Valley Church Glories in Tradition
By Holly Andres
Staff Writer
(Daily News, 2 July 2004)
CHATSWORTH — The small but loyal congregation at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Rite Catholic Church will honor Independence Day with a patriotic-themed service on Sunday.
As they have for the past seven years, parishioners will meet in the quaint, New England-style pioneer church built in 1903 and sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
The congregation takes pride in marking national holidays, such as Memorial and Veterans days, in a patriotic way with additional prayers for the president and the nation, and red, white and blue decorations.
“I look forward to going to the little church on other Sundays, but I really feel patriotic in my heart when I sing the patriotic hymns during the Fourth of July service,” said Susan Pike, whose parents and older brother were born in England. “We’ve been praying for the servicemen in Iraq and I’m sure we will do that on Sunday, too.”
It was a sad but life-changing circumstance that brought Pike to the out-of-the-way church in 1996. While visiting the grave of her younger brother at Oakwood Memorial Park, Pike and her mother and older brother heard singing coming from the church, which they thought wasn’t being used.
“It’s an incredible group there. It’s almost like stepping back in time when you go there for a service,” Pike said of the first service she attended. “Although we have an older congregation, they are young at heart. We’re a small group, but they are like my extended family.”
Pike counts herself lucky that St. Mary’s is her spiritual home every time she goes through the cemetery’s gates and drives up a long road to the church.
Former parishioners tell current members how blessed they are to have the opportunity to attend services at St. Mary’s because they can’t find a church in their new communities that is as unique.
What is it that tugs at their hearts and has current members driving from as far away as Acton, Camarillo and La Habra to attend services?
“We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The language is very poetic. It has a really nice rhythm to it,” said longtime member Virginia Watson. “It is old-fashioned — there are “thee” and “thy” words — but I love it because it’s traditional. I like the service and it seems to do it all for me.”
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer was used from 1928 to 1979 in Episcopal churches in the United States. Most Episcopal churches use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.
The pageantry, the stability and the Very Rev. Anthony Rasch’s sermons are what Watson enjoys about attending St. Mary’s. Rasch’s insight into the week’s Scripture lessons are so popular that copies of his weekly sermons frequently are sent to former members.
Commenting on the steadfast devotion of the parishioners to their traditional service, Rasch said it’s interesting to hear of time restrictions on the length of the worship service at other churches.
“One of our members told me, ‘I don’t come to church just to get out of there!”‘ Rasch said with a smile in his voice. “People come to worship and they really want to be there. It’s very meaningful to them.”
The Very Rev. Anthony Rasch will lead the 10 a.m. Sunday service at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Rite Catholic Church, 22601 Lassen St., in the northeast corner of Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth. Call (818) 988-9740.
Holly Andres, (818) 713-3708 holly.andres@dailynews.com