Annual Feast Day

Annual Feast Day

youngstown

St. Columba Cathedral, 154 W. Wood St., will present its annual St. Columba Feast Day concert at 6 p.m. June 26 with a program featuring the Cathedral Choir directed by Dr. Daniel Laginya and the Sheet & Tube Brass Quartet. A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the Dorothy Day House. A reception will follow in the Cathedral Hall.

Guest speaker

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Michael Franzese, who grew up as a son of the underboss of New York’s Colombo crime family, will speak at Believers Church, 2577 Schenley Ave. Talks will be at 5 p.m. June 25 and 9 and 10:45 a.m. June 26. Visit bcfonline.com for directions and more information. Franzese will talk about how he changed his life.

Art retreat

villa Maria, pa.

Villa Maria Education and Spirituality will offer an art retreat, “Clay – Finding God in the Clay in my Hands,” from June 30-July 3. Sister Paulette Kirschensteiner, a fiber artist, will lead the class.

Clay is a medium to use to pray. In Scripture, there is reference to our being clay in the hands of the Creator. Through molding, stretching and holding you will deepen your relationship with God. No previous art experiences are necessary. The cost is $295, which includes overnight accommodations, materials and meals. A commuter rate is also available. Registration is required; call 724-964-8886 or go to villaprograms.org.

New group forming

north lima

“Youth with Experience” is a new group forming at Good Hope Lutheran Church, 12030 Market St., for those 50 and older. The purpose of the group is to socialize with others in the community. The group will meet at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the church for a light lunch. There will be devotions, then discussion on future lunches and outings. For more information, call the church at 330-549-2406.

Society speaker

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The Society of St. John Chrysostom, Youngstown-Warren Chapter, will present “Orthodoxy and the Roman Papacy: Ut Unum Sint and the Prospects of East-West Unity” at 7 p.m. Friday at St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, 7782 Glenwood Ave. Speaker will be Dr. Adam Deville, author of “Orthodoxy and the Roman Papacy.” He is professor at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., and a subdeacon of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church. The society is an ecumenical organizatioon of Catholic and Orthodox clergy and laity.

Annual festival

youngstown

The Diocese of Youngs-town will host the annual Faith and Family Festival from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 9 at Walsh University’s Hoover Park, 1875 E. Market St.

Featured speakers include the Rev. Peter John Cameron, editor-in-chief of Magnificat magazine, and Rebecca Dussault, Olympian and Winter Triathlon World Champion. Sarah Hart and the Full Armor Band will perform at 1 p.m. Children’s activities and music for all ages will be available throughout the day, as well as the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. A closing Mass will be at 4 p.m.

The cost for registration before June 30 is $45 for a family or $20 per person; register by phone at 330-744-8451 or online at www.familyfest2011.org.

Learning session

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Subdeacon George Mansour leads the talks on church history, ancient beliefs and other topics at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at St. Mark’s Antiochian Church, 3560 Logan Way.

Volunteer meeting

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There will be an informational meeting for anyone interested in becoming part of a volunteer-in-mission trip to the Renewal Orphanage, north of Moscow, Russia, from Dec. 29, 2011-Jan. 12. 2012. The session is planned at 5 p.m. Sunday at Western Reserve United Methodist Church, 4580 Canfield Road, Route 46. For information, contact the Rev. Kathryn Adams, team leader, at 330-719-2902 or send email to: Kathrynpcm@aol.com. The orphanage is home to 50 physically handicapped children. Team members will interact with the children, deliver clothing, supplies, toiletries and gifts, have a work project and spend the last three days of the trip sightseeing in Moscow.

Baptist district

youngstown

Tabernacle Baptist Church, 707 Arlington St., will host the 106th annual session of the Northern Ohio Baptist District Association Inc. (OBDA) and its auxiliaries under the leadership of Dr. Carl P. Small, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Elyria. The theme is “Strategies and Methodologies for Implementing the Great Commission through Teaching, Evangelizing, Affirming Our Faith and Ministry.” The opening session will be at 7 p.m. June 27 and conclude June 30. Classes and workshops are scheduled. NOBDA, organized in 1905, involves local church organizations from the eastern boundary of Ohio to the midwestern limits of central Ohio. NOBDA provides continuing education through its Christian education division and scholarships for high school students in its four subdistricts.

Prayer service, bonfire

youngstown

St. Patrick Church, 1420 Oak Hill Ave., will sponsor an outdoor prayer service and bonfire at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the eve of the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. It is considered an appropriate day to burn broken, worn, or outdated religious articles with a bonfire. Articles can be brought that evening or dropped off at the rectory. The event, which will be on Cleveland Street near the church, will include ethnic potluck dishes and musical entertainment. Those attending may bring a covered dish to share.

Weekly lesson

Do you have an interest in the ancient rituals of the Eastern Orthodox Church? The Rev. Andrew Gromm has a weekly lesson on ancient rituals of the Eastern Orthodox Church at 6 p.m. Thursdays at St. Michael Orthodox Church, 127 Steel St.

The lessons focus on the liturgy’s origins from the first to fourth centuries and beyond.

Father Gromm also preaches the Gospel and church history at noon Saturdays on WSOM, AM 600 on the show, “On Earth As In Heaven.”