Worshippers across Southern California give thanks during first Easter services since deadly wildfires
The annual Easter Sunrise Service at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park in Westlake Village wrapped up around 7 a.m., and parishioners there dedicated time to supporting the Pacific Palisades community after the Palisades Fire ravaged homes and led to a dozen deaths.
As the Westlake Village event was finishing, others were gathering in Altadena for the Pasadena International House of Worship's Easter Sunrise service, which celebrated life in the wake of the Eaton Fire.
One PIHOP staff member, Haley Alaji, lost everything in the fire and still has yet to find a new home. She used to live up the street from Mountain View Mortuary and Cemetery, where PIHOP's first Easter sunrise service in 50 years – which accepted all denominations – was being held.
Deadly wrong-way crash shuts down freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Easter Sunday
'We're here by faith…the Holy Spirit told us to do this,' she said. 'For me…it's very surreal to be here, and I feel like I won't really feel the true effects of what we are doing here but by faith, I know that we are doing something.'
Speaking on why the celebration was held at the cemetery, another staff member, Cheryl Allen, said the location represented both the holy day and the community's experience.
'This community has gone through so much tragedy…and we [want to celebrate] the message of Easter,' she told KTLA 5's Jennifer McGraw. 'It's about extreme tragedy and hope arising, so we really thought it should be here.'
Just in time for Easter, Palisades Lutheran Church became the first church in the Pacific Palisades to start having services again in the wake of the fire this week.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
21 hours ago
- CBS News
Students from Palisades High start new school at Santa Monica Sears building
After the Palisades Fire tore through their school campus, students from Palisades Charter High School will be starting a new school year at the Santa Monica Sears building. The January wildfire severely damaged parts of the school, leaving students to attend classes online for several weeks before relocating to the vacant Sears building on Colorado Avenue in April. The department store was outfitted with classrooms and learning spaces to allow students to finish the rest of their school year. The school received donations from the community, which included furniture, carpet, paint, air conditioning and internet service. Now, on the first day of school, students will be more familiar with their surroundings at the Sears building as they seek a sense of normalcy in the fallout of the devastating fire. As many as 500 students and 11 staff members lost their homes to the Palisades Fire, according to Principal Dr. Pamela Magee. "All of this is so important as we bring everybody back together and try to get back that stability and normalcy that we all need," she told CBS News Los Angeles. The project to relocate an entire high school should've taken years, Magee said. She said she hopes that the school will be able to relocate to its main campus by January. In June, Pali High students celebrated their graduation at the Hollywood Bowl. Students were able to celebrate their big accomplishment and cross the stage after enduring an unimaginable year. All three schools in the Palisades community were burned during the Jan. 7 wildfire. The Los Angeles Unified School District budgeted $600 million-plus towards the rebuilding of the three schools.
UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
Watch: Texas chicken named world's oldest at the age of 14
Aug. 12 (UPI) -- A Texas woman's pet chicken was officially named the oldest in the world by Guinness World Records at the age of 14 years and 69 days old. Little Elm resident Sonya Hull said she hatched the chicken, Pearl, in her personal incubator on March 13, 2011. Guinness World Records confirmed Pearl's age on May 22, officially earning her the title of world's oldest living chicken. "She's defied all odds because most Easter-Egger Hens live an average of five to eight years," Hull told Guinness World Records. She said Pearl's mobility is limited now, so she spends most of her time in the family's laundry room. "She is welcome to come out into the living room, because she likes to watch TV when she hears it on," Hull said. Pearl is also fond of the family's elderly cat and new kitten. "She doesn't seem to mind the other animals, and the kitten will sometimes sit with her," Hull said. Hull said Pearl's egg production has slowed, but she laid one right after the family found out she was an official Guinness World Record-holder. The previous oldest chicken living, an Illinois pet named Peanut, died Dec. 25, 2023, at the age of 21 years and 238 days old.
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
New initiative aims to connect Palisades Fire victims to resources
A new initiative aims to help victims of the Palisades Fire rebuild. Leaders of the Palisades Long Term Recovery Group, or LTRG, says it will connect fire survivors with donor relief organizations and provide essential recovery resources. Organizers held a news conference on Friday to announce the creation of the group. "We are a conduit for Palisadians to gain access to tens of millions of dollars in manpower, in building materials, money and in education to support them over the next five years," said Jim Cragg, with the Pacific Palisades Long Term Recovery Group. LTRG leaders said interested residents can get registered through the group and involved in a disaster case management program. Cragg said it's important that community members know about the program because neighbors are currently making decisions about whether to stay and rebuild. Los Angeles Councilmember Traci Park praised the new initiative. Park said "I want to thank the Palisades community, all of you, for coming together to create this long-term recovery group, to ensure that those who are victims of this fire, who lack resources, who need the extra help... will have the help and assistance they need."
