43
Sauce and Song event will benefit Youngstown Connection
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
Spend part of Sunday afternoon helping a worthy cause, listening to wonderful music and eating good food at St. Patrick Church.
The final Sauce and Song event of the season will benefit Youngstown Connection, which is traveling to Europe this summer. Proceeds from the spaghetti dinner, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the social hall, will go toward the cost of the trip.
The Rev. Vit Fiala, a Franciscan priest and director of the Shrine of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, will perform from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary. In his career as a cellist, Father Fiala played with the National Opera and Chamber Players in Brno, capital of Moravia, and the Aus Symphony Orchestra in Prague, Czechoslovakia. In 1985 in Austria, he escaped Communism. In 1990, he became a member of the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans.
The Rev. Ed Noga, pastor of St. Patrick, said the church wanted to help Youngstown Connection because “they’re good ambassadors for the Valley.”
Father Noga said the musical group has performed at the church at various events and was well-received.
Carol Baird, Youngstown Connection director and coordinator of creative and performing arts in the Youngstown school district, said she founded the group in 1988 to promote “peace, love and brotherhood.”
“I wanted to do something that would bring students together for a purpose. I hoped by working together, it would break down barriers and make a difference.” The group is open to Mahoning County students.
Youngstown Connection will spend eight days in Europe this June. The cost of the trip is nearly $85,000 for the 14 performers and three chaperones; Baird said she is not included in that cost. The group has sponsored fundraisers, received donations and money from grants through foundations. Baird said the group has $71,000 with $14,000 to go. Contributions by checks made out to Youngstown Connection may be sent to Youngstown City Schools, Attn.: Carol Baird, 20 W. Wood St., Youngstown, OH 44503.
Students making the trip are Sarah Booth, Emily Booth, Cameron Lewis, Nicholas Royal and Jacob Ruscitti-Smith, all of Austintown Fitch High School, and Brandon Starcher, Fitch alumnus; Leigh Carabbia and Kailynn Anderson, both of Boardman High School; Johnea Butler, Chaney High School and Choffin; Marckese Williams and Garfield Johnson, both of Chaney STEM; Mikayla Moore, Chaney alumnus; Bryanna Landers, Liberty High School; and Tatum Johnson, Ursuline High School.
The singing and dancing group will perform at three venues in Italy: the Piazza della Signoria in Florence; Teatro Ghione in Rome, a performing arts center; and a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, also in Rome.
At the Mass, Baird said the group will sing an opening song, at the offertory, Holy Communion and closing. “That’s Latin and liturgical,” she said of the Mass selections. “We just received word that our audience with Pope Francis has been confirmed,” Baird said this week.
Songs in the repertoire for other events will include “Singing in the Rain,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Wonderful World” and “Chattanooga Choo-Choo.”
Baird said she was surprised at first because the young people didn’t seem excited. After talking with them, Baird said, the trip “was surreal,” and that tempered reactions. As the trip gets closer, one of the members told Baird the idea of going “takes my breath away.” The director said the young people are working hard on their presentation.