As California’s shelter-at-home period continues, many religious and cultural institutions that regularly welcome large crowds have creatively adapted to new challenges.
Where to Worship
Quite a few places of worship in Orange County are inviting people to celebrate Easter and the Holy Week online. Here’s a short list of churches that are offering live-streamed services and observances.
Christ Cathedral
All of the following Catholic liturgies can be watched live at Facebook.com/ChristCathedralCA, Mass.ChristCathedralCalifornia.org, or on the Diocese of Orange YouTube and Vimeo channels.
Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper: April 9, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. Also broadcast live by EWTN, the Eternal World Television Network.
Good Friday, Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion: April 10, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Also broadcast live by EWTN.
Easter Vigil: April 11, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. in English and Spanish. Also broadcast live by EWTN.
Easter Sunday: April 12, 2020 at 9:45 a.m. in English, 11:30 a.m. in Spanish, 1:15 p.m. in Vietnamese
Mariners Church
The mega-church, based in Irvine with campuses in other O.C. cities, is live-streaming all its Easter Week services.
Good Friday Service: April 10 after 8 a.m.
Easter: April 11 at 3, 5 and 7 p.m.; April 12 at 8:30, 10, 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
Mariners Church also offers organized Easter-related activities via interactive videos that are suitable for all ages. You’ll find ideas for family celebration at Kids Easter Resources.
St. Paul Lutheran Church
This Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fullerton is live-streaming services via their Facebook page at the following times:
Maundy Thursday Service, April 9, 2020 at 7:15 p.m.
Good Friday Service, April 10, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Celebration Service, April 12 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
Movement Church
Online Easter Sunday church services will be held at 9 and 11 a.m.
Other Options (including Passover):
North Hills Church in Brea is making its Good Friday and Easter services available online.
Saddleback Church is offering its services online anytime after 4 p.m. on Thursday.
Emanuel Lutheran, La Habra: Streamed services include the Maundy Thursday service, available after 4 p.m. on April 9, 2020; Good Friday service, available after 4 p.m. on April 10, 2020; and Easter Celebration service available on April 12, 2020, time TBD.
Here’s a listing of streaming Episcopal Church services around the diocese. You’ll find links to St. Wilfrid of York, Huntington Beach; St. Mary’s, Laguna Beach; St. George’s, Laguna Hills; and Emmanuel, Fullerton, among others. The list will be as information becomes available to include more of the O.C. congregations in Tustin, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente and more.
On Thursday, April 9 at 5:30 p.m., Temple Beth Sholom of Orange County invites you to join a retelling of the story of Passover.
Temple Beth El is also offering Passover services and observances.
ABC7 has put together a list of churches around Southern California that are holding virtual Holy Week services.
A Culture Fix
If you’re looking for a culture fix this weekend and you’re burned out on Netflix, several Orange County arts groups have created special online offerings. Clicking on them is a nice way to show you support local arts during a challenging time.
Pacific Symphony
Even though Pacific Symphony has temporarily suspended live concerts in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the symphony will stay in touch online, serving up culture and entertainment. The group’s new Watch+Listen page provides you with a central overview for all its offerings online. It’s thrilling and touching to hear and see the orchestra’s musicians bringing music from their homes into yours.
South Coast Repertory
A video of John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar,” the last play to be staged at South Coast Repertory before the theater closed last month, will soon be available to view online. Tickets are on sale now, and SCR anticipates that viewing can begin on April 10. More information can be found here: https://www.scr.org/calendar/view?id=12003
Laguna Playhouse
Staff at Orange County’ oldest theater have been searching the web for interesting things for you to watch, and on its “Play-at-Home” web page you can see some of the work that its artists have been doing. There’s a smattering of other things that are provided for your amusement, too. The playhouse promises to update content regularly.
Orange County Museum of Art
The museum offers what it calls a “virtual experience” with live programs on Thursday evenings. This week: Guided Meditation and Sound Healing.
Tune in to OCMA’s Instagram @OCMuseumofArt and join L.A.-based artist Kathryn Garcia for an at-home experience that melds art and meditation. Using her artwork as an object of meditation, Garcia will guide you on a journey towards stillness. A sound healing follows: the unusual sonic sensation of singing bowls is accompanied by video of four geometric sculptures in an idyllic cove in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Even if you’ve never meditated before, simply close your eyes and let this soothing aural landscape transport you to a peaceful place.
Other options:
SparkOC.com, the calendar website of Arts Orange County, has an extensive list of streaming/virtual cultural events happening throughout the county.
At the request of the city of Milan, which suffering greatly during the pandemic, the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli will deliver a solo performance at the city’s historic Duomo cathedral on Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Though it won’t be open to the public due to the countrywide lockdown, the event — titled “Music for Hope” — will be live-streamed globally to promote a message of “love, healing, and hope to Italy and the world.” The concert is available via YouTube at: youtu.be/huTUOek4LgU.
Paul Hodgins is the senior editor of Arts & Culture at Voice of OC. He can be reached at phodgins@voiceofoc.org.