number of tickets at $25 each are still available. Proceeds will benefit Carol’s Kitchen, H.E.L.P., Inc., and Table of Plenty which are the major food ministries in the San Gorgonio Pass. The four-day event also includes two Tea Luncheons on Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1, and a limited number of tickets at $40 each are still available for the Friday Tea only; the Saturday tea is sold out. The event will culminate with opportunity drawings for professionally decorated Christmas Trees and the gifts underneath at the Saturday Tea. Call 951.845.1358 or visit
ststephensbeaumont.com for more information. St. Stephen’s Church is located at 225 8
th Street, Beaumont 92223.
|
|
Click on titles for more information.
Members of the media team from the Episcopal Church Center in New York will film an instructed Spanish-language Eucharist - dubbed a "How2charist" -- at Church of the Epiphany, Los Angeles, on Saturday, Nov. -17.
Our Sister's Keeper,” an exhibit of photographs by Marie Plakos honoring the lives of girls and women around the world, will be held at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul Dec. 9 – March 3. The exhibit will be launched on Sunday, Dec. 9, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with remarks by the artist, followed by an hors d’oeuvres reception.
In 1899, by vote of convention, the diocese designated offerings given at its congregations on Thanksgiving Day to support the work of the hospital — a custom still observed by some congregations. With the support of Bishop John Harvey Taylor, the Rev. Michael Bell, current director of pastoral care, is asking churches of the diocese to revive this practice to help support the chaplaincy program.
The Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) offers exciting opportunities to serve, learn, and share while spending a year living and working with communities around the world. Open to Episcopalians ages 21-30, the corps is now accepting applications for 2019-2020 placements.
Every three years The Episcopal Church convenes an international youth event. The planning team is accepting applications for adult mentors to serve as members of the 2020 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) planning team. Application instructions and links are
here.
|
|
The Guibord Center will host “Holy Days of Light: Roots of Hanukkah and Christmas” at the Temple Beth Shir Shalom on Saturday, December 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels and the Rev. Peter Rood, rector of Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, will lead an exploration of the origins of Hanukkah and Christmas, how light became the symbol of hope associated with both holidays, and their relevance in today’s world.
|
|
This week around the diocese
|
|
Diocesan offices closed for Thanksgiving
The diocesan offices at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul will be closed on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, to observe the Thanksgiving holiday.
|
|
This week in liturgy, art & music
|
|
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
Milennia Consort
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
504 N. Camden Drive,
Beverly Hills 90210
The Milennia Consort, California’s premiere “organ plus” ensemble, celebrates their 20
th anniversary with a program including works by Mussorgky and Holst, with a world premiere by Mary Beth. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Admission is free with
Music Guild donor season pass.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 3 p.m.
“Messiah” Community Sing-Along
St. Cross Church
1818 Monterey Blvd.,
Hermosa Beach
90254
Information: www.stcross.org or 310.376.8989
The 9th annual “Messiah” Community Sing-Along will feature the North Torrance Youth Musicians Ensemble, soloists and the St. Cross Chancel Choir and Guests. Please bring your own score or rent/purchase one at the door. Admission is free.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 6 pm. – 9 p.m.
Wassail Party
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
225 E 8th Street,
Beaumont
92223
Information: ststephensbeaumont.com or 951.845.1358
St. Stephen’s 13th annual Christmas Tree Festival, a four-day event opens with a Wassail Party. A limited number of tickets at $25 are still available; proceeds will benefit Carol’s Kitchen, H.E.L.P., Inc., and Table of Plenty, which are major food ministries in the San Gorgonio Pass.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 12 p.m.
Tea Luncheon
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
225 E 8th Street,
Beaumont
92223
Information: ststephensbeaumont.com or 951.845.1358
Part of St. Stephen’s annual Christmas Tree Festival. Tickets are $40 each; the second tea on December 1 is already sold out.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 5 p.m.
An Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
504 N. Camden Drive,
Beverly Hills 90210
A seasonal favorite including works by Marlow, Archer, Palestrina, Howells, Mendelssohn, and more.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 5 p.m.
Advent Lessons and Carols
St. Wilfrid of York Church
18631 Chapel Lane,
Huntington Beach
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 8 p.m.
Alone Together
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
1031 Bienveneda Avenue,
Pacific Palisades
The Cantus Vocal Ensemble presents “an introspective narrative on our struggles to connect with one another in an increasingly digital world.”
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 7:30 p.m.
An Advent Procession of Lessons and Carols
St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church
3903 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles 90010
The Choir of St. James sings Advent carols and music in a style reminiscent of Kings’ College, Cambridge. Freewill offerings will be collected.
|
|
TRAVEL & PILGRIMAGE
Greek Isles & Italy Cruise with Dubrovnik
June 7 - 21, 2019
Imagine sailing on the same waters of historic seas that the ancient mariners navigated. This trip begins and ends with stays in two classic Italian cities Venice and Rome. Travelers will have the chance to experience the canals of Venice and the classical beauty of Rome. However, rather than a bus, they will cruise to ten classic ports laden with history, culture and religion Kotor, Dubrovnik, Argostoli, Santorini, Mykonos, Chania, Malta, Sicily and the Italian mainland ports of Naples, and Livorno (Pisa and Florence). The cost from Los Angeles starts at $4,599 (inclusive of $600 in port fees and taxes). For more information contact the Rev. Canon Jim Newman, 310.391.5522, 888.-802.722 (toll-free), or
[email protected]. A brochure may be downloaded
here.
|
|
Pilgrimage to the South of France: A Journey of Healing
May 16-31, 2019
Please join us for a contemplative, thirteen-day journey through one of the most beautiful regions of the world: the South of France and the heart of Provence. The itinerary includes stays in Racamadour, the medieval city that has served as a Christian pilgrimage place for more than a thousand years; Lourdes, the ancient Christian healing place, and Avignon, in the heart of Provence with special emphasis on the healing journey of Vincent Van Gogh and Cezanne; there will also be side visits to Arles, Ax-En Provence and St. Remy, plus some of the most beautiful gardens in France.
Our theme is inner healing, and the journey will allow time for rest, free time to explore and spiritual reflection. The pilgrimage will be led by Christopher McCauley, spiritual director and teacher and host of international pilgrimages and Frank Ramirez, veteran co-host of pilgrimages throughout the world. For more information, including a detailed itinerary, fees, and registration, please go to
www.christophermccauley.org. Early registration by December 10 is strongly recommended; call 626.798.8944 or email
[email protected].
|
|
EMPLOYMENT
COSTA MESA: Music Director, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church. Seeking a part-time organist/pianist and choir director to serve at 10 a.m. Sunday worship service and additional special services; work with the rector to plan and advance the music program; rehearse and lead volunteer choir. A full job description and application instructions are
here.
LOS ANGELES: Event Coordinator. The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is currently seeking an experienced event coordinator to manage small and large events for the fund development department. The Event Coordinator oversees all aspects of event planning and management from idea conception all the way to execution to meet specific goals. A complete job description and application instructions are
here.
LOS ANGELES (PALMS): Organist or organist/choir director at St. Mary's Church. Sunday services, with an hour's choir rehearsal beforehand, plus evening services for major feast days. Small, but fairly good pipe organ. The congregation can provide either modest lodgings and a small stipend, or no lodgings and a somewhat more generous stipend. Contact: Debora Shuger at
[email protected].
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA: Organist/Choirmaster, St. John Chrysostom Church. Part time (15 hours per week). To provide organ and other keyboard accompaniment, lead the choir and plan the music program. Classical and contemporary music proficiency required. For a full job description and application instructions, click
here.
SANTA BARBARA: Director of Music Ministries, All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. Seeking a director of music ministries (32 hours a week) to lead the All Saints congregation at the weekend services of Holy Eucharist, the Wednesday Eventide service, as well as feast days during the year. Ideal candidate will be a skilled musician on both organ and piano, an excellent choral conductor versatile in both contemporary and traditional sacred music, and be familiar and comfortable with the breadth of Episcopal style and tradition of worship. For full job description click
here.
SANTA BARBARA: Interim Director of Music Ministries, All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. Seeking an Interim Director of Music Ministries to lead the All Saints congregation at the weekend services of Holy Eucharist, the Wednesday Eventide service, as well as feast days during the year. Ideal candidate will be versatile in both contemporary and traditional sacred music, and be familiar and comfortable with the breadth of Episcopal style and tradition of worship. Position is 32 hours a week and begins January 1, 2019. For full job description click
here.
SANTA BARBARA: Youth Minister, All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. Seeking a part-time youth minister to nurture Christian education and faith formation in youth and their families. The youth minister is responsible for coordinating programming for youth while enthusiastically seeking to involve all age groups in the on-going life of the congregation. For full job description click
here.
SOUTH PASADENA: Professional tenor section leader, St. James' Church. Choir seeks a professional tenor section leader. Applicants should have excellent sight-reading skills, feel comfortable singing Renaissance and traditional Anglican music with one voice on a part, and be a responsible, professional employee. Section leaders perform solo repertoire throughout the church year as well. Having a degree in music is encouraged, but not required. Section leaders sing every Sunday morning (excluding summer Sundays), one Wednesday rehearsal a month and services for Advent, Christmas, and Holy Week. Email to
[email protected] for more information.
THOUSAND OAKS: Tenor or Baritone section leader for The Parish of Saint Patrick. Choir seeks a professional baritone or tenor to lead the male section. Applicants should have excellent sight reading and musicianship skills, feel comfortable singing solo, and provide singing leadership at all scheduled Wednesday evening rehearsals and Sunday morning church services. For more information, please contact Susie Ruth at
[email protected].
VENTURA: The Farm Store at The Abundant Table. The farm store is looking for dedicated employees who love agriculture, farmers, food, the earth, and extraordinary community! Are you interested in helping shape the local food system? If so, the farm has shifts available on weekends and weekdays and would love to hear from you. Please send your resume and a brief statement about your interest in The Abundant Table to
[email protected].
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
