Religion events
APPOINTMENTS MADE: On May 29, the late Bishop George V. Murry appointed the Rev. Christopher Cicero pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Warren, and the Rev. Martin Celuch, J.C.L., pastor of Holy Family Parish, Poland. The appointments are effective Aug. 22.
Cicero, a native of Warren, was ordained July 17, 2010. Cicero served as the parochial vicar at St. Christine Parish, Youngstown, and was appointed pastor of St. Jude Parish, Columbiana, and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, East Palestine, on Feb. 1, 2014.
Celuch, a native of Gaboltov, Slovakia was ordained on June 14, 2003. Celuch served as parochial vicar at St. Nicholas Parish, Struthers and Holy Family Parish, Poland. In 2013, he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Youngstown, and in 2016 he was appointed pastor of Christ Our Savior Parish, Struthers. This appointment is in addition to his duties as judicial vicar for the Diocese of Youngstown.
PRAISE ON COURTHOUSE: The Men of Faith will hold an open praise at the gazebo on Courthouse Square in Warren 9 a.m. today.
Keno Hills, former NFL player on staff at the Warren Family Mission, is sharing his testimony. Pastor Jordan Biel will provide the praise music on guitar and vocals. John Farmwalt, who was raised Amish, will tell his life-saving rescue story. Pastor Everett Whiteside proclaims God’s Kingdom along with the closing prayer.
Participants should bring a lawn chair. All safety protocol guidelines will be followed.
NEW PASTOR: Canfield United Methodist Church will welcome a new pastor at 10:30 a.m. July 5. Worship is posted on YouTube at www.facebook. com/CanfieldUMC
RETURN TO WORSHIP: Friendship Baptist Church, 1954 Brier St. SE, Warren, will hold a return to worship on Sunday. There will be two morning worships at 9 and 11:30 a.m. Worshippers are being asked to arrive a half hour early to adhere to health safety guidelines.
WE BELONG TOGETHER: A community-wide open-air praise and worship experience will be 3 to 4:30 pm. July 4 at 130 S. Truesdale, Ave Youngstown. Social-distancing circles will be provided. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, or sit in a car. The event is a corporate worship. Refreshments will be provided. Call to reserve a circle at 330-519-3357.
Discussion will be on families recovering from the impact of COVID-19 and how to rebuild trust in a post-pandemic world. The goal is to help the community recover through safe social distancing discussions, events and family-fun activities.
RETURN TO SERVICE: One Nation Kingdom Ministries will meet 10 a.m Sunday at the Focus Building, 2051 Niles Road, Warren, for a drive-up service. There is also a Bible study livestreamed at 6 p.m. Wednesday on the church Facebook page.
GRACE AME EVENT: Grace AME Church in Warren Nursing Guild, in conjunction with Warren City Health Department, is beginning distribution of iPads for seniors who have suffered loneliness, social isolation and physical isolation from family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. The iPads were funded in part by Buckeye Health Plan, Raymond J. Wean Foundation, Mercy Health Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, which is operated exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. The iPads are equipped with free Verizon cellular service for one year. The seniors also will receive hands-on training on their use by Verizon staff. The iPad distribution will continue over the next several weeks in order to uphold social distancing guidelines.
SERVICES RESUME: Area churches are returning to in-person worships.
• Ellsworth Community Church, 11171 W. Akron-Canfield Road, North Jackson will resume morning worship service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
• Tod Avenue United Methodist church is open and having Sunday service 10:30 a.m.
• McKinley Community Church, 1524 Elm Road NE, Warren, has opened with regular service at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor David Luther. Masks are optional. Bible study has been discontinued until further notice.
• First Baptist Church, 2640 S. Canal St., Newton Falls, will offer two Sunday worship services. There will be a drive-in service at 9:30 a.m. and a a second inside the church service at 11 a.m.
PROTESTANT SERVICES: Protestant Family Service has received COVID-19 Crisis Relief Funds to assist clients who have been affected by the pandemic. Funds are available for utilities, mortgages, rent and life sustaining medications. Agency guidelines will be adhered to, and because of limited office space and the required social distancing, clients will be serviced by phone, fax and e-mail. Call 330-746-4600 to speak with the caseworker to get registered. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
HOLY SENIOR GROUP: Due to the coronavirus situation, the Holy Family Seniors Group will not meet in June to August. The group’s leadership is hoping to be able to resume meeting safely in September.
ST. PATRICK RAFFLE: Hubbard St. Patrick Church will hold a grand raffle of a 2002 Chevrolet Equinox or $20,000 with drawing to be held Aug. 9. There is a June special with tickets $25, which is half price. Purchase online at www.saint patsfestival.com or visit parish office, 225 N. Main St., Hubbard or call 330-534-1928.
SERIES CANCELED: First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown has canceled all programs for June, July and August.
BASEMENT OUTREACH: Since the coronavirus started, Basement Outreach Ministries in Warren has been helping to provide food and other items to more than 500 families. Basement Outreach Ministries designed to provide groceries or urgent supplies, or delivery of these, a meal (prepared or boxed / bagged), prayer for themselves or someone else, and / or homeless assistance. Call 234-806-4022 or emai basement805terraalta@gmail.com.
Donations are needed both monetary and food to help the organization. The Basement Outreach Ministries is a tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of IRS regulations.
DONATION RECEIVED: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul received a $2,500 donation from members of St. John Paul II Church to assist in the daily meal service and food pantry programs offered in the Nick Parilla Dining Hall, 2355 Niles Road SE, Warren.
In addition to many other safety net services, St. Vincent de Paul Trumbull County provides curbside carryout meal service daily from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For information about local programs and services, or how you can help, contact Darlene Jones at 234-223-2933 or email djones@svdpneodistrict. org.
PROGRAM OFFERED: “Moving Toward Mutuality: Five Plus Decades on the Catholic-Jewish Journey of Friendship” with Philip A. Cunningham, will be offered 7 p.m. July 16 as a virtual presentation via Zoom at Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center. The event is co-sponsored by the Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center, Villa Maria, Pa., and the Rev. George Balasko in memory of Rabbi Samuel Meyer and the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations at St. Joseph University as part of the Annual Nostra Aetate Lecture Series.
Since the Second Vatican Council in 1965, interactions between Jews and Catholics have become more frequent and positive than ever before in history.
Program information and registration are available at www.vmesc.org or 724-964-8886.
To submit an item for religion section email to religion@tribtoday.com. Items are needed by Wednesday for the Saturday paper.
Religion events
PILGRIMAGE CANCELED: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Diocese of Youngstown Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Consolation Shrine in Carey, Ohio for the Feast of the Assumption has been canceled. Next year’s pilgrimage will be scheduled in August.
FOOD GIVEAWAY: The East Side Church of Christ, 1750 Niles Road SE (state Route 169), Niles, will host a grocery giveaway event 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. The giveaway is open to the public and will be by drive-thru only. People are asked to stay in their vehicles. A registration form will be provided the day of the event and one bag will be provided per vehicle. This event is first-come, first-served until supplies are gone.
CHURCH RESUMES IN PERSON: Austintown Redeemer Lutheran Church, 2305 Canfield Niles Road, will resume in-person worhshop at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
CHURCH TO REOPEN: Leavittsburg Baptist Church, 4150 Kincaid Road, Warren Township, will reopen 11 a.m. Sunday. The Sunday school classes will resume at a later date.
BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY: Faith Fellowship Church of God, 388 E. Midlothian Blvd., Youngstown, will have services back in the sanctuary at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Wearing of masks is optional.
PROTESTANT SERVICES: Protestant Family Services has received COVID-19 Crisis Relief Funds to assist clients who have been affected by the pandemic. Funds are available for utilities, mortgage payments, rent and life sustaining medications. Agency guidelines will be adhered to and because of limited office space and the required social distancing, clients will be serviced by phone, fax and email. To register, call 330-746-4600. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
NATURE JOURNALING: The Unity Spiritual Centre, 1226 Naylor Lloyd Road, Liberty, will offer Nature Journaling 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. Ongoing Metaphysics, a study group based at the centre, will be virtually hosting Cindy Roode on the subject of nature journaling, which is the practice of recording observations and responses to the natural world around us. She first learned about the process of Nature Journaling at a workshop at Goddard State Park in Pennsylvania in 2016. Materials needed to start are a pen or pencil and paper. The virtual class will be held on www. freeconferencecall (available for tablets, computers or smartphones) and the meeting ID is info69845. For questions, contact Roger Juntunen at 330-883-0977.
HOLY FAMILY SENIOR GROUP: The Holy Family Seniors Group will not meet June through August. The group’s leadership is hoping to be able to resume meetings in September.
SERIES CANCELED: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown has canceled all programs for June, July and August. The group’s new season should kick off in September at Avion on the Water in Canfield.
DRIVE- IN STYLE: Bazetta Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on Everett Hull Road is hosting drive-in services 9:30 a.m. Sundays. Bulletins and a sealed communion cup / wafer will be left on a table near the parking lot entrance. Non-perishable food items also are being collected.
Mount Jackson Presbyterian Church, 129 Mount Airy Road, New Castle Pa., is hosting worship drive-in service in the parking lot 11 a.m. Sunday.
First Baptist Church, 2640 S. Canal St., Newton Falls, will conduct drive-in church services 11 a.m. Sundays. Individuals will remain in their cars and tune into 89.3 FM.
FESTIVALS CANCELED: St. Christine Parish has canceled its annual summer festival June 11 to 14 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The festival committee at Christ Our Savior Parish in Struthers also decided to cancel its festival at St. Nicholas Church. Next year, the festival will be held in June.
The festival is still continuing the big raffle this year, with a chance to win $6,000. There will be early bird drawings leading up to the big drawing on June 14. The parish asks people to buy or sell tickets and mail them to the parish office with attention to “Festival Ticket Chairman.”
CHURCH TO REOPEN: The Warren First Presbyterian Church, Mahoning Avenue, will reopen for worship 10 a.m. July 5. The church’s leadership also approved not giving Communion at that time. Sunday worship is now offered through the radio broadcast at 1570 AM or on Facebook.
ISRAEL TRIP: The Church at Warren in Bazetta is planning a “Best of Israel” trip Sept. 8 to 17. The 10-day tour includes visits to the Sea of Galilee, Israel, Jerusalem, the Holocaust Museum and Bethlehem. For information, call David Natale at 330-638-2959 or ndavid123@hotmail.com The trip is through Pilgrim Tours.
MEN OF FAITH: The Men of Faith will not be having the First Saturday Breakfast indoors at the restaurant in the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport for the months of June and July because of social distancing guidelines. Plans have been finalized with official approval to go outdoors with an open praise on Courthouse Square in Warren 9 a.m. June 27. There will be music along with testimonies and prayer. GUests should bring a lawn chair.
METAPHYSICS OFFERED: The Unity Church Centre in Liberty will be offering Ongoing Metaphysics classes virtually 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. June 16 and 23 featuring a conversation, discussion and chanting mantras. If interested, download the app from www.freeconferencecall .com and enter the meeting ID, info69845. For more information, email rdjuntunen@ gmail.com or call 330-883-0977.
BASEMENT OUTREACH: Since the coronavirus started, Basement Outreach Ministries in Warren has been helping to provide food and other items to more than 500 families. In April, there were 344 people helped and in March it was over 500. Basement Outreach Ministries is designed to provide groceries or urgent supplies, or delivery of these, a meal (prepared or boxed/bagged),prayer for themselves or someone else, and / or homeless assistance. Call 234-806-4022 oremail basement805terraalta@gmail.com for assistance.
Monetary and food donations are needed to help the organization. The Basement Outreach Ministries is a tax-exempt organization.
VBS ONLINE: Howland United Methodist Church, 730 Howland Wilson Road, will be offering a quarantined friendly Vacation Bible School June 22 to 26 virtually on Facebook and on the church’s website.
To submit an item for religion section email to religion@tribto day.com. Items are needed by Wednesday for the Saturday paper.