Celebrating 100 years in Los Angeles, parishioners of St. Anne Melkite-Greek Catholic Church gathered for festivities last weekend that included a sold-out centennial banquet at the Sheraton Universal Hotel and a solemn English-Arabic liturgy at the North Hollywood church Oct. 25.

Archbishop Cyril Bustros, head of the Melkite-Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton visiting from Massachusetts, presided at the concelebrated Mass along with Melkite-Greek (Byzantine) Rite Bishops John Elya and Nicholas Samra, as well as Father Albert Wehby, St. Anne's pastor. Among the clergy in attendance were San Fernando Region Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Wilkerson and Msgr. Robert Gallagher, pastor of neighboring St. Charles Borromeo parish in North Hollywood.

In his homily during the hour-and-a-half liturgy in the mosaic-decorated church, Archbishop Bustros emphasized that Christians must make daily decisions between virtue or vice. "You have to choose between the two loves: God or self," said the prelate, who reminded people to avoid the seven capital sins of anger, envy, gluttony, greed, laziness, lust and pride. "Jesus came to take sins out of our hearts and put in virtues," said Archbishop Bustros.

"For 100 years," he added, "the parish has been celebrating the Kingdom of God. When we come to church, we already are in the Kingdom of God. We are in heaven with all these saints [represented in] icons. We remember we are here to establish the Kingdom of God first in our hearts, then in our family, then in our community… The church is the continuation of the work God started."

Following the liturgy, the congregation of more than 300 filed outside to the front courtyard ringed by the colonnade of broad Moorish arches and waited for the mystery surprise arranged by a parishioner family: jets which flew overhead trailing white smoke as a special centennial salute.

Speaking to The Tidings before the service, Father Wehby described the members of the 415-family church as "very good, very friendly" people, many of whom travel long distances to attend one of the two Sunday liturgies. According to the pastor, the majority of parishioners (50-60 percent) are originally from Jordan, with 20-30 percent from Palestine and the rest hailing from Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.

The formation of the local Melkite church began on December 15, 1909, when Father Geracimos Sawaya arrived in Los Angeles. Then-Los Angeles Bishop Thomas Conaty asked Father Sawaya to start serving the religious needs of the growing Arab American presence in the area.

Property was purchased in 1926 at 900 North Hoover St. in Los Angeles, where construction of the first Saint Anne Melkite church began. In 1965, a new circular church blending ancient Byzantine motifs with modern architectural design was completed at the present location at 11245 Rye St. near Moorpark Street in North Hollywood.

Parishioner Anwar Chahayed, who has been a St. Anne parishioner for nearly 30 years since emigrating from Lebanon, called the centennial "unforgettable" with its packed Oct. 24 dinner celebration of 500 guests and the Oct. 25 concelebrated liturgy followed by a lunch in the parish hall.

"We're honored to be a part of the 100-year anniversary of our St. Anne Melkite Church," said Samir Chahayed. "We feel like we're part of our church and our heritage and we believe this is a part of us. We really feel good about it."

"I was born into this parish," said 49-year-old Charlie Handy who assisted on the altar during the liturgy along with his 19-year-old son, Stephen. "I've been serving on the altar for 40 years. To celebrate 100 years is just incredible."