CONGREGATIONS TEAM UP.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Staff Writer

From Christianity to Judaism to Islam and from Buddhists to Sikhs to Mother Earth worshippers, the San Fernando Valley is home to more than 350 congregations.

Though each of the diverse faiths carries its own distinct beliefs, most have a unified mission: To help the oppressed and the poor and to build a better community here.

The San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council in Chatsworth is a testament to that. There, representatives of various faiths come together to address the social needs of the Valley. They help operate the 21 food pantries spread throughout the area. And an alliance of 53 congregations cares for abused children. One annual program boosts the self-esteem of teens by dressing them in formal wear and designing their hair and makeup for prom or graduation day.

The Valley is more diverse than any other place I've seen ethnically and religiously. We try to bring these religions together and work together and eat bread together, instead of doing our own thing and working independently, said Barry Smedberg, executive director for the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council.

For Bishop Gerald Wilkerson and many members in the 54 parishes he oversees, Catholicism which marks the largest religious group in the Valley with nearly 900,000 members is much more than daily prayers.

This rang true late last year when the Rev. Gregory King and his parishioners at St. Patrick's Catholic Church responded immediately to the needs of a family whose 4-year-old son was trapped in a fire and died at his North Hollywood home. More than $5,000 in checks was collected, along with household goods and furniture, including a crib for the mother's newborn who arrived shortly after the tragedy.

The church is also providing counseling for the parents and religious education for another child in the family, and a parish bereavement committee regularly visits the family, Wilkerson said.

That's what our parish communities are all about. It's not just about going to church on Sunday. Families need to pull together and help one another, especially for those who are poor and in a crisis, the bishop said.

A few neighborhoods away in North Hills, Pastor Jim Hamilton and others at Sepulveda United Methodist Church try to maintain what they call The Shalom Zone, a neighborhood of peace off Rayen Street, a poverty-stricken gang-injunction area.

We want to help people help themselves and give kids alternatives. We want to help people to work together and build a community, Hamilton said.

The church offers free sports and dance classes for young people, English classes for parents and a safe haven for the homeless. One church member, 83-year-old Verna Porter, can be found three days a week at the church, handing out free breakfasts to the homeless. And each year, the church invites the homeless to light a candle for other homeless people who have died and to tell stories about the people to give them recognition, Hamilton said.

My thing is, you've got to really love your whole neighborhood, the pastor said.

Senior Rabbi Harold Schulweis agrees.

We feel that it's our obligation to be allies of God in the world by relieving the lot of the oppressed, the poor, the widow, the stranger, the orphan, the pariah and the underclass of society, he said.

At his Encino synagogue, Valley Beth Shalom, a variety of services are provided to the public, including educational forums, a food bank, a counseling center and a support group for families suffering from cancer.

The Interfaith Council praised the religious leaders for meeting the needs of the Valley.

The Valley is further along than other areas, Smedberg said. We're using more folks from more diverse religions working together.

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(color) For Catholic Bishop Gerald Wilkerson, here at San Fernando Mission, religion isn't just about going to church.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer