CHURCH CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF GROWING UP IN THE VALLEY.

Byline: Eric Wahlgren Daily News Staff Writer

Once a Catholic parish so small that the faithful worshipped in a barn, St. Jane Frances Church marked its 50th anniversary Sunday with a celebratory Mass and luncheon attended by thousands of loyal parishioners.

Reflecting the church's transition over the years from a tiny neighborhood parish to a bustling spiritual hub for many of the area's ethnic communities, clerics said portions of the Mass in English, Spanish, Korean and Tagalog.

``Your presence has made our celebration complete,'' the Rev. Mike Higgins told the crowd packing the pews of the St. Jane Frances, located on Victory Boulevard near Coldwater Canyon Avenue. ``We are celebrating family.''

Cardinal Roger Mahony, who often went to Mass at St. Jane Frances while he was growing up in the neighborhood, presided over the more than 1-1/2-hour Mass drawing many of the parish's 1,500 families.

``This is one of the few parishes where I can really say I came here for 50 years,'' said Mahony, the archbishop of Los Angeles. ``I used to come over on my bicycle.''

After the hymn-filled service, parishioners gathered on the church's steps to greet Mahony and to socialize with other churchgoers, who were clad in their Sunday best.

``It's a very warm and receptive place,'' said parishioner Dorothy McKnight of Studio City.

Named after 17th century French saint Jane Frances de Chantal, who founded the Order of the Visitation, the parish was established May 13, 1948. When it was first formed, the church had no sanctuary so the members worshipped in a parishioner's barn before they started holding services in a tent.

In November 1948, the church broke ground on a new sanctuary and by 1995, the parish's ranks had grown to 1,127 families.

Ida Rossi Marotta, who has been attending St. Jane Frances for more than 40 years, said the church's 50th anniversary had moved her to tears.

``It's like an old home,'' she said. ``We cried.''

Martin Rondan, a Van Nuys resident who first came to the parish as a 3-year-old boy, said the church has become more vibrant as its membership increasingly reflects polyglot and multicultural Los Angeles.

``We have brought in a lot of new communities,'' Rondan, 38, said. ``It's been a nice change for the church.''

The celebration spilled over into the parish schoolyard, where parishioners lunched on chicken fajitas and white-frosted cake and sipped sparkling apple cider. Entertainment by Filipino, Latino and Korean performance groups was also on tap for the afternoon.

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PHOTO Cardinal Roger Mahony addresses parishioners at St. Jane Frances Church in North Hollywood.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News