Conference on Justice, Peace to Tackle Social Issues

A conference on justice and peace sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and featuring Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and a Vatican archbishop is planned March 17 at Loyola Marymount University.

Workshops will be held on issues involving a living wage, housing, environmental justice, organized labor, immigration reform, Catholic social teaching and labor and the death penalty.

Participants are to include Mahony, the archbishop of Los Angeles; Archbishop Francois X. Nguyen Van Thuan, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican; Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala; sister Christine Tan, a religious leader and activist in the Philippines; and Wetshotsile Joe Seremane, a member of the South African parliament.

Although the theme is “Reconciling God’s People,” members of Dignity--the unofficial organization of gay, lesbian, transgendered and bisexual Catholics--have complained that the archdiocese has refused to include the organization among official sponsors. Dignity Vice President John Butkis called Dignity’s exclusion “unfair and ironic.”

But an archdiocesan spokesman, Tod Tamberg, said that because Dignity publicly disagrees with the church’s teaching against homosexual acts, the church was not obligated to accept it as a sponsor.

The conference will run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The campus is at 7900 Loyola Blvd., Los Angeles. Individual registration, $25. (213) 637-7550.

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EVENTS

“The Equivocal Attitude of Buddhism Toward Women” is to be the subject of a talk by UC Santa Barbara’s religious studies lecturer Vesna Wallace at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara. Tickets $5 to $8. (805) 893-4388.

* The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, will be the keynote speaker at a Los Angeles banquet Thursday as part of a 50-state tour he hopes will lead to inter-religious cooperation on behalf of world peace. The banquet doors are to open at 5:30 p.m. at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, 404 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. The cost is $25 a plate. Reservations (626) 792-8673.

* The gospel music play “Fall on Your Knees,” written and produced by Michelle Robinson, will be staged today at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 and 7:30 p.m. at West Angeles Performing Arts Theater, 3020 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets are $15 for adults, $7.50 for children 12 and younger. (323) 733-8707.

* The Jewish Book Group of Beth Chayim Chadashim will discuss Tova Mirvis’ novel, “The Ladies Auxiliary,” set in an Orthodox Memphis community, on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the synagogue, 6000 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-7023.

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MUSIC

“A Lenten Concert: Holy Traditions of the Orthodox World,” will be performed Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1324 S. Normandie Ave., Los Angeles. The program will feature the Los Angeles Byzantine Chorale, composed of Orthodox Christian singers from the Los Angeles area Antiochian, Greek, Romanian, Russian and Serbian Orthodox traditions. Offering. (323) 737-2424.

* Chang Kyun Chong, music minister at the World Agape Mission Church, will play three saxophones at once as part of a Jazz Gospel Concert featuring three youth gospel bands and an opera from the California Youth Choir on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Admission is free. (323) 939-7784.

* Flamenco dance and guitar by Arriba Dance Productions will be presented by St. James Presbyterian Church’s concert series on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the church, 19414 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. Admission is free. (818) 345-2057.

* Mozart’s Grand Mass in C Minor and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 will be performed by choir and orchestra directed by James Vail Sunday at 4 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 580 Hilgard Ave., Westwood. Tickets are $10, $6 for seniors and students. (310) 208-6516.

* Israeli folk dancing with David Edery will be performed tonight at 8 p.m. at the Westside Jewish Community Center, 5870 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets are $6, $5 for members. (323) 938-2532, Ext. 2225.

* The world premiere of Falcone’s Elegy for Four Horns, Strings and Harp, Ravel’s homage to Couperin and music of Mozart will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday by soprano Maurita Phillips-Thornburgh and the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave., Pacific Palisades. Tickets are $15, $10 for students. (310) 573-7787, Ext. 2.

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