Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Churches and Religion

Several Buddhist temples in Santa Ana were vandalized this past weekend

Posted on by Posted in Andrew Do, Churches and Religion, Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Vandalism Targeted at Buddhist Temples in Santa Ana Declared a Hate Crime by OC District Attorney

By: O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do

This past weekend a number of Buddhist temples in Santa Ana were vandalized, causing extensive damage to religious statues and other temple property. Law enforcement officials have footage of a suspect in the act of vandalizing and are asking for help from the community in locating the individual.

The targeting of Buddhist temples is cause of great concern for the Vietnamese-American Community in Orange County. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas will be announcing that he will consider these criminal conducts as possible hate crime. If convicted, this will lead to greater punishments for the offender(s). Continue reading→

Man arrested for molesting a little girl at a Santa Ana church on Father’s Day

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Cochino Alert, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvmb6PCCDJI

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Arrest Suspect In Child Molestation Case. Believe There May Be Additional Victims

Suspect: Trinidad Tavarez (51) Santa Ana

Synopsis: A 4-year-old girl was sexually assaulted while attending a church service at Oasis Christian Church in Santa Ana on Father’s Day. Jose Trinidad Tavarez has been working as a handyman and security guard for the Oasis Christian Church for the past year. Tavarez has been living out of his van, which was parked on the church property. Continue reading→

Imagine if every church in Orange County took in a few homeless people…

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, homeless, Santa Ana 3 Comments

I wonder how many of those Irvine residents that showed up at the O.C. Board of Supervisors meeting this week to complain about the homeless will be at church this Easter Sunday praising Jesus – who pretty much asked his followers to take care of the poor?

It is one of the dichotomies of conservative Christian Orange County. There are churches all over the place but they minister, for the most part, to the well-off and mostly ignore the downtrodden. Continue reading→

Compass Charter Schools is hosting an ice cream social to celebrate National School Choice Week

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Compass Charter Schools (CCS) is excited to announce that it will host an ice cream social this Thursday, January 18, to commemorate National School Choice Week (January 21-27, 2018).

The event, which will begin at 12 pm in the courtyard of the Trinity Cristo Rey Lutheran Church located at 902 S. Broadway, in Santa Ana, will celebrate school choice with CCS’ scholars, parents, and staff. Scholars will be able to share why school choice is important to them while wearing their school choice scarves and enjoying ice cream. The event is open to CCS scholars, parents, teachers, and staff; media may RSVP. Continue reading→

Enjoy a safe family event on Halloween at Santa Ana United Methodist Church

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Santa Ana United Methodist Church is hosting a Trunk or Treat and Harvest Festival on Oct. 31, 2017, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., at 2121 N. Grand Ave., in Santa Ana, in their back parking lot. This church is located next to Northeast Santa Ana Little League and Sierra Prepatory Academy.

Come out dressed as your favorite video game character and level up on your candy! Enjoy a safe and family friendly Halloween night with games, music and lots of candy. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman gets two years in jail for her actions against a Buddhist temple

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Crime, Little Saigon, OCDA, Santa Ana, Vietnamese Leave a comment

Trang Thu Pham strikes again

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 16CF0751

Date: July 5, 2017

WOMAN SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN JAIL FOR HATE CRIME, GRAND THEFT, AND VANDALISM FOR STEALING THREE GOLD STATUES FROM BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN SANTA ANA

*Defendant was out of custody after being convicted of vandalism of religious property

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A woman was sentenced to two years in county jail today for committing a hate crime, grand theft, and vandalism for stealing three gold statues from a Buddhist temple in Santa Ana.

Defendant: Trang Thu Pham, 48, Santa Ana

Pleaded guilty today to felony counts of: Continue reading→

A woman was struck by a Toyota Tacoma as she left St. Joseph Church in Santa Ana this evening

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Churches and Religion, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Charlene Hanson, 71, was hit by a vehicle tonight, June 17, as she crossed the street away from her church, and was in critical condition at a hospital, according to the O.C. Register.

Hanson was leaving St. Joseph Church, on foot, crossing Civic Center Drive, heading due north, away from the church, when she was struck by a Toyota Tacoma at about 6:19 p.m. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man gets life in prison for sexually assaulting three little girls he met at church

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Cochino Alert, Crime, OCDA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 15CF2004

Date: May 19, 2017

MAN SENTENCED TO 60 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING THREE GIRLS UNDER 14 HE MET THROUGH CHURCH

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced today to 60 years to life in state prison for sexually assaulting three girls under the age of 14 he met through church.

Defendant: Jose Luis Aguilera, 42, Santa Ana

Found guilty by a jury on April 28, 2017, of: Continue reading→

Sovereign Grace Church is starting a new congregation in DTSA

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Live, Work, Play, and Worship

A New Movement of Neighborhood Churches in Orange County

Santa Ana, CA – May 12, 2017 – Sovereign Grace Church in Old Towne Orange announces plans for a new congregation in Downtown Santa Ana. As in Orange, Santa Ana is becoming an attractive place to live, work, and play. Sovereign Grace want to add worship to the list.

“Remember back when neighborhoods had churches?” asks Pastor Eric Turbedsky. “The average church- goer in Orange County passes numerous churches on their way to a Sunday service. No wonder we find it so hard to love our neighbors. We don’t know our neighbors.” This move to worship where you live, not unlike the “buy local” movement, encourages people to invest in the life of their community. Continue reading→

1,250 students graduated from a free seminary school in Santa Ana on April 30

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LARGEST GRADUATION CLASS OF THE “OPEN WORD,” A BLOSSOMING REVIVAL IN CHRISTIANITY

SANTA ANA—Joyful cheers, applause and confetti erupted in the auditorium as 1,250 students graduated from Zion Mission Seminary on April 30, 2017. This is the largest graduating class in the United States from the program since its inception in 1984.

Zion Mission Seminary is known in the United States for its 6-month “Open Word” curriculum that teaches biblical prophecies and how they will fulfill. While theology schools and seminaries traditionally charge a great sum for tuition, Zion Mission Seminary is offered free of charge to the public. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man convicted of molesting little girls he met at a local church

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Jose Luis Aguilera

Jose Luis Aguilera, a 42, a Santa Ana man, was convicted today of several felony counts for molesting young girls that he met through his Jehovah’s Witness congregation, according to the O.C. Register.

Aguilera was convicted on four counts of lewd acts on a child younger than 14, but charges of kidnapping for child molesting and four counts of lewd acts on a child younger than 14 did not stick because the jury deadlocked. He was also acquitted of another count of lewd acts on a child younger than 14, according to court records. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man on trial this week for allegedly molesting four little girls he met at church

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Jose Luis Aguilera, a 42, a Santa Ana man accused of molesting four girls aged 8 to 12 that he met at his Jehovah’s Witness congregation, is on trial this week, according to the O.C. Register.

Aguilera’s defense attorney, Sara Ross of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, told the jury that her client was a victim of “false accusations.” That’s right – Ross essentially said that all of the girls Aguilera allegedly molested are liars. Continue reading→

Easter Sunrise Service set for April 16 at the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary

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The Power of Easter: Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary to Host 23rd Annual Easter Service

Join Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary for its 23rd annual Easter Sunrise Service titled “The Power of Easter” on Sunday, April 16. Families and community members will unite to hear inspirational Easter messages and music by The Praise Symphony Orchestra and The Calvary Church Celebration Choir.

Special guests will include Nelson Cook of Christian Business Men’s Connection, Pastor Ric Olsen from the Beacon Church of Orange and Pastor Drew Smithson of Orange County First Assembly. Continue reading→

Local Boy Scouts to host two pancake breakfasts in Santa Ana this month

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Food, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Support your local boy scouts! Santa Ana’s historic Boy Scout Troop 28 is hosting two pancake breakfast fundraisers this month and our boys really need your support. Show up and have a great breakfast cooked by the Boy Scouts!

The first pancake breakfast will be held on Sunday, February 5, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the First Congregational Church located at 2555 Santiago Rd., in Santa Ana’s Park Santiago Neighborhood.  Continue reading→

The founder of the O.C. Rescue Mission will be honored by the Santa Ana City Council

Posted on by Posted in African Americans, Charities, Churches and Religion, homeless, Santa Ana Leave a comment
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Whitehead

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Whitehead

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: Mayor Pulido & Councilwoman Martinez Honor Reverend Lewis Whitehead, Founder and Former Director of The Orange County Rescue Mission

Mayor Miguel Pulido and Councilwoman Michele Martinez will present, posthumously, the Exceptional Citizen Award to Reverend Lewis Whitehead, founder and former director of the Orange County Rescue Mission whom provided over 25 years of outstanding services, community leadership and many contributions to the City of Santa Ana, at tomorrow’s City Council Meeting.

Before making it his life’s goal to help homeless individuals, Reverend Lewis Whitehead served 20 years in the Marine Corps, then became a member of the First Baptist Church in Santa Ana and was ordained as a minister in 1962, ministering to the poor. From then on he pledged his life to serve the least, the last, and the lost. Often, he would go under freeway overpasses to give homeless individuals blankets, food, prayer and love. Continue reading→