FINAL SERVICE: The congregation of St. James Episcopal Church, 7640 Glenwood Ave., Boardman, will have its final service Sunday. The members of St. James have been gathering as a community group of worship since 1809, making it the oldest congregation of the Epsicopal Diocese of Youngstown. The members have been worshipping at the current location on Glenwood Avenue since 1972. The church is closing because of a lack of attendance and decreasing funds.
CELEBRATION: Monument of Faith Cathedral Church of God in Christ, 904 W. Market St., Warren, is hosting a birthday celebration for First Lady Brenda Herron at 4 p.m. Sunday.
NIGHT OF HOPE: Second Baptist Church "A House of Hope," in partnership with Trumbull County Children Services, will host Night of Hope 2026, an evening dedicated to awareness, advocacy and community engagement surrounding foster care and adoption in the Mahoning Valley. The event, with the theme "Hope for the Future," will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Second Baptist Church, 1510 Main Ave. SW, Warren. Admission is free and open to the public.
Night of Hope will highlight the ongoing and urgent need for safe, loving and stable homes for children in foster care, with special attention to the disproportionate impact on African American children and families. The evening also will serve as a community celebration honoring Pastor Todd Johnson for his years of leadership, advocacy and commitment to strengthening families and uplifting vulnerable populations throughout the region.
The featured speaker will be Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, senior pastor of the 15,000-member Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Worship will be led by Jonathan Nelson, award-winning gospel singer and songwriter.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Beulah Baptist Church, 570 Sherwood Ave., Youngstown, will host a Black History Month program at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22. The event will feature Harambee dancers, who will do African dances.
MEN’S MILE MARKER: The annual Men’s Mile Marker will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 at St. Joseph Church, 4545 New Road, Austintown. The event is free and will include fellowship, food and faith. An optional Mass will be at 4:30 p.m. at the church. For information, call Chad at 330-507-8045.
FIRST FRIDAY: The First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown will meet at noon March 5 with the Rev. John Jerek, pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Parish, as speaker. Jerek will present "Wrestling with Our Cultural Myths," at Avion on the Water Banquet Center, 2177 W. Western Reserve Road in Canfield. Jerek, a native of Youngstown, served in diverse pastoral, educational, and diocesan leadership roles, including Vicar for Clergy for 13 years. Dedicated to service and outreach, he is a strong supporter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Dorothy Day House and Catholic Charities.
There will be an opportunity for participants' questions following the talk. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., with the presentation beginning at noon. The cost is $25. Call by Feb. 26 at 330-720-4498. Reservations are limited. Visit www.firstfridayclubofgreateryoungstown.org
VOCATION EVENTS: The Diocese of Youngstown is hosting a series of Praise & Worship Nights for Vocations at various sites within the diocese through June. These nights are meant for people to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life.
• 7 p..m. Feb. 26 at the University Parish Newman Center, 1424 Horning R oad, Kent.
• 7 p.m. March 26 at St. Columba Cathedral, 154 W. Wood St., Youngstown.
• 7 p.m. April 30 at Divine Mercy Parish-St. Mary Church, 206 Cherry Road NE, Massillon.
• 7 p.m. May 28 at Our Lady of Peace Parish-Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 1200 E. 21st St., Ashtabula (bilingual celebration).
• 7 p.m. June 25 at St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish-Blessed Sacrament Church, 3020 Reeves Road NE, Warren.
ORGAN CONCERT SERIES: St. Columba Cathedral in downtown Youngstown will present an organ concert series at the church. Below is the schedule and the featured organists:
• 6:30 p.m. March 13 -- Anais Payerne of France, who will mark her U.S. debut.
• 6:30 p.m. April 24 -- Tim Elder.
• 6:30 p.m. May 1 -- Maurice Clerc of France.
• 6:30 p.m. June 26 -- Loreto Aramendi of Spain.
The performances are free and the public is welcome. For more information, contact Ralph Holtzhauser at rholtzhauser@youngstowndiocese.org.
ENCOUNTER MERCY: The Office of Youth and Young Adult Accompaniment of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown is hosting the Diocesan Youth Convention "Encounter Mercy" at Walsh University in North Canton 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 14. The daylong event features Mass with Bishop David J. Bonnar, breakout sessions, guest speaker Mari Pablo, music, adoration and time with friends.
The event is open to high schoolers grades 9-12 and registration is $50. For information, go to https://doy.org/encounter-2026/
THE ANSWER MUSICAL: "The Answer: The Musical" will be at 7:30 p.m. March 6 and 7 at St. Columba Cathedral,154 W. Wood Street in Youngstown. "The Answer" is a rock opera depiction of Jesus Christ's passion originating in Cleveland. The musical is based on the Gospels and focuses on the last three years of Jesus' ministry, including his passion, death and resurrection.
The performance includes video, song and dance, and is directed and produced by Christina Dupre. The performance is free, but a free-will offering will be accepted.
JEWISH-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE: Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center will offer an ongoing series, Jewish Christian Studies 101 with the Rev. George Balasko, 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday in person and via Zoom.
The Zoom link will be available on the center's website. This month’s topic is Troublemakers. The program will be in the Mother Madelaine Room. This Bible education series is an opportunity for Christians to reflect on the Scriptures using video resources from various scripture scholars. A free-will offering will be accepted. Participants need not attend all of the programs in the series. Registration is not required.
VILLA MARIA PROGRAM: Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center offers Coffee and Contemplation. This series focuses on a variety of spiritual and holistic topics.
The program provides participants with input from a presenter and includes time for reflection and discussion. Cindy Wilpula, (HM Associate and Covenant Companion) will present this month's session in person and via Zoom with the theme "Welcome to Mardi Gras on this Shrove Tuesday!" 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday.
Cost is $10 (lunch is optional at an additional $6) Registration and further information are available online at vmesc.org or by calling 724-964-8886.
