Hancharenko chosen for advisory board for young adult ministry

January 28, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Diana Hancharenko has been selected to serve a two-year term on the National Advisory Board for Young Adult Ministry, an ad-hoc team advising the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The purpose of the advisory board is to provide ongoing input and feedback to the bishops and to provide pastoral support to parish and diocesan leaders.

Hancharenko serves at St. Angela Merici Parish, Youngstown, as the young adult minister and at Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, Campbell, as the pastoral associate for evangelization. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Youngstown State University and earned a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University of New Orleans.

Hancharenko serves on the advisory board for the Newman Center at YSU. She is also co-chairwoman of the Diocesan Stewardship Commission and serves on the executive committee for the Coalition with Young Adults based out of Cleveland.

Church will celebrate Chinese New Year

POLAND

Poland United Methodist Church, 1940 Boardman-Poland Road, will host an event to celebrate Chinese New Year with 180 attendees at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Dinner starts the event with nine Chinese dishes. There will be nine programs after dinner, with a Lion Dance at the end. Contact Pastor May Yeh at 440-773-2208 for information.

Jewish/Christian studies dialogue is offered

LIBERTY

Temple El-Emeth, 3970 Logan Way, will offer a Jewish/Christian studies dialogue at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Topics include important values and connection to Sinai.

For information, call Father George Balasko at 330-406-1034 or Rabbi Joseph Schonberger at 330-759-1429.

Joining Easter cantata

hubbard

Simple Gifts Interfaith Choir slates two performances of “On a Hill Too Far Away” – an Easter cantata – for Palm Sunday on April 9.

Anyone interested in singing with the choir should contact Paige Lape/choir director by Feb. 10 at First Presbyterian Church, 22 Westview Ave., at 330-534-9721.

Ursuline Center plans Valentine’s Day dinner

CANFIELD

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14? Join us at 6:30 p.m. for The Ursuline Center’s annual Valentine’s Day dinner. For $26 per person, you’ll enjoy appetizers and dinner by Canfield’s Broad Street Diner, dessert, wine and beverages, chocolate, and entertainment by members of the Greater Youngstown Community Youth Choir.

Singles, family and friends are all welcome.

For tickets, call Peggy Eicher at 330-792-7636. All proceeds benefit the ministries at the center, 4280 Shields Road.

Nominations taken for Eagle of the Cross awards for high-school students

youngstown

Do you know a high-school junior or senior active in their parish and/or diocesan Catholic school who is a role model of Christian leadership?

Now is the time to nominate her or him for the 19th annual Eagle of the Cross awards.

Nominations must be postmarked by Feb. 15, or delivered to the diocese by 3 p.m. Feb. 17. The nomination form can be downloaded from the office website at www.youngstownoyyam.weebly.com/eagle-of-cross-awards.

The Eagle of the Cross award was originally created by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, and is the highest honor the Diocese of Youngstown presents to youth who show particular zeal for the improvement of their parish youth-ministry program, high-school ministry teams or other ministries within the diocese.

Nominees must be practicing Roman Catholics and exemplify the qualities of moral integrity, prayerful spiritual life, personal outreach to church and community, contribution to parish and/or school programs, and Christian leadership.

Involvement in diocesan programs also will be considered.

Teens are nominated by adults who complete short essay questions regarding the nominee’s participation in parish and/or Catholic high school youth ministry programs, as well as providing specific examples of the qualities mentioned above.

Nominators must obtain the signature of the nominee’s pastor for county (parish) nominees or high-school principal president for Catholic school nominees before submission.

The award is not geared toward quantitative service hours, but to the integrity of the individual and how well she or he is perceived as an outstanding Catholic Christian.

Nominees in the Catholic high-school category must attend one of the six Catholic high schools within the six-county diocese – Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Stark, Portage or Ashtabula.

Since 1999, 471 teens have received the Eagle of the Cross Award, including a few who have gone on to become priests, seminarians, postulants, parish ministries, parents, and outstanding Catholic witnesses in their college and work lives.

The Eagle of the Cross Awards Liturgy and banquet will take place in Youngstown on May 2 at a location to be announced. The 6 p.m. liturgy is open to the public with the banquet by invitation only.

For information, contact Cindee Case in the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry by email, ccase@youngstowndiocese.org, or call 330-744-8451, ext. 280.