TARZANA CHURCH READIES EASTER SERVICES.

Byline: Holly J. Andres Daily News Staff Writer

As incense perfumes the air and candles cast pinpoints of light, the faith community of St. Innocent Orthodox Church will be waiting tonight to hear the joyous words ``Christ is risen.''

They will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, which in Eastern Orthodox congregations is observed a week later than in other Christian churches.

Easter is determined in the Orthodox Church as falling on the Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox and after the Jewish observance of Passover. Despite the calendar difference, the same emotions of joy and hope will be expressed.

``Easter to me means my resurrection and the resurrection of everyone I've known. I know I'll see them again,'' said Abbe Kulhanek, a seven-year member of the Tarzana church, which is affiliated with the Orthodox Church of America.

``Easter is the major holiday for us, a focal point of the year.''

The congregation will come together for a midnight service that is traditional for Eastern Orthodox churches, Kulhanek said. ``The church is dark and candles are lit. We know we've come to the end of Lent. Then around midnight, the entire parish walks in a procession three times around the church. Some of us carry candles, but we all sing a hymn as we walk.''

The tradition continues with the congregation pausing at the front of the church and responding, ``Indeed, he has risen'' to the pronouncement of the resurrection of Jesus. The parishioners re-enter a brightly lighted church, where even the vestments of the church leaders have changed from dark purple to white, signifying rebirth and renewal.

Kulhanek said another highlight of St. Innocent's distinctive Easter service is the reading of the Gospel of John in a half-dozen languages by different church members.

The use of different languages is unusual for this church. St. Innocent, founded in 1955, is believed to be the first Orthodox Church in America to use an all-English liturgy.

``I would say the outstanding feature of this church is its diversity of peoples. I'm most proud when I look at all the different last names of the congregation - they're from everywhere,'' said the Rev. Gregory Safchuk, whose own family hails from Russia and Poland.

``Many local Orthodox churches are specifically ethnic, for example Greek or Russian, and those languages are used during services,'' said Kulhanek, who admitted discovering St. Innocent in the yellow pages.

``St. Innocent is a multicultural but very cohesive group. I think that this church has probably always attracted Eastern Orthodox families that want to keep their younger people in the faith by using the English language, which is the language that their children were growing up using exclusively.''

The church is named for the 18th-century saint from Irkutsk, Russia, who did missionary work in Alaska.

While English is the language of choice at St. Innocent, the liturgy is firmly rooted in all the traditional ways of the Orthodox Church.

``I've talked with many people who are searching for structure in their faith life and in the religious services that they attend. I think the pendulum has swung away from the casual approach. People want some direction and they can find that in the Orthodox Church,'' said Safchuk, who has been the spiritual leader at St. Innocent for 11 years.

Another aspect of Orthodox churches that people find appealing is the involvement of all the senses, what Safchuk calls ``a very holistic approach'' when attending church. The service will incorporate incense, music, candles, chanting, the a cappella choir singing and the visuals of the icons. ``It's a very sensory experience in our church,'' Safchuk said.

Safchuk will read the Easter sermon, but it will not be one he wrote. Easter is the one time during the entire year when Orthodox priests don't use their own sermons, he explained.

``I'll be using the sermon written by St. John Chrysostom, who lived in the fifth century,'' said Safchuk, who explained that Chrysostom means ``golden tongue.'' Chrysostom is also the patron saint of orators.

``We read his sermon just because it's so good.''

Eastern Orthodox Easter service from 11:30 p.m. today to 3 a.m. Sunday. Easter vesper service, noon Sunday. St. Innocent Orthodox Church, 5657 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. [phone].

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PHOTO The Rev. Gregory Safchuk will welcome worshippers to St. Innocent Orthodox Church in Tarzana for Easter services starting tonight.

Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News