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January 05, 2006
Sue Pascoe , Staff Writer
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the Pacific Palisades community, in addition to most other towns around the country, responded with donations to the Red Cross and other relief agencies.
The Palisades Presbyterian Church was part of that effort and then decided to go a step further by "putting a face" on where their collections were going.
"We decided to 'adopt' a church in New Orleans and pair with it, helping individual needy parishioners," said interim pastor Charles Svendsen.
Preliminary calls were made and, with the cooperation of the Presbytery of South Louisiana, a number of inner-city New Orleans churches were identified. Of those churches, Palisades Presbyterian chose Canal Street Presbyterian, which has a congregation of 125. The historic church, founded in 1847, is located just a few miles northwest of Bourbon Street.
Built in 1927, the current church sanctuary suffered more than $250,000 of structural damage, and 75 percent of parishioners' homes were rendered uninhabitable, according to Rev. Mike Hogg, pastor of Canal Street.
Palisades Presbyterian Elder Harvey Mednick told the Palisadian-Post, "There is mold four feet high up in the sanctuary that will have to be dealt with." Additionally, the church member's cars were disabled, appliances were destroyed and clothing was ruined.
"The devastation is so total," Mednick said, "that until you talk to someone from New Orleans, you can't believe how horrible it is."
After the hurricane, Hogg and his wife moved their five children to Tucson and began the rebuilding process long-distance.
Palisades Presbyterian committee members discovered that although Hogg was born in Philadelphia, he had California connections: he attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, taught at Biola University (where he met his wife Christina), was married at Hollywood Presbyterian Church and served as a pastor at San Pedro Presbyterian prior to being called to the Canal Street church.
The Palisades "adoption efforts" proceeded with all members of the church participating, including the children, who personally created colorful Christmas cards that they sold after Sunday services, netting $600.
An initial check for $5,000 from the congregation was presented to Pastor Hogg when he visited the Palisades and spoke before both church services on December 18.
Hogg was also given a set of the Christmas cards and a calendar. "He was excited about taking them to New Orleans to show the parishioners," Mednick said.
In addition, youth pastor Eric Schaefer told Hogg he had begun plans to take a group of local high school students to New Orleans this coming summer to assist with the rebuilding.
When Hogg spoke at the church, he preceded his remarks with a poignant slide show created by a Southern California producer who was so moved by Kristina's havoc that he has since moved to New Orleans to assist in the relief efforts. The video can be viewed at http://gmagic.com/katrina/.
"This is the true meaning of Christmas and Advent, the intermingling of profound sadness and expectant hope," Svendsen said during his sermon.
If you would like to contribute to this effort, please contact Thomas Keene, chairman of the Palisades Presbyterian mission committee: 454-0366.
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