WORSHIPPERS FEEL AT HOME IN HISTORIC PIONEER CHURCH.Byline: Holly J. Andres Daily News Staff Writer It's a little church, painted white with blue trim. It stands near the foot of the dramatically rocky Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west separating the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley on its south from Santa Clara River Valley to the north and . Inside worshippers sit on wooden pews that have been smoothed over time. As the chimes ring in the hour, a gentle breeze gentle breeze n. A wind with a speed from 8 to 12 miles (13 to 19 kilometers) per hour, according to the Beaufort scale. Noun 1. wafts through the open window. A bird flies into the sanctuary and begins to sing. This isn't a movie scene, although the New England-style Pioneer Church, as it is known, has appeared in movies and commercials. It's just a typical poetic moment in the historic and beloved church. Saved from destruction ``Birds have actually flown through the windows before,'' said Virginia Watson, a member of the congregation for more than 10 years. ``The church isn't air-conditioned, so we leave the windows open.'' One of the oldest churches in the Valley, the Pioneer Church has been the spiritual home of St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Catholic Church The Anglican Catholic Church is a worldwide body of Anglican Christians, in the Continuing Anglican Movement, which grew out of the 1977 Congress of St. Louis. The Congress was called in response to decisions made by the Episcopal Church to approve the ordination of women and to since 1981. Saved by the Chatsworth Historical Society from destruction, the church is one of the city's cultural monuments. The congregation follows a traditional and historic form of the faith, and is one of just a few Anglican Catholic Churches of its kind in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, and the only one in the Valley. ``There's a feeling of the past sitting there,'' Watson said. ``It was built in 1903 by volunteers, and until 1962, it was a Methodist church. It was the only church in this corner of the Valley for years. It was like a little country church.'' When the Methodist congregation needed more space, the building was left unoccupied until a new owner bought the property, said Watson. The church would have been demolished to make way for a commercial development. ``The Chatsworth Historical Society was formed to save the church. In 1965, it was moved from the Topanga Canyon Boulevard location to its present location at the Oakwood Memorial Park,'' said Watson, a member of the historical society. ``We named it the Pioneer Church. It was rededicated in 1976. Roy Rogers
Leonard Franklin Slye (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), who became famous as Roy Rogers, was a singer and cowboy actor. and Dale Evans, who used to go to the church when they lived in Chatsworth, were patrons who helped to save the building.'' It is listed No. 14 on the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Cultural Heritage Monument list, she said. Serendipity serendipity happy finding of an unexpected object or solution while searching for something else. occurred with the pairing of the fledgling St. Mary's congregation and the old-fashioned church standing in a cemetery. After years of vandalism and dust, St. Mary's congregation rented the church from the cemetery in 1981. The quaint church building was the perfect home for a congregation that uses the 1928 American version of the Book of Common Prayer. ``That's a very important point, that we use the 1928 book,'' said the Rev. Anthony Rasch, who has been with St. Mary's for 10 years. ``Our roots are with the Anglican Church in England by way of the Episcopalian Church in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . ``We are part of a movement of churches who are traditional with theology and uphold the faith of the undivided church. We are a group of people who believe in the historic faith of the first 1,000 years of the Church.'' Same as in England Rasch explained that in 1976, an Episcopalian convention modernized church services and adopted a new prayer book and hymnal. Those who wanted to retain the use of the 1928 prayer book and the traditional form of worship found a home in the Anglican Catholic Church. Zena and John Thorpe John Thorpe or Thorp (c.1565-1655?; fl.1570-1618) was an English architect. Little is known of his life, and his work is dubiously inferred, rather than accurately known, from a folio of drawings in the Soane Museum, to which Horace Walpole called attention, in 1780, in his are perfectly at home during the services at St. Mary's. The longtime Chatsworth residents were from a ``little village'' near Sheffield, England. ``The service is exactly the same here as it was in England,'' said John Thorpe, who is in his third term as president of the Chatsworth Historical Society. ``There is a sense of history sitting in the Pioneer Church. It makes the service more personal to me.'' St. Mary's is the only Anglican Catholic Church in the Valley. Other congregations that use the 1928 prayer book are located in Los Angeles, La Verne La Verne (lə vûrn), city (1990 pop. 30,897), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles; inc. 1906. La Verne, which began as a citrus-processing center, now has varied manufacturing, including electronic components, apparel, hand , Riverside and Santa Ana Santa Ana, city, El Salvador Santa Ana (sän'tä ä`nä), city (1993 pop. 129,873), W El Salvador. It is the second largest city in the country and the commercial and processing center for a sugarcane, coffee, and cattle region. , said Rasch. `Cozy, friendly building' Zena Thorpe said many of St. Mary's members travel from much farther away than Chatsworth, including Camarillo, Somis, Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , Thousand Oaks and Studio City. ``This particular type of service is appealing to traditionalists. They also like sitting in this little old building. It's a cozy and friendly building because of its size. People feel at home when they come,'' said Zena Thorpe. How does the congregation feel about meeting in a building that is surrounded by a cemetery? ``That's true, not everyone wants to meet for church in a cemetery,'' Zena Thorpe said. ``But here we are reminded of the whole process of life: birth, marriage and death. In England and here in the U.S. on the East Coast, most churches have cemeteries attached to the church property.'' Spreading the word Rasch is trying to get the word out about his faithful group. ``I have personally gone door to door in the area, knocked on 1,500 doors, to introduce myself and to leave a flier about St. Mary's. We are reaching out, looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. people who have no spiritual home. We welcome anyone who would like to join us,'' he said. The Right Rev. Arthur David Seeland, Bishop of the Diocese of the Pacific and Southwest for the Anglican Catholic Church, will lead a Pentecost service with Rasch on Sunday. Pentecost celebrates the Holy Spirit appearing to the apostles and the ``birthday'' of the universal Christian Church. A rededication Noun 1. rededication - a new dedication; "the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem" dedication - a ceremony in which something (as a building) is dedicated to some goal or purpose of a stained glass window stained glass window n → vidriera de colores stained glass window stain n → buntes Glasfenster nt stained glass window n , only parts of which survived vandalism that destroyed the other stained glass windows Stained Glass Windows was an early broadcast television program, broadcast on early Sunday evenings on the ABC network. The program was a religious broadcast, hosted by the Reverend Everett Parker. The program ran from September 26, 1948 until October 16, 1949. , will be one of the highlights of the morning service. Solemn High Mass for Pentecost, 10 a.m. Sunday. St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Catholic Church, meeting in the Pioneer Church located in the Oakwood Memorial Park, 22601 Lassen St., Chatsworth. (818) 780-1423 or (818) 341-3053. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO ``The Chatsworth Historical Society was formed to save the church . . . . Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, who used to go to the church when they lived in Chatsworth, were patrons who helped to save the building.'' - VIRGINIA WATSON Member of the Pioneer Church congregation, above right, with the Rev. Anthony Rasch, left, and John and Zena Thorpe. Andy Holzman/Daily News |
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