Animals blessed by archbishop for Easter in LA

A procession of pets and their owners passed in front of Archbishop Jose Gomez as he sprinkled them with holy water for the 84th annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony in LA.

St. Francis de Sales Parish of Sherman Oaks celebrates 75h anniversary

SHERMAN OAKS >> St. Charles of Borromeo could boast about Bob Hope. St. Cyril of Jerusalem could gloat about Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

Olvera Street’s 84th Blessing of the Animals takes place Saturday

Hundreds of pet owners are expected to attend Saturday’s 84th annual Blessing of the Animals in downtown Los Angeles.

The event is “held in grateful recognition of the tremendous services given to the human race by the animal kingdom,” church officials said. The free event takes place from noon to 5 p.m. on Olvera Street.

On Easter, Downtown is Full of Eggs-Cellent Adventures

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – You don’t need to settle for hot cross buns or a box of Peeps on Easter morning. Those are fine, but really, you can do better.

Anyone in search of a more filling spread, or a unique way to celebrate the holiday, only has to come to Downtown Los Angeles. Easter falls on Sunday, April 20, and the Central City has a wealth of options, from brunches to family gatherings, complete with egg hunts, in a local park. Here is a sampling of what to do on Easter.

Youth, ‘New Evangelization’ needs inspire April 26 Vigil event

Worldwide television exposure doesn’t normally accompany an event at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. But the April 26 Vigil Celebration for soon-to-be-canonized Pope John Paul II has a built-in worldwide appeal — especially with thousands of youth having been invited to participate.

Thus, the bilingual event — hosted by Archbishop José Gomez and featuring joyous music and contemplative prayer time — will be broadcast on EWTN beginning at 7 p.m. to 144 countries.

Cathedral Art Show Features Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy Student’s Works

This year, six Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy (FSHA) students are participating in the 2014 Robert Graham Memorial Student Art Exhibit at the Cathedral of Our Lady of The Angels in Downtown Los Angeles.

Students were tasked with creating a piece based on the theme of Spirituality/Spiritualism (the theme for all student work in the exhibit). Students also had to write a short artist statement about their subject matter and the theme.

Live Stations Commemorate the Passion of Christ at Mayfield Junior School

Mayfield’s sixth graders celebrated the Easter season with a live performance of the Stations of the Cross for the entire school on Friday, April 11. Always reverent and beautiful, the dramatic portrayals are staged in the round, marked by personal reflections written by the sixth graders, and made truly alive with gesture, song and audience participation. The annual sixth grade presentation has been a highlight of the Easter season at Mayfield for decades.

Mayfield Junior School, 405 South Euclid Ave., Pasadena, (626) 796-2774 or visit www.mayfieldjs.org.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School Congratulates its Odyssey of the Mind Team

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ABVM) School congratulates its Odyssey of the mind – division II Structure Team. The team traveled to Brentwood, Northern California to represent ABVM in state completion. Took 8th place. 1st year team!

Palm Sunday celebrations at the Cathedral. Photo Ciro Cesar/La Opinion

Palm Sunday celebrations at the Cathedral.