A church in the heart of the city, with a heart for the city

Los Angeles-area congregation worships at nearby church after losing building in wildfire

January 23, 2025

[Diocese of Los Angeles] The congregation of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Altadena, California — among whose members 40 homes were lost in the wildfire that also burned their church and school buildings — gathered Jan. 19 for their first Sunday worship service at nearby St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Eagle Rock, where church leaders have welcomed the Altadena parish to use the sanctuary weekly going forward. The Rev. Carri Patterson Grindon, rector of St. Mark’s, greeted the 185 in attendance and gave thanks for community support – including a $100,000 gift from the California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation – which made an equal disbursement to each house of worship lost in the area. Robert Ross, at parishioner of St. Mark’s who recently retired as president of the California Endowment, preached with themes of hope and transformation. He praised his colleagues for their work toward “a just and fair and equitable rebuild of Altadena,” and focusing on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for “Beloved Community” as “a North Star for social justice work firmly grounded in our Christian faith.” Ross added that King received inspiration for his concept of “Beloved Community” from philosopher and theologian Josiah Royce, a Californian for whom UCLA’s Royce Hall is named.  Royce “explicitly elevated the role of church in community terms,” Ross said, “and advanced the idea of church as community, not just a building for people to pray.” Ross quoted Royce’s view that “a church community has a congruence of feeling, and thought, and will, such as a community of hope, loyalty and truth, unified by a guiding spirit. My life means nothing, either theoretically or practically, unless I’m a member of a community.” At various points in his sermon, Ross drew applause and laughter. The Rev. Michael Micheler, St. Mark’s Christian education director, officiated. It was his first worship service as celebrant since his Jan. 11 ordination. Lisa Sylvester, St. Mark’s music director, led worship music with solos sung by Ayanda Fuzane (“Give me Jesus”) and Daniel Voigt (“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Fire,” a setting of Langston Hughes’s poem). During the worship service, Maria Horner, a parishioner of St. Mark’s, provided outreach updates, surveyed needs among parishioners and rallied volunteers. The Rev. Melissa McCarthy, the Diocese of Los Angeles’ canon to the ordinary, was present, having also attended a morning service at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Pasadena, where four families in the congregation lost homes. Suzanne Edwards-Acton brought greetings on behalf of St. Barnabas in Eagle Rock, also known as “St. Be’s,” and the community center that includes a preschool and serves as a Seeds of Hope food distribution site. Financial contributions to St. Mark’s may be made here. Contributions to the diocesan appeal, which provides grants for affected churches and individuals, including those affected by the Palisades Fire may be made here.