More than 90 local graduating high school seniors, almost all of them members of the La Cañada High School Class of 2017, turned out in cap and gown Tuesday evening for a baccalaureate service at St. Bede the Venerable Roman Catholic Church, where students of different faiths shared scripture and personal testimonies.
Aziza Hasan, a Pasadena resident and executive director of NewGround, a Muslim-Jewish partnership for change, served as the keynote speaker. Acknowledging the turbulent world of today, she urged the teens in the audience to embrace what she labeled the “CDC” — compassion, dignity and courage — as they move forward in life.
“As challenging as today may feel,” she said, “it’s also a time of great opportunities.” Bringing people of different points of view together to resolve shared issues has been her life’s work and she suggest the youth also draw on their beliefs to help change attitudes for more peaceful coexistence with others. “If you’re going to speak truth to power, the holy scriptures are the place to start,” she said.
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La Cañada High School’s Theo Chamberlain, 17, with a group of friends, bends back to show the top of his graduation cap to parent Sonja Bradley (in the background) at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Graduating seniors enter the sanctuary at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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La Cañada High School Principal Ian McFeat makes opening remarks at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Clark Magnet School’s Marah Hasan does the Islamic scripture reading from the Holy Quran at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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La Cañada High School’s Tyler Jacinto smiles toward a friend singing during the musical offering at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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The La Cañada High School Choral Artists sing “Bogoroditse Devo, Raduisya” at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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La Cañada High School’s Caitlin Aenlle-Rocha, 18, smiles to her best friend at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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The La Cañada High School Choral Artists sing “Bogoroditse Devo, Raduisya” at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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La Cañada High School’s Connie Park, 18, intensely listens to the keynote address at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Graduates and guests in attendance in the sanctuary at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Aziza Hasan gives the keynote address at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Pastor Scott Peterson, of the Lutheran Church in the Foothills, gives the closing prayer at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Aziza Hasan, at the end of her keynote address, asks students to raise their hands high as a commitment to remember each other at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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La Cañada High School Principal Ian McFeat makes opening remarks at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Caitlin Aenlle-Rocha does a scripture reading for the Christian scriptures at the annual Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede the Venerable in La Cañada Flintridge on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The student attendance was mostly graduating seniors from La Cañada High School, but was open to all. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Hasan pointed out the richness of diversity in the various traditions represented during the evening, which, prior to her address, included readings from Hebrew, Christian, Latter-day Saints and Islamic scriptures by students Charlie Reynolds, Caitlin Aenlle-Rocha, Braden Oh and Marah Hasan, respectively. Marah, a Clark Magnet High School graduating senior who wears a traditional Muslim hijab, later addressed the audience to provide testimony of her faith, as did Asher Fausett, who attends Temple Sinai of Glendale; Lauren O’Brien, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Aidan Phillips of St. Bede and Alicia Sanbar, a Mayfield Senior School graduating senior who attends La Cañada Presbyterian Church. All but Sanbar and Hasan wore the LCHS Spartan colors in their caps and gowns, many adorned artwork depicting the colleges they’ll be attending. The LCHS graduation ceremony, where 337 seniors will collect their diplomas, is scheduled for Thursday evening.
Music for the inspirational baccalaureate service, sponsored by the La Cañada Flintridge Interfaith Ministerial Assn., was provided by the LCHS Choral Artists, directed by Dr. Jeff Brookey, and by the La Cañada Presbyterian Church Praise Band. Ian McFeat, principal of La Cañada High, gave welcoming remarks while Monsignor Antonio Cacciapuoti and Pastor Scott Peterson offered up prayers.
Serving on the baccalaureate’s planning team were Levent Akbarut, Islamic Congregation of La Cañada Flintridge; Connor Cipolla and Samantha Bryant, La Cañada Presbyterian Church; Diane Cwik, Jessica Gerhardt, Valerie Aenlle-Rocha and Mike Leininger, St. Bede the Venerable; Christie Frandsen, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pastor Scott Peterson, Lutheran Church in the Foothills and Linda Reisz, Temple Sinai of Glendale.
carol.cormaci@latimes.com
Twitter: @CarolCormaci
