It’ll Be a Very Marry Month of June

June--marriage month--is about to bust out as Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel celebrates 125 years as the oldest Protestant church in the San Gabriel Valley and the first Episcopal church in Southern California.

Beginning with the wedding of the rector’s daughter in 1868, 2,808 marriages have been blessed within its historic adobe walls. And as part of its year-long anniversary celebration, some couples, from near and far who married there are being invited back by the Rev. Denis O’Pray to renew their wedding vows at 2:30 p.m. June 6.

Among those who celebrated nuptials there were the parents of the late Gen. George S. Patton Jr. His mother, Ruth Wilson, daughter of Benjamin D. Wilson (for whom Mt. Wilson is named), married his father, George S. Patton, in December, 1884.

In the church courtyard, the bronze statue of Gen. Patton sometimes has a garland of gardenias around its neck for the prettiest of weddings. He’ll be garlanded on June 6.

*

ANGELS FLY: The conga line stretched through the Biltmore Bowl, a fun crowd kicking up for “Ole! BFA 20 Aniversario” for the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts.

But the real hit was the appearance of the singing nuns from the film “Sister Act” with the foundation’s co-founder Carmen Zapata in nun’s habit. The “nuns” brought down the house with “My Guy.”

It was a night for the Hispanic, artistic and corporate communities to join together. The El Angel Artist Award, recognizing distinguished Hispanic-American artists, was presented to actor Hector Elizondo (“Pretty Woman”) by Cesar Romero. Responded Elizondo, “All I’ve ever tried to do is put one foot in front of the other, and stay out of my own way.”

An El Angel award was also given posthumously to Margo Albert, founder of Plaza de la Raza, by Gordon Davidson, artistic director and producer at the Center Theatre Group. Her husband, Eddie Albert, accepted. The corporate and business leader awards for contributions to the development of Hispanic-American arts went to the James Irvine Foundation and Times Mirror Co.

Dennis A. Collins, president, accepted the award for the Irvine Foundation. Chairman and CEO Robert F. Erburu accepted for Times Mirror and also was honored by the government of Spain. Spanish Consul Gen. Eduardo Garrigues (who will be leaving his post soon to return to Madrid) hung the Commander of the Order of Civil Merit medal on its bright blue and white striped ribbon around Erburu’s neck. It’s from King Juan Carlos.

Producing the night were dinner chairs Walfred J. Fassler of Chevron USA Inc., R. Thomas Decker of Bank of America and Ralph Liebman of Ralphs Grocery Co., representing Ralphs Chairman and CEO Byron Allumbaugh.

*

RAVES: Claire Eichler and Monica Ruppert were getting raves on their “Southern Comfort” gambling gala for the Luminaires Juniors Saturday night at Warner Brothers Studio.

A New York set was transformed into Bourbon Street with iron balconies and flower pots. Everyone got gambling chips, and most couldn’t be pried from the blackjack, craps, roulette and wheel of fortune tables, except . . . for the cajun food, for the creole music, for the outrageous “gumbo funk” dancing to the West Coast Music orchestra.

Living it up were Jan and John Thompson, Luminaires President Carolyn Cleator with her husband, John, and Trina and Mac Shattuck (who won the Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas weekend). Chip Conlan flew from New York to be Eichler’s guest, and Monica Ruppert’s date was Darius Sadeghi.

Due to some hard advance work by Diane Avery at the March patron party at the home of Libby and Will Doheny, the party should net $60,000 for the Doheny Eye Institute.

*

MISSED: Jimmy Stewart was missed at his 85th-birthday celebration sponsored by Saint John’s Hospital Foundation and the Irene Dunne Guild on Saturday at the Beverly Wilshire. He’s still tired from his recent hospitalization for a heart condition.

Wife Gloria and daughter Kelly Harcourt and Gloria’s son Michael McClean represented Stewart at the gala, which raised about $150,000. They took home his Steuben crystal star and the inaugural Caritas Award for his 40 years of charitable work for the hospital. This was presented by former President Reagan with wife Nancy by his side.

Guild members Carolyn DeWald, Margo Armbruster, Carolene Bookman, Wynne Favela and Lorraine Holt, foundation trustee Helen Maher, and supporters Betty Williams, Charles Schneider, June Allyson and Charlton Heston were among those joining in festivities.

*

PAST PERFECT: Childhelp gave entertainment legends Cyd Charisse and Carol Lawrence “Woman of the World” awards at a luncheon last Thursday at the Century Plaza . . . There were Zydeco melodies and Cajun and Creole atmospheres at the “Vieux Carre” benefit for the Pasadena Mental Health Assn. at the Altadena home of Joe and Kathy Ryan. Sue Moss and Mae Powell were co- chairwomen . . . .

Ava Fries chaired the Young Musicians Foundation celebrity mother/daughter fashion show and luncheon at the Beverly Hilton and honored Joan Rush, “wonderful friend to the foundation” . . . Women’s Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center inaugurated its “Women of the 21st Century” luncheon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire with headliners Kathleen Brown, Lucie Salhany and Lee Hausner . . . Friends of Music at USC honored soprano Kathleen Battle with the Magnum Opus Award . . . .

The American Ireland Fund benefited by a race day at Hollywood Park with co-chairs Claudia Mirkin and Elaine Lawlor and honorary chair R. D. Hubband .. . Frends of Childhelp gave Johnny Mathis a Lifetime Achievement Award and Don Fedderson its Fred MacMurray Humanitarian Award . . . .

The Crate & Barrel opening at Topanga Plaza benefited the Malibu-based Mountains Restoration Trust . . . The Pasadena Junior League benefit garden-party theme was “under the old oak tree” at the home of Joanne and Gary Thompson . . .