Christmas Eve Service to Celebrate Multiculturalism

The Southland’s multicultural heritage will be showcased in a Christmas Eve service at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in the Wilshire Corridor, featuring music and stories from around the world.

The English-Spanish bilingual service, which will begin at 7 p.m. Sunday, will include Central American poetry, Nigerian drummers and a gospel rendition of “Joy to the World.” The congregation will light hundreds of candles as it sings “Silent Night” in German, English and Spanish.

“This part of town represents so many different experiences and voices, we think it’s important that they all get to be heard,” said Keythe Farley, who created the program.

The church, an architectural landmark modeled after the Gothic cathedrals of 14th and 15th century France, is at 3300 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. (213) 389-3191, ext. 105.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

The Glendale Church of Religious Science, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive in Glendale, will offer a musical program, meditation and a visit from Santa during Christmas Eve services. The 15-minute meditation will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. service featuring pianist Mel Dangcil and vocalists Kathy Bee and Michael Paul Smith. Children’s Church for ages 5 through 12 will begin at 10 a.m. Child care is available. (818) 244-8171.

* Prince of Peace Lutheran Church will offer a Christmas Eve service of candles and carols at 7:30 p.m. Sunday and a Christmas Day service featuring the retelling of the Christmas story at 10 a.m. The church is at 9440 Balboa Blvd. in Northridge. (818) 886-1324.

* Congregational Church of Chatsworth, 20440 Lassen St., will hold a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. (818) 349-2550.

* Calvary Community Church will hold Christmas Eve candlelight services at 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m. The church is at 5495 Via Rocas in Westlake Village. (818) 991-8040 or https://www.calvarycc.org.

OTHER EVENTS

Muslims will celebrate the end of the monthlong Ramadan fast with communal prayers in mosques and Islamic centers around the Southland on Wednesday. During the holy season of Ramadan, which commemorates God’s revelation of the Koran to the prophet Muhammad, Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from dawn to dusk. The prayers will mark the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr, or “feast of fast-breaking” holiday, during which Muslims exchange visits and offer gifts to children.

* First Southern Baptist Church of Temple City will feature concert pianist Sakura Wang in a mini-concert at 11 a.m. Sunday. The church is at 4856 N. Goldenwest Ave. in Temple City. (626) 286-9320.

* Temple Israel of Hollywood will sponsor its 17th annual holiday meal for the homeless from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at Hollywood United Methodist Church, 6817 Franklin Blvd. in Los Angeles. Last year, more than 250 temple members distributed toys, blankets and toiletries, and served a turkey dinner to 1,300 people. (323) 876-8330.

* Holocaust survivor Margaret Marketa Novak will present a reading and signing of her new autobiography, “One Left, Just One,” at 2 p.m. Monday at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, 6006 Wilshire Blvd. Novak was the sole survivor from her nine-member family in Auschwitz and the Nuremberg slave labor camp. The event is free. (323) 761-8170.

LIBRARY GIFT

Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes has received a $3-million gift from the William H. Hannon Foundation to build a new library, the largest donation ever received by the Catholic school. The two-year institution was founded in 1932 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. Hannon, who died in November, was a major Southland real estate developer and donor to Catholic charities and educational institutions.

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