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Peace Light makes trek to Valley on Monday

Locations in the area being sought to host the international candle

YOUNGSTOWN — The Peace Light from Bethlehem will he here Monday.

It will be brought to JMJ Spiritual Connection, 3408 Canfield Road, Cornersburg, by the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from St. Christine Church at 5:30 p.m. for a short outdoor ceremony.

The light will be hosted there for the public to receive through Christmas Eve during normal business hours. Call the store at 330-270-5657 for details.

For more than 29 years the Peace Light from Bethlehem has been spread throughout Europe by the cooperation of the Austrian Broadcasting Company – ORF (Linz), Austrian Airlines and the Austrian Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.

Beginning in 2000, it has been flown to the United States and was taken to Ground Zero in New York in 2002. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions in the United States and in Europe, the 2020 International Peace Light cannot be flown to the United States.

But Scouter Bob Granchie, a member of the Youngstown Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting and the Whispering Pines District Chaplain in Mahoning County, has maintained the 2019 International Peace Light at his home since last year.

The Peace Light is a continuous flame and originates in the grotto where the Christ child was born in Bethlehem and is delivered by a young Austrian child to the Austrian Airlines where it is placed in two blast proof miners lamps and flown from Tel Aviv, Israel to Vienna, Austria. Here the light is then distributed throughout 20 European countries and overseas, including North America, via land routes and the Austrian Airlines as a symbol of peace.

This year, Granchie will take the light to the Great Trail Council Scout Shop, 4500 Hudson Drive in Stow, for a 9:30 a.m. outdoor ceremony open to the public. Anyone wishing to receive the Peace Light in Stow should bring a windproof candle or lantern to receive the light and a message of peace.

On Monday, the light will be in Cornersburg.

Individuals and organizations of all faiths are invited to bring a windproof candle or lantern to receive the Nativity of Bethlehem flame and take it back to their place of worship in order to provide this Peace Light to their own congregations to commemorate the Christmas season or take home for their own personal use for the holidays.

The Great Trail Council is looking for additional locations to host the Peace Light to make it available to more people in the community. It would require only that you give it a suitable place of residence within your location. Any ceremonies, rites or programs may be performed at your option.

Contact Mike Kupec, Mahoning and Trumbull County Peace Light coordinator, for information, questions or to offer to host. Reach him at 330-519-3988 or mike.kupec@gmail.com or Bob Granchie at bob granchie@sbcglobal.net.

Peace Light details and more information can be found at www.peacelight northamerica.org or the Peace Light – North America Facebook page.

news@tribtoday.com

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