Easter Services Set for Hillsides, Packed Churches

Protestants and Catholics will attend Easter services in droves Sunday, celebrating the Gospel-told resurrection of Christianity’s savior in sunrise services on scenic hillsides or later in the morning inside churches with packed pews.

Pastors have been warning would-be worshipers to set their clocks ahead one hour tonight before retiring because Sunday services will start on Daylight Savings Time.

Easter is one week later this year for Eastern Orthodox Christians. Parishioners will celebrate the holiday next Saturday night by gathering at churches for midnight divine liturgies.

Two traditional services this Sunday are taking place in unaccustomed quarters:

* Cardinal Roger M. Mahony will celebrate Masses at 10 a.m. (English) and 12:15 p.m. (Spanish) Sunday not in St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, which is closed because of earthquake damage, but in the cathedral’s former school building at 2nd and Main streets in downtown Los Angeles.

* The annual Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise Service will be inside a Hollywood church because of unfinished construction at the bowl.

Community sunrise services include the following:

* Hollywood Bowl, at Hollywood United Methodist Church, 6817 Franklin Ave.; message by the Rev. Ignacio Castuera of host church; “The Master Is Coming” will be read by Victoria Rowell of TV’s “Diagnosis Murder” and “The Young and the Restless,” 6 a.m.

* Mt. Rubidoux, 9th Street, Riverside; message by Pastor Don Snider, Orange Seventh-day Adventist Church; Dr. Horace Stevens is soloist for the 23rd straight year; access by 30-40 minute hike, 6:30 a.m.

* Mt. McGroarty, Foothill Blvd. and Hillhaven, Tujunga; message by Pastor Tony Corado, Victory in Jesus Christian Fellowship, Sunland; transportation up hill provided by Kiwanis Club as early as 4:30 a.m.; starts 6:30 a.m.

* Forest Lawn-Covina Hills, Via Verde exit of San Bernardino Freeway; message by David Augsburger of Fuller Seminary; Pomona First Baptist choir; 6 a.m.

* Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills near Burbank at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive; message by the Rev. Douglas Bookman of The Master’s College, Newhall; 50-voice The Towne Singers from La Canada Flintridge; 6 a.m.

* Forest Lawn-Cypress, 4471 Lincoln Ave.; message by the Rev. Ron Hafer, Biola campus chaplain; 30-voice Paul McNeff Singers; 6 a.m.

* Forest Lawn-Long Beach, 1500 E. San Antonio Ave.; message by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Sartoris; choir of New Life Community Church, Artesia; 6 a.m.

* Green Hills Memorial Park, 27501 S. Western Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes; message by the Rev. Ken Wallace, San Pedro First Baptist Church; music by Hope Chapel of San Pedro; 6 a.m.

* Westlake Village, Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park, 5600 Lindero Canyon Rd.; message by the Rev. David Clack, Agoura Hills Congregational Church; ecumenical choir; 6 a.m.

* Vasquez Rocks Park, Agua Dulce exit to Antelope Valley Freeway; message by Pastor Mike Sheridan, Family Community Church, Agua Dulce; musical drama depicting judgment, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ; 5:45 a.m.

* Red Rock Canyon State Park, off Highway 14 north of Mojave; message by the Rev. Kenneth L. Tweedt, Mojave House of Prayer; 6 a.m.

* Marina del Rey, Burton Chase Park, Admirality and Mindanao Streets; message by Joe Cooper of Venice Bible Tabernacle; 6 a.m.

* Coto de Caza Equestrian Center, Antonio Parkway entrance, message by Pastor Doug Fields, co-sponsored by Coto Christian Family Fellowship and Saddleback Valley Community Church, 6:30 a.m.

* Palm Springs, O’Donnell Golf Course, Alejo Road and Vine Road; message by attorney Tom Anderson; 6 a.m.

BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY

The April 8 birthday of Gautama Buddha more than 2,500 years ago will be celebrated one day early, Sunday, in Los Angeles by Japanese American Buddhists in a Hanamatsuri “flower festival” service and by the ethnically mixed International Buddhist Meditation Center.

Bishop Kenko Yamashita, chairman of the Los Angeles Buddhist Church Federation, will preside over a Hanamatsuri service 1 p.m. at Nishi Hongwanji Temple, 815 E. 1st St., in Little Tokyo. The Rev. Shokai Kanai will give the sermon in English and Japanese. Japanese calligrapher Byakko Kashiwagi and young taiko drummers will participate in the service.

Abbess Karuna Dharma will talk about the lore surrounding the Buddha’s birth at an 11 a.m. service Sunday at the International Buddhist Meditation Center, 928 S. New Hampshire Ave.

CARDINALS

The eight cardinals heading Catholic archdioceses in the United States will honor the young victim of a random shooting last September in Los Angeles during the annual fund-raiser April 19 for Catholic University of America at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Richard Bautista, 13, of Whittier has been quoted as saying during his hospitalization and recovery at home that “we should pray for those who shot me.” The boy will attend a 4 p.m. Mass that day at Good Shepherd Church in Beverly Hills, but the seventh American Cardinals Encouragement Award will be accepted at the dinner by his parents, Hector and Ramona Bautista.

“Richard’s response to the shooting has been a challenge to us all,” said Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles. Other prelates who will attend are Cardinals James A. Hickey, Bernard Law, Joseph Bernardin, John O’Connor, Anthony Bevilacqua, William Keeler and Adam Maida. (202) 319-5600.

THEOLOGY

A noted newcomer and a renowned thinker in Christian theology are coming to Pasadena for lectures this month under the auspices of Fuller Theological Seminary.

Ellen T. Charry, who teaches at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, will give talks at 10 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday in the annual Women’s Lectureship, free and open to the public, to be held at Travis Auditorium in the seminary’s Psychology Building.

German theologian Jurgen Moltmann, 70, professor emeritus at the University of Tubingen, will lecture April 19 and 20 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena. Charry will respond to Moltmann’s first lecture on “Christianity and Western Values.” Nicholas Wolterstorff of Yale Divinity School will comment on Moltmann’s lecture on April 20. Registration fees range from $10 to $30. (818) 584-5290.

DATES

Thousands of youths and community leaders will march today along Los Angeles’ Crenshaw Boulevard in the third annual Easter Walk-a-Thon sponsored by Bishop Charles Blake’s West Angeles Church of God in Christ. The walk--urging community opposition to carjackings, drive-by shootings and violence against children--will start at 9 a.m. in front of the First Church of God. A concluding youth rally will feature Christian rapper Kid Frost. (213) 733-8300.

* Michael Warren, executive producer of ABC sitcoms “Perfect Strangers,” “Step by Step” and “Family Matters,” will give the opening talk at 9 a.m. next Saturday at Biola University for a conference titled “Christians Impacting Media.” Registration is $30 ($10 for students). (800) 952-4652.

* Cantors Faith Steinsnyder Gurney of the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and Giora Sharon of Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs will join host Cantor Yehuda Keller in a concert at 2 p.m. Sunday at Temple Beth Zion-Sinai, 6440 Del Amo Blvd., Lakewood. (310) 429-0715.