For Christmas church services

For Christmas church services

The Vindicator will run a listing of area services that are open to the public in observance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The list will run Dec. 18.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day services will be published Dec. 25.

The deadline to submit information for both occasions is 5 p.m. Dec. 15.

Information should include the denomination and complete name of the church, address, city or suburb, time of services, your name, and a phone number for verification.

Send the information to Religion desk, The Vindicator, 107 Vindicator Square, Box 780, Youngstown, Ohio 44501-0780; by fax to 330- 747-6712; or by e-mail to religion@vindy.com.

Lady of Guadalupe

campbell

A Mass honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, will be at noon Dec. 12 at Santa Rosa de Lima, 394 Tenney Ave. Sponsors are the Hispanic Ministries of St. Patrick and St. Brendan churches and the host church. “Son De Dios” Choir will sing. Refreshments will follow in Palermo Hall.

Music Connection

girard

His Music Connection will present a concert Dec. 11 at the old Wellman Theater, 29 W. Liberty St. Performing will be Chris Mowery, Unmerited Favor, Emmaus, Jenah Ross Anne Martineau, along with the Connection band. A free dinner also will be served. A free-will offering will be taken. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the music will begin at 6. Visit hismusicconnection.com for info or call 330-509-8030.

St. Nicholas Day

youngstown

On Sunday, St. Nicholas Catholic Byzantine Church, 1898 Wilson Ave., will celebrate St. Nicholas Day with Divine Liturgy at 5 p.m. at the Byzantine Center at the Grove, 1301 Shady Run Road. Monsignor Robert Siffrin, vicar general for Youngstown Diocese, will be homilist. Dinner will follow at 6. Sister Bernarda Sevachko, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine director, will have students present a St. Nicholas Day program.

Living manger

youngstown

Park Vista Retirement Community, 1216 Fifth Ave., will present a living manger scene from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday featuring Nativity characters and live animals.

From 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, live animals will be in the scene but live characters will be replaced by figures once used in a downtown display.

‘Simply Christmas’

youngstown

Highway Tabernacle, 3000 S. Raccoon Road, will present “Simply Christmas” at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 and 12. The show will feature holiday music and surprises. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. A free-will offering will be taken; canned-goods donations will be accepted. Child care will be provided.

‘Messiah’ program

warren

Two presentations of the “Messiah” will be presented by Warren Civic Chorus at 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday at Blessed Sacrament Church, 3020 Reeves Road NE. A free-will offering will be taken.

The quartet of Leonard Suzelis, tenor; Tom Scurich, bass; Karen Emmett, alto; and Corrine Morini, soprano, will perform. The concert will be directed by Atty. John W. Kurtz, director of music at Living Lord Lutheran Church.

Christmas musical

North lima

North Lima Mennonite Church, 90 Mennonite Drive, will present a Christmas musical, “One Wintry Night,” at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 featuring eight choir selections.

For information, call 330-549-2333.

Christmas musical

washingtonville

A Christmas musical, “NOEL, Night of Everlasting Love,” will be presented at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at Robbins United Methodist Church, 100 High St. There will be refreshments and fellowship after the performance, open to all. There will be a free-will offering.

St. Nicholas festival

boardman

St. James’ Episcopal Church, 7640 Glenwood Ave., will host its seventh annual St. Nicholas Day Festival at 6 p.m. Sunday.

This festival Eucharist celebrates the life of Nicholas, Bishop of Myra and patron saint of children, and features a portrayal of St. Nicholas by Bill Dick of Goshen Township.

An Advent party will follow the service where children will have an opportunity to participate in hands-on craft activities, music and have their photograph taken with St. Nicholas.

Each year, in keeping with the Dutch tradition, children leave a shoe or boot filled with carrots for St. Nicholas’ horse by the fireplace, and after the liturgy may find the carrots replaced with small gifts from St. Nicholas.

One half of this year’s offering will be donated to Dick’s Ukrainian Children’s Mission project. Dick, also known as Santa Bill, has raised more than $8,500 to help children in the Ukraine and has written a book about his experiences with them. The book is “Santa Meets God’s Ukrainian Children.”

Gifts of winter hats, mittens, gloves and scarves are requested and will be donated to Sojourner House for distribution.

Parish merger

youngstown

The Diocese of Youngstown Parish Reconfiguration Plan, which began in 2008 and was promulgated by Bishop George V. Murry in May 2010, includes parishes which remain as single parishes, collaborative units and merged units.

St. Columba Cathedral and St. Casimir Church merged, effective Nov. 21. The name of the new parish is St. Columba Parish.

Both worship sites remain open. St. Columba Cathedral, 159 W. Rayen Ave.,, is the official address for St. Columba Parish.

Three sets of parishes have already merged. Other parishes affected by mergers or collaboration will continue to work together until the Diocesan Parish Reconfiguration Plan is complete. The process is expected to be completed in two years.

Advent is focus

VILLA MARIA, Pa.

Villa Maria Spirituality and Education Center will continue its monthly ongoing series of morning seminars with Advent as the focus in a program from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Sister Marguerite Holz will lead the discussion on the liturgical year as a means of remembering important parts of our faith life in a regular way.

Cost is $7 and the program and lunch are $14. Advance registration is required. Call 724-964-8886 or register online at www.villaprograms.org.

Women’s Day program

youngstown

The Women’s Department of the Bread of Life Church of God in Christ, 702 Cameron Ave., will celebrate the monthly Women’s Day program at 5 p.m. Dec. 12.

Speaker will be Cynthia Burney of True Vine Ministries of Campbell, where the Rev. William Burney is pastor. Elder Rocco Wellington is pastor of the Bread of Life Church of God in Christ.

Guest speaker

youngstown

Todd Gongwer, entrepreneur, former college basketball coach and author of “LEAD ... for God’s Sake!” will speak at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Youngstown Club.

Cost is $15; reservations are required by calling Patrick McBane at 330-360-5167 or sending e-mail to 4solutions@sbcglobal.net.

The event is sponsored in part by Catholic Charities of Youngstown and Marketplace Solutions, www.4marketplace-solutions.org.

Pastoral anniversary

youngstown

Ebenezer Life Center Church of God in Christ, 566 W. Indianola Ave., will mark the 19th anniversary of senior Pastors Ernest and Lenora Walker during a musical celebration at 7 p.m. today.

Special guests will be Manny Henderson and True Worship of New Castle, Pa., and minister Eric Jordan of Mansfield.

Services will be at 5 p.m. Sunday with guest churches.

Dinner theater

liberty township

“Cosmic Christmas,” a play adapted from a novel by Max Lucado, will be presented Dec. 19 at Liberty Assembly of God Church, 6779 Belmont Ave.

Dinner will be at 5 p.m. Performance only (includes dessert) at 6 p.m.

For tickets, call 330-539-0003. The cost is $10 and $5 or $4.