Archdiocese Moves to New Headquarters

The Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese moved into mid-Wilshire headquarters this week, occupying a 12-story building given to the nation’s most populous diocese one year ago by Thrifty Payless.

Since the 1950s, the archdiocese, now serving 3.6 million members, has directed spiritual, business and educational activities mostly out of a cluster of buildings on West 9th Street. But dozens of other ministries and offices were scattered about the Los Angeles area.

The move, nearly complete, puts Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and virtually every central office of the archdiocese under the same roof. “Everyone except Catholic Charities,” said Father Gregory Coiro, the archdiocese’s spokesman.

The large social service arm of the archdiocese sold its building on West 9th Street to Loyola Law School and is moving into the nearby chancery and Tidings buildings. The archdiocese’s religious education building was sold to a private party, Coiro said.

“In the long run, the archdiocese will save the expense of maintaining so many buildings and leasing other offices,” Coiro said.

At the new address--3424 Wilshire Blvd.--only a Thrifty drugstore and a Big Five store remain with leases on the ground floor. A new telephone number, (213) 637-7000, became effective Friday.

The church headquarters will be called the Archdiocesan Catholic Center, Coiro said. But priests of the archdiocese, he noted, typically have referred to the offices of the cardinal and other administrators as “downtown,” sometimes uttered with respect, trepidation or other emotions. “That nickname probably won’t change,” Coiro added with a laugh.

MUSIC

Felix Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” will be performed Sunday afternoon at two churches noted for their music programs. At First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, 540 S. Commonwealth Ave., Michael Gallup will perform as the Hebrew prophet at 2 p.m., after a talk on the oratorio at 1:15 p.m. by music minister Thomas Somerville. Freewill offering. (213) 385-1341. In Westwood, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church choir and orchestra, conducted by James Vail, will accompany Richard Seymour and other soloists. Donation $7. (310) 208-6516.

* Singer-actress Darlene Koldenhoven, best known as the tambourine-waving nun in the “Sister Act” movies, will appear in the Christian musical “Free to Serve” at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Saddleback Community Church, 23456 Madero, Mission Viejo. The musical’s seven-city U.S. tour, starting at the Orange County church, is sponsored by the Christian Reformed Church of North America. Free. (714) 828-4083.

* In celebration of a new 151-rank organ at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, 16221 Mulholland Drive, the congregation’s choir will present an eclectic concert of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs at 4 p.m. Sunday featuring organist Jan Sanborn and a brass ensemble. Free. (818) 788-4200.

* Redlands’ Third Annual Fall Festival of Praise, attracting a dozen churches and featuring a 200-voice community choir and a 35-piece orchestra, will start at 7 p.m. today at the University of Redlands’ Memorial Chapel. (909) 793-2448.

DATES

*

United Methodist Bishop Roy I. Sano will speak briefly Sunday at the 100th anniversary banquet at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles of the Centenary United Methodist Church. Now housed in a modern facility in Little Tokyo, the Japanese American congregation persevered through several moves over the years and the wrenching internment of the World War II evacuation of Japanese- heritage Americans. (213) 617-9097.

* The well-being of children is drawing attention this weekend at churches and synagogues observing Children’s Sabbath. On Sunday, more than two dozen synagogues and Jewish organizations in the San Fernando Valley will engage in good deeds on their annual Mitzvah Day, including projects that benefit youth and small children. Also, the new Interfaith Fellowship of Pasadena--Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus and Bahais--will assemble under the children’s theme for a 4 p.m. service and entertainment at the Neighborhood Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation at 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd.

* Courses on legal, business and medical ethics will be offered next week by the University of Judaism’s continuing education department. The teachers will be Rabbi Arthur Gross Schaefer, a professor of law at Loyola Marymount University; Rabbi Wayne Dosick of San Diego, author of “The Business Bible: Ten New Commandments for Creating an Ethical Workplace,” and Rabbi Eli Schochet of West Hills’ Shomrei Torah synagogue and an adjunct professor at the University of Judaism atop the Sepulveda Pass. (310) 476-9777, Ext. 246.

* Father Paul Waisenan, pastor of St. Herman’s Orthodox Church in Oxnard, will lead a pan-Orthodox retreat with fellow clergy Nov. 1 and 2 at the Divine Word Seminary in Riverside. Titled “Living Orthodoxy in a Secular World: Shattering the Gates of Hell,” the retreat sponsored by the lay-oriented Orthodox People Together will cost $50. (310) 378-9245.

FINALLY

Tensions are still running high as Jewish community leaders prepare memorials to mark the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, says an official of the Westside Jewish Community Center.

“Just the other day, a visitor to our center was leaving his car, which had a bumper sticker saying ‘Shalom Chaver’ (‘Goodbye, Friend’)--the closing tribute of President Clinton after Rabin’s death,” said Neal Schuster, program director of the center.

“Another visitor, walking through the parking lot with his children, turned to him with the retort, ‘You’re wrong. They were right to kill him.’ ”

Schuster recalled the incident in announcing that on Wednesday, rabbis from Congregation Beth Jacob (Orthodox), Temple Beth Am (Conservative) and Temple Israel of Hollywood (Reform) will join in a memorial service at the community center, 5870 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. The two-hour service will start at 7:30 p.m. (213) 938-2531.

A community-wide memorial--sponsored by the Jewish Federation Council and other major Jewish organizations--will start at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the outdoors plaza level of the Century Plaza Hotel. (213) 852-7708. Also, a musical drama about Rabin’s life featuring Cantor Ira S. Bigeleison will be presented in Adat Ari El’s memorial service, 8 p.m. Friday at the synagogue at 12020 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. (818) 766-9426.

Notices may be mailed to Southern California File, c/o John Dart, L.A. Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311, or faxed to Religion desk (818) 772-3385. Items should arrive about three weeks before the event, except for spot news, and should include pertinent details about the people and organizations with address, phone number, date and time.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

PEOPLE

Father Andrew M. Greeley--novelist, columnist, sociologist and Catholic priest--will give the keynote speech at a conference titled “Religion and the American Future” starting at 9:30 a.m. today at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The daylong meeting, coordinated by UC Santa Barbara’s Interdisciplinary Humanities Center for a dozen co-sponsors, includes a talk by Ruben Martinez, a Los Angeles-based writer and commentator.

* The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, the newly elected stated clerk, or highest ecclesiastical officer, of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), will speak Sunday at the 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. services at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1760 N. Gower St. Kirkpatrick previously spent 15 years directing the missions programs for the Louisville, Ky.-based denomination. (213) 463-7161.