“Just like Stan Hywet is known as ‘Akron’s Tudor Masterpiece,’ we hope that the community will come to know Holy Trinity for its distinctive architecture, stained-glass windows and history,” said John Stefanik, who chairs the church’s Renaissance Committee. “We want people to appreciate the architecture and the history and, at the same time, we want them to be aware of our commitment to make a difference in the community.”

Rendered in the Late Gothic Revival style (influenced by the cathedrals of France), Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has stood on the same foundation at 50 N. Prospect for 100 years.

On Saturday, the congregation will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the laying of the church cornerstone. The 3 p.m. service will include a rededication of the cornerstone and remarks by Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, leader of the Northeast Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

The commemoration, scheduled on the exact day — June 22 — of the laying of the cornerstone in 1913, will incorporate some of the same music and scriptures that were shared a century ago. It also will include a send-off of church youth and chaperones leaving for a mission trip in Queens, N.Y.; a fellowship dinner; self-guided tours of the sanctuary; video and photo exhibits and a display of items found in the 100-year-old time capsule buried inside the cornerstone.

Among those items are a Lutheran book of worship, a promotional brochure for the city of Akron, copies of the Akron Beacon Journal, Akron Press and Akron Times and a small New Testament Bible dated 1838.

“This little Bible is really fascinating because it makes you wonder what the story is behind it. Did it come to the church with someone? Why did the people during that time decide to put it in the time capsule? We don’t know the story behind the Bible, but we know it was included for a reason,” said the Rev. Eileen Woyen, Trinity’s associate pastor. “It’s just a neat thing to be able to see some of the things that were important to this congregation 100 years ago.”

Holy Trinity traces its roots to June 1866 and counts Akron notables John F. Seiberling, Charles Miller and J.H. Hower as founding members.

The church, incorporated in 1882, originally was located on South Prospect Street, near Mill Street. It relocated to its current site in 1913, two years after the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. purchased the South Prospect property to expand its freight yard.

Cleveland architect John W.C. Corbusier designed the North Prospect Street building. The church’s facade has a recessed portal and rose window between octagonal towers topped with spires. Its floor plan is shaped like a cross, and it features a soaring vaulted ceiling and the high, stained-glass cathedral windows of the French-Gothic Revival.

The sanctuary was refurbished in 2006 as part of a five-year, $2 million renovation of the church building. In addition to the sanctuary makeover, the project included the replacement of the slate roof, the redesign and improvement of public access to the building and the construction of a memorial garden.

The 26 iron chandeliers, which date to 1914, are the work of Samuel Yellin, the master metalsmith from Philadelphia who was commissioned for the ironwork at Stan Hywet Hall.

Trinity’s original pipe organ was a gift of the Seiberling family in 1914. Its present organ, built by Berghaus Organ Co. of Bellwood, Ill., in 1983, is used by world-renowned musicians who play during Trinity’s popular organ recital series. The series typically attracts thousands of people.

In addition to offering the free music series, Holy Trinity’s congregation is involved in several outreach and service-based programs, including Family Promise, Open M, St. Bernard’s hot-meal programs and Good Neighbors of Akron. Through the initiatives, the congregation helps provide shelter, meals, clothing and employment assistance to those in need.

Holy Trinity’s mission statement is “to bring Jesus to the people through love and the word of God.” It offers Sunday worship services at 8:30 and 11 a.m.; Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m.

“While we have a rich history and want to celebrate our past, we also want to celebrate the fact that we are moving into the future as a faith community that wants to make a positive difference in our neighborhood and city,” said Sandy DeLuca, chairman of the Centennial Cornerstone Celebration committee.

For more information about the church or to reserve a spot for the dinner, call 330-376-5154 or visit www.trinity
akron.org.

Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at https://twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.

Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby exchanged warm words at the Vatican even as they acknowledged that relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion had historically been, as the pontiff put it, “not without pain.”

The Anglican Communion has its origins in the split from Rome by Henry VIII of England, who sought to divorce the first of his six wives but was refused papal permission.

Francis, a lifelong cleric, and Welby, a former oil executive, were installed as heads of their respective churches in March, within two days of each other. Both have said that they neither wanted nor sought their current jobs, which were thrust on them by others.

Together they are the spiritual leaders of nearly 1.2 billion Christians, 1.1 billion of whom are Catholics. The Anglicans include members of the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Although the two denominations have made a push in recent years for greater dialogue and common cause, tensions bubbled over again in 2009 when then-Pope Benedict XVI offered theologically conservative Anglican priests and congregations a path, in effect, to defect to Rome.

Francis said Friday that he was grateful “for the sincere efforts the Church of England has made to understand” the reasons for his predecessor’s controversial move, which angry Anglicans saw as little more than a divide-and-conquer ploy.

Welby also reached out with emollient words and an acknowledgment that strife between the two churches was a poor witness to a common faith.

“It is only as the world sees Christians growing visibly in unity that it will accept through us the divine message of peace and reconciliation,” he said.

Since taking office, the two men have found themselves singing from the same hymn book on at least two issues: materialism and marriage. Both have condemned what they see as a growing culture of uncaring capitalism and greed that scorns society’s weakest members, and both have spoken out against same-sex marriage, which Britain is on the verge of making legal.

“Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor, so that they are not abandoned to the laws of an economy that seems at times to treat people as mere consumers,” the pope said.

Besides his meeting with Francis, Welby visited the tomb of St. Peter beneath the monumental basilica named for the apostle in Vatican City, and prayed at the tomb of Pope John Paul II.

The festival, which has been in retirement for 14 years, will feature fresh strawberry desserts, including shortcake, pies and sundaes. Homemade chicken and noodles, sloppy joes and hot dogs will also be among the food choices.

Proceeds from the festival will benefit two of the church’s outreach ministries — the Sharing Center Food Bank and the Transition House. The house provides temporary housing for those in need. Festival-goers who donate canned food items will receive a discount on purchases.

Parking is free. The church is at state Routes 94 and 162 in Medina County. For more information, call 330-239-1340 or go to www.stpaulsharoncenter.com.

In other religion news:

Events

Faith Temple Church of the Living God — 701 Sylvan Ave., Akron. 11 a.m. Sunday. Father’s Day concert. Guest soloist is Paula Smith. 330-724-6823.

First United Methodist Church — 245 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls. 7 a.m. Friday. Eighth annual Walter “Bud” Mills Golf Outing will be held at Brookledge Golf Club, 1621 Bailey Road, Cuyahoga Falls. Registration, range and refreshments, 7 to 8 a.m. A shotgun start will begin play at 8 a.m. Beverages available on the course, dinner at noon. $75 per person, $300 per foursome, or $15 for dinner only. For more information and a registration form, go to www.firstchurchofcf.
com. Proceeds benefit Epworth Youth Choir. Cart, hole and prize sponsors needed. Call Hubert Hopkins at 330-688-3553.

Manchester United Methodist Church — 5625 Manchester Road, New Franklin. 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday. Gospel Bluegrass Jam on the third Friday of each month. Bring your favorite covered dish to share for dinner at 7:30 p.m. Donations welcome. 330-882-4818.

Mogadore Christian Church — 106 S. Cleveland Ave., Mogadore. 5 to 7 p.m. today. Swiss steak dinner. Includes mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, applesauce, rolls, beverage and dessert. Adults $8, ages 5-12 $4, age 4 and under free. No dinners in July and August. 330-628-3344.

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church — 180 Edward Ave., Akron. 6 p.m. June 22. Celebrating the fourth pastoral anniversary of the Rev. Robert J. Evans. Concert featuring the sanctuary choir. Anniversary service at 11 a.m. June 23. The Rev. John A. Evans Sr. from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, Fla., will be the speaker. The Rev. Tony Ward of Mount Zion Baptist Church will be speaker for the 4 p.m. service. Dinner served after morning service. Colors for the day are purple, black and white. 330-376-6378.

Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist Church — 844 Garth Ave., Akron. 6 p.m. today. Annual Father-Son Banquet in Fellowship Hall. Songs of praise by the male chorus. Keynote speaker will be Russel C. Neal Jr., Akron Ward 4 councilman and a member of the Deacon Board. 330-762-4997.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church — 515 48th St. NW, Canton. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. Community spaghetti/lasagna dinner. Choice of salad or applesauce, Italian bread and butter, drink and dessert. Meatless sauce available, as well as carryout orders. Adults $8, ages 4-12 $3. Free gas gift cards for three diners. Also 50-50 drawing. 330-499-2662.

Wooster Avenue Church of Christ — 1147 Vernon Odom Blvd., Akron. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 22. Snack lunch and clothing giveaway. First-come, first served. All sizes when available. 330-762-7301.

Vacation Bible Schools

Community Christian Church (Disciples) — 210 N. Main St., North Canton. 6 to 8 p.m. June 24-27. Everywhere Fun Fair Vacation Bible School. Age 3 through grade 5. Interactive Bible fun and music, science, crafts, games and more. To register, call 330-499-5458 or online at www.northcantonccc.org.

Cottage Grove Evangelical Congregational Church — 3133 Cottage Grove Road, Coventry Township. 6 to 8:45 p.m. June 24-28. Age 2 through grade 6 are invited. Each session includes an evening meal. Closing program at 8:15 p.m. June 28. 330-644-5616.

First Freedom Baptist Church — 2171 Tallmadge Road, Brimfield Township. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Vacation Bible School. Theme is Barn Yard Blast. For ages 5-12. Earn Baptist Bucks (play money) during the week to spend at the carnival, 2 to 4 p.m. June 22. 330-673-0997.

Trinity United Church of Christ — 3909 Blackburn Road NW, Plain Township. 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. All Things New: God’s Great Creation Vacation Bible School for age 4 through grade 6. Crafts, recreation, stories, music and more. Free and open to all. To register, call 330-492-3383.

The deadline for Religion Notes is noon Tuesday. Items must be in writing. Please fax information to 330-996-3033, email it to religion@thebeacon
journal.com or send it to Religion, Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron OH 44309.

The popular priest from Akron, known as “Father Sam,” requested retirement for health reasons in a letter dated May 10 to Bishop Richard G. Lennon. Lennon granted Ciccolini’s request on May 20, according to Robert Tayek, spokesman for the diocese.

Ciccolini, 70, was released from federal prison in April, after serving a six-month sentence for cheating on his taxes and committing bank fraud in 2003.

Ciccolini could not be reached for comment.

His official status is “senior priest retired,” Tayek said.

“As a priest, he is prohibited from public ministry and administering the sacraments, unless there is an imminent danger of death,” Tayek said. “He can say Mass privately [with no one present].”

Ciccolini founded Interval Brotherhood Home in 1970 in Coventry Township. He headed the residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility until retiring in December 2010 amid legal woes. He initially stepped away from his post as executive director in July 2010, but continued as a counselor until his retirement as executive director.

In his retirement as a priest, Ciccolini will continue to reside at Immaculate Conception in Akron, where he will pay room and board. He will receive health benefits and his pension from the diocese.

Markos will explore the lives of Lewis and Tolkien from 2 to 4 p.m. June 15 at the Root Café, 852 W. Bath Road, Cuyahoga Falls. The cafe is inside Northampton United Methodist Church.

At 7 p.m. Markos will present his perspective of how Tolkien’s work The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings embody a biblical understanding of both virtue and vice at Riverwood Community Chapel, 1407 Fairchild Ave., Kent. His speech, called Tolkien’s Christian Vision: Virtue and Vice in the Middle-Earth, will explore Tolkien’s handling of the virtues of courage, temperance, wisdom, justice, faith, hope and love and his presentation of evil as corruption and perversion of good.

On June 16, Markos will return to Northampton United Methodist Church where he will deliver a sermon based on Lewis’ view of sin during the 11:10 a.m. worship service.

After the service, from 1 to 3 p.m., he will present a re-enactment and commentary of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Those attending are invited to bring a picnic lunch to eat while he performs.

Markos’ local visit is sponsored by International Friendship Connection, a group of volunteers from nine local churches.

The organization’s mission is to reach out and provide support to the international students in the Akron area. For more information about International Friendship Connection, send an email to ifc@riverwoodchapel.org.

To date, it’s far from the mass defection that some conservatives had predicted before the vote by the BSA’s National Council. But the exodus could soon swell, depending on the outcome of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting next week in Houston.

Baptist leaders say the agenda is likely to include a resolution encouraging SBC-affiliated churches to phase out their sponsorships of Scout units.

“I would bet there would be a resolution expressing disappointment with the Boy Scouts’ decision and calling on Southern Baptist churches to prepare for the need for alternatives,” said the Rev. Russell Moore, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

“How quickly that happens will probably differ from congregation to congregation,” Moore said. “I do think most Southern Baptists see the Boy Scouts moving in a direction that’s not going to be consistent with our beliefs.”

The Southern Baptists — the largest Protestant denomination in the United States — already have a youth program for boys, the Royal Ambassadors. SBC leaders have suggested it could expand to accommodate boys leaving the Scouts.

According to BSA figures, Baptist churches sponsor Scout units serving about 108,000 of the BSA’s 2.6 million youth members.

While many Baptist churches may be awaiting the outcome of next week’s meeting, some already have decided to break with the BSA.

In Marietta, Ga., pastor Ernest Easley said his Roswell Street Baptist Church is ending its affiliation with Boy Scouts that dates back to 1945.

“I never dreamed I’d have to stand up publicly and say to parents: ‘Pull your kids out of the Boy Scouts,’ ” Easley told Baptist Press, the SBC’s official news agency.

Baptist churches in Elizabethtown and Rineyville, Ky., Helena and Pelham, Ala., and Jacksonville, Ark., also say they’re cutting ties with the BSA.

Among the latest to cut ties was Candlelight Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which announced this week that it would end its charter of a Boy Scout troop at the end of this year.

“We’re a Bible-believing church, and the Boy Scouts have opted to pursue a different moral path,” said the associate pastor, Buck Storm. “It’s a sad time for us.”

In all, about 70 percent of the 116,000 Scout units in the United States are sponsored by religious organizations.

Some are liberal denominations that welcomed the change of policy on gay youths and want the Boy Scouts to go further by lifting the still-intact ban on gays serving as adult leaders. But some of the largest sponsors are relatively conservative churches that had long supported the Scouts’ no-gays policy, and have been wrestling with how to respond to the May 23 vote.

To the relief of BSA leaders, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has said it accepts the new youth policy and will not cut ties. The Mormons sponsor more Scout units than any other organization, serving about 430,000 boys.

The United Methodist Church, the second-largest sponsor serving about 363,000 boys, has shied away from official endorsement or rejection of the BSA policy change. Some individual Methodist leaders have been critical, while the General Commission on United Methodist Men, which oversees the denomination’s youth programs, says it will continue to support scouting.

Similar divisions have surfaced within the Roman Catholic Church, the third-largest Scout sponsor serving about 273,000 youths.

The Amish, a 500-page overview of the Christian followers known for traditional dress and the use of horse-and-buggy transportation, identified 40 distinct groups and a variety of permitted practices.

“They may all look alike on the outside from an external perspective, but the fact of the matter is there are over 2,000 different ways of expressing Amishness in terms of daily practice,” said co-author Don Kraybill, senior fellow at Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.

The researchers found that more traditional Amish have families of nine or 10 children, while comparatively progressive families are just over half that size, suggesting some are using birth control.

“Couples in more liberal communities, shaped by the modern impulse to control the circumstances of one’s life, are more likely to practice family planning, whether by natural or artificial methods,” according to the book.

While many outsiders may view the Amish as monolithic, the study found sharp differences in such matters as civic engagement, farming practices and the use of modern technology.

At Lancaster Central Market, Amish woman Lydia King said she has seen differences even within her 30-family church group in New Providence, farmland about 12 miles from the busy county seat.

“I wouldn’t say one church is more traditional than another,” she said, tending a plant seedling stand last week. “It goes by the family.”

Amish are defined as using a horse and buggy, worshiping in their homes and speaking a German dialect. Local church groups of a few dozen families determine congregational lifestyle rules and there is no single authority that brings together the 2,056 churches located in 30 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario.

When young people get to their late teens or early 20s, they must decide whether to remain in the church and adopt its austere rules, and the researchers found more traditional Amish families currently experience defection rates of less than 6 percent, compared to about half of the children of the most progressive Amish.

More conservative Amish tend to live in more secluded places, and their lifestyle restrictions can make the outside world seem distant and intimidating, Kraybill said. More progressive families lead lives that are not much different than Amish-type groups that permit cars, making it a shorter leap for their children to leave.

Reuben Lapp, working at a grass-fed beef stand in the Lancaster market, said his congregation is comparatively traditional, banning cellphones but allowing the use of landline phones. He said mass cultural depictions of Amish can be too simplistic.

“They take one thing and say, ‘That’s Amish,”’ Lapp said. “Everybody’s different, even from one family to the next.”

Kraybill said he came to the same conclusion — some families follow rules strictly, while others tend to test the boundaries.

On traditional dairy farms, farmers might milk about a dozen head by hand, while other Amish use mechanical means to maintain herds that are 10 times larger. The breakdown also is reflected in the use of outside drivers for transportation needs and whether the congregations prohibit telephone use or allow individuals to have cellphones.

There are also divisions about the use of kerosene lamps on carriages as opposed to LED or flashing lights, indoor versus outdoor toilets, and whether children can access social media and other modern technology. Even their buggy designs can vary.

The researchers identified about 2,000 private Amish schools with total enrollment of roughly 55,000 children, the oldest in eighth grade. Data from two states, Indiana and Iowa, showed Amish students outperforming the state average in standardized tests.

The book and updated figures on Amish population were released ahead of a major international conference on the Amish and technology at Elizabethtown College, located about 20 miles southeast of Harrisburg in Lancaster County, the traditional heartland of Amish farming in the United States.

The Young Center found about 500 families each year are moving across state lines, with New York, Kentucky and Ohio seeing the largest influx. There are currently some 282,000 Amish in North America, a growth of about 20 percent over the past five years.

Ohio and Pennsylvania are basically tied for the largest Amish populations, at about 65,000, followed by Indiana, Wisconsin, New York and Michigan.

Seven states have only one Amish settlement: Delaware, Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.

The researchers do not include groups that drive automobiles, such as Beachy Amish and Amish Mennonites.

King said she has seen outmigration firsthand, and now has close relatives in Wisconsin and elsewhere in Pennsylvania. They write letters to keep in touch.

The openly gay state representative led the fight to legalize same-sex marriage in what may be the most Catholic state in the nation’s most Catholic region.

In early May, Rhode Island became the sixth and final New England state to allow gay couples to marry. The Democratic-dominated Legislature, led by an openly gay House speaker, overcame years of successful lobbying by the Catholic Church.

“They put the fear of God into people,” Ferri said, claiming that “the influence of the church” had been the primary stumbling block as every other neighboring state, and many people across the country, started embracing gay marriage.

Ferri’s victory marked the Catholic Church’s most significant political defeat in an area where more than 40 percent of the population is Catholic.

Perhaps more problematic for the church is that state-by-state setbacks on gay marriage illustrate a widening divide between the church hierarchy and its members that may be undermining Catholic influence in American politics.

Church ‘out of touch’

The disconnect plays out in polling.

In March, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found that a majority of Catholics, 60 percent, felt the church was out of touch with the views of Catholics in America today.

A CBS News/New York Times poll in February found that 78 percent of Catholics said they were more likely to follow their own conscience than the church’s teachings on difficult moral questions.

That poll highlighted several areas where most Catholics break with church teachings: 62 percent of American Catholics think same-sex marriages should be legal, 74 percent think abortion ought to be available in at least some instances and 61 percent favor the death penalty.

At Vatican, newly selected Pope Francis, while a bishop in Argentina, angered other church leaders by supporting civil unions for gay couples ahead of that country’s vote to legalize gay marriage.

He has taken no such position as pope.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of one of the most storied Catholic families in American politics, said she’s encouraged by Francis’ early leadership. But she said the church’s political influence will continue to wane unless it adapts.

“Gay marriage is part of a larger refusal on the part of the church to listen to, and to understand, the people in the pews,” said Townsend, who regularly attends church and wrote the book, Failing America’s Faithful: How Today’s Churches Are Mixing God With Politics and Losing Their Way.

Church officials in Washington, Boston and Providence declined to be interviewed for this report.

Aggressive lobbying

The church for decades has employed aggressive lobbying efforts on a range of political issues, and Catholic leaders have used the power of the pulpit and substantial financial resources to maintain clout. But the church — and its primary voice in America, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — has had little success influencing the gay marriage debate.

As for Ferri, he said he’s at peace with God, regardless of the warnings of the church. A faithful member of his church choir for decades, he recalled sitting alone at the altar while struggling with his homosexuality years ago.

“I got a message from God: ‘You’re going to be OK. Be who you are,’ ” he said during a recent interview in his small office in the Statehouse.

Noting that a church lobbyist would be pushing abortion-related legislation later that day, Ferri said the Catholic Church will always have some political influence in Rhode Island.

“They just picked the wrong battle this time. And I think it hurt them,” he said.

“Where Did Our Bible Come From?” will be presented by the Rev. Matthew Skinner, associate professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. His research and teaching focuses on the Gospels and the Book of Acts; the cultural realities at work in the New Testament and the Bible’s continuing ability to shape the imagination about the nature of God and Christian faith.

Skinner’s first lecture, “Who Decided What Should Be in the Bible?” will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, with a dinner at 5 p.m. The session is designed to give participants a better understanding of the history of the Bible and more knowledge about how to read the Bible, based on its formation. It will include information about how the 37 books of the New Testament were selected.

On Monday, Skinner will present “Why Are There So Many Bibles?” at 7 p.m. The lecture will explore why new versions of the Bible are being produced and what the translators are trying to accomplish.

Skinner helped create the website EnterTheBible.org and is part of the team that creates the Sermon Brainwave podcasts each week on WorkingPreacher.org. He also blogs for Huffington Post Religion and is currently an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Registration for Skinner’s lectures is available online at www.westminsterakron.com or by calling 330-836-2226. Child care will be provided.

In other religion news:

Events

Christ Is The Answer Ministries — 379 E. South St., Akron. 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Encouragement services with the Rev. J. Michael Martin Sr. and the Rev. Carol Wallace and Trinity United Church of Christ. On Friday at 7 p.m., the Divine Intercession Prayer Ministry will host Women of the Bible, portrayed by various women of the community. On June 9 at 4 p.m., the Rev. Samuel Hampton and First Apostolic Faith Church, will be a guest for the Strong and Courageous Conference. 330-376-1869.

Firestone Park United Methodist Church — 250 N. Firestone Blvd., Akron. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 8. Rummage sale. Homemade lunch items served starting at 10 a.m.

Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church — 4700 S. Main St., Green. 6 to 8 p.m. June 10-14. Everywhere Fun Fair: Where God’s World Comes Together. Optional kid-friendly dinner at 5:30 p.m. 330-644-5766.

Mogadore Christian Church — 106 S. Cleveland Ave., Mogadore. 5 p.m. today. Casual/contemporary worship service in the social hall. Light meal, praise, music and a message-related discussion and study time. Singers and musicians welcome to join. Child care available. 330-628-3344.

Queen of Heaven Church — 1800 Steese Road, Green. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. All-you-can-eat pancake breakfast sponsored by the Cub Scouts. $5 per person. Open to the public. At 7 p.m., an outdoor Mass and procession to two altars will be held in celebration of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. A social will follow. Bring a lawn chair. In case of rain, Mass will be inside the church. 330-896-2345.

Phillips Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church — 413 Iroquois Ave., Akron. 10:30 a.m. June 8. Sister Love Brunch as part of Women’s Day. A play entitled That Name will be featured. Produced by Tiajuan Lewis, it depicts some of the many nameless women in the Bible. At 11 a.m. June 9, the Women’s Day Observance will be held. Guest speaker is the Rev. Hope Gibson. 330-784-8964.

Providence Baptist Church — 458 Madison Ave., Akron. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The church youth will have a fundraising dinner. Two pieces of tilapia fish or three pieces of chicken. Choose two among green beans, baked beans, potato salad or coleslaw. Cake and bread included. $8 each. Will deliver with minimum of four orders. 330-253-3932.

St. John Christian Methodist Episcopal Church — 1233 S. Hawkins Ave., Akron. 9 a.m. June 8. Women’s Day Festival. Table rental $20. Food, music, clothing and household items. 330-864-3060.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church — 515 48th St NW, Canton. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Seniors’ Social Hour is held the first Thursday of each month. Games and casual conversation. Coffee, tea, water and punch. No fee, all are welcome. Seniors may come on their own or accompanied by a friend, relative or caregiver. 330-497-2262.

St. Sebastian Parish — 476 Mull Ave., Akron. 1 p.m. today. Year of Faith Pilgrimage Walk. Includes members from St. Vincent, St. Bernard and St. Mary parishes. Free event, rain or shine. Meet at Zwisler Hall parking lot. A bus will transport walkers to St. Mary’s Parish for a prayer service and the start of the walk, before proceeding to the other churches for prayer and reflection and then returning to St. Sebastian. A 4:30 p.m. Mass will be celebrated. The walk will take about two and half hours. 330-836-2233.

Solid Rock Christian Fellowship Baptist Church — 1316 Kentucky Ave., Akron. 4 p.m. each Sunday in June. Celebrating the sixth pastoral appreciation of the Rev. Aulden R. Knight Sr. On Sunday, guests will be the Rev. Paul Watson and Livingstone Baptist Church in Barberton. On June 9, it will be the Rev. John P. Hosea and North Hill Community Baptist Church; June 16, the Rev. Horace Drake and Good Shepherd Baptist Church; June 23, the Rev. Eugene Norris and Mountain of the Lord Fellowship; and June 30, the Rev. Derwood Lockett of Derwood Lockett Ministries. 330-990-7542.

Unity Chapel of Light — 503 Northwest Ave., Tallmadge. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and June 8. Flea market/rummage sale. Furniture, housewares, books, music, toys, clothes, shoes and more. Free-will offering basis. Food and beverages available. From 9 a.m. to noon June 8, there will be a carnival for kids with a bounce house, face painting, games, crafts and balloons. 330-928-2108.

Performances

Grace United Church of Christ — 13275 Cleveland Ave. NW, Lake Township. 7 to 8 p.m. June 8. Elvis impersonator Jay “Lonnie” Freeman will perform a Tribute to the King free community concert on the front lawn of the church. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating. No alcohol. It will be moved inside in case of inclement weather. Concession stand opens at 6:15 p.m. with hot dogs, chips, bottled water, pop and cookies. Profits benefit the soup kitchen. 330-699-3255.

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church — 50 N. Prospect St., Akron. 7 p.m. Thursday. Westminster College Bell Choir, from Princeton, N.J., and conducted by Kathleen Ebling Shaw, will perform. Free-will offering. 3390-376-5154.

Oak Hill Presbyterian Church — 2406 Ardwell Ave., Akron. 3 p.m. Sunday. Free handbell concert with the church’s handbell choir called Ringing Through the Seasons: A Year in the Life of a Handbell. Refreshments served in the fellowship hall after the program. Free-will offering. 330-784-2432.

St. Columba Cathedral — 159 W Rayen Ave., Youngstown. 6 p.m. June 9. The Diocese of Youngstown will celebrate its patronal feast day with evening prayer and a concert in the cathedral. Evening prayer will feature the cathedral choir, and at 6:30 p.m. the Caritus Fractus Recorder Consort and the Harmony String Quartet will present a concert of light chamber music. A strawberry social will follow immediately in St. Columba Hall. Free and open to the public. 330-744-5233.

Speakers, classes,

workshops

New Life Episcopal Church — 13118 Church Ave., Lake Township. 7 p.m. Wednesday. “Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters,” a workshop presented by the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater East Ohio Chapter. Learn the differences between Alzheimer’s and typical aging, recognize warnings signs and the process of diagnosis. 330-699-3554.

Vacation Bible Schools

Mount Haven Baptist Church — 545 Noble Ave., Akron. 6 to 8 p.m. June 10-14. Annual Vacation Bible School will be held. Theme is Jesus Family Reunion. Classes available for all ages. 330-253-2923.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church — 317 E. Liberty St., Medina. 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 10-14. A Vacation Bible School called We Love to Tell Stories will be held. For ages 3-11. Songs, teamwork-building games, treats and Bible stories. Kids should bring a canned food item each day to feed the hungry. The week will conclude with a special children’s service on June 16 with a program and picnic. For information and registration form, call 330-725-4131.

The deadline for Religion Notes is noon Tuesday. Items must be in writing. Please fax information to 330-996-3033, email it to religion@thebeaconjournal.com or send it to Religion, Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron OH 44309.

“We are mission oriented, not building oriented. The people involved in our congregation covenant to be part of a small group and each small group is focused on a mission that furthers our overall goal, which is also our mission statement — ‘Reaching Everyone with the Love of Christ for Worship and Relationship,’ ” said Bobb, pastor of Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Western Reserve.

The congregation is inviting community members to an open house at its new (and first) church building, located at 1981 Graham Road (on the Stow City Center campus, adjacent to City Hall). The event, which will run from noon to 2:30 p.m. next Saturday, includes a free lunch, tours and activities. A special dedication worship service will begin at 3 p.m., followed by a cake reception.

Bobb and about five other Stow and Kent residents — all who left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America because of theological differences — established Resurrection in 2009. The group initially met at Bobb’s home and eventually moved to the community room at the Stow Safety Service Center. In December, the congregation purchased its current building from Bill Monbeck Realty Inc.

The realty company had converted the building — originally built as the church home of the Stow Calvary Chapel — into office space. Resurrection bought the building (which had been empty for about two years) for $175,000, according to Summit County property records. The congregation is renovating the worship space.

Charlotte Hiller, whose family was part of the Calvary Chapel congregation, is elated that the building is again home to a church. Hiller, along with other family members, attended a worship service at Resurrection shortly after the congregation moved in.

“It was quite an experience to go in and see that building again. It was a reminder of what we started a long time ago,” said Hiller, 75. “The members built that church with their own hands. I remember my father coming home from work at B.F. Goodrich at about 1 o’clock. He’d have lunch and then head over to the church to help dig the footers. The members back then put their hearts and souls and faith into that building.

“Now, there is another group of very faithful people in there,” Hiller said. “My heart will always be with that church because I have such fond memories. We were a family — we worked together, played together, ate together and worshipped together. It was disappointing when the church sat empty, but the warmth is back.”

Resurrection is affiliated with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (www.lcmc.net). The LCMC denomination was founded in 2001, in response to an agreement between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Episcopal Church. The agreement — Called to Common Mission — established full communion between the two denominations and represented what some in the Lutheran church considered a move toward the left.

Since then, LCMC has accepted some of the congregations that left the ELCA. Other disassociated congregations have become part of the North American Lutheran Church, which was formed shortly after a vote in 2009 by ELCA leadership to allow gays to serve as clergy.

Bishop’s response

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, who presides over the Cuyahoga Falls-based Northeastern Ohio Synod of the ELCA, said she wishes the new congregation well. Before founding Resurrection, Bobb served in the local synod.

“I hope that God blesses their ministry and that they preach the gospel because the world needs to hear about Jesus,” Eaton said.

Sharon Gsellman, one of the founders of Resurrection, said the small congregation, which attracts about 30 people to its 10 a.m. Sunday worship services, is focused on walking in faith.

“We believe God has a purpose for us being in the middle of the city. We are trying to discern what God is calling us to do and to fulfill that mission,” Gsellman said. “We are a small group of people who think God’s way works. Our strength is in our loving people. We really want to get to know people, love them, support them and encourage them to grow in their faith.”

In addition to its worship service, the church offers Sunday School at 9 a.m. A youth group, for students in middle school and high school, meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays and activities for elementary school-age children are offered twice a month on Thursdays. Vacation Bible School, co-sponsored by Stow Community United Church of Christ, is 9 a.m. to noon June 17-21. The church also plans to offer Financial Peace University in the fall.

For more information about Resurrection, call 330-689-1045 or visit its Facebook page.

Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at https://twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.

The hourlong session, called “Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters,” will include an explanation and examples of warning signs of Alzheimer’s and related dementia; benefits of early detection and early diagnosis and research updates. It will be presented by the Greater East Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Those in attendance will also learn the differences between Alzheimer’s and typical aging.

The deadline to reserve a spot for the workshop is Wednesday. To register, call 330-699-3554. More information about the church can be found at www.cometonewlife.org.

In other religion news:

Events

The Chapel, Green Campus — 1800 Raber Road, Green. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 1. There will be a special 10-year anniversary celebration. A picnic, live entertainment and kids’ games are included. It will be open to the community. 330-315-5911.

Christ Is The Answer Ministries — 379 E. South St., Akron. 4 p.m. Sunday. Bless the Lord worship service with speaker Phyllis Alexander of World Harvest Christian Church. At 7 p.m. Friday, the Rev. Bryndon Glass and Shepherd’s Pasture for All Nations Ministries will be featured guests for a worship service. 330-376-1869.

Diocese of Youngstown — at St. Columba Cathedral, 159 W. Rayen Ave., Youngstown. 2 p.m. June 2. The Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family Life will sponsor a wedding celebration to honor couples observing their 25th, 40th, 50th or over anniversaries in 2013. Couples planning to attend should register at their parish. A second similar celebration will be held on Oct. 20 at St. John the Baptist Parish in Canton. 330-744-8451.

Family of Faith United Methodist Church — 800 E. Market St., Akron. 5 to 6:30 p.m. June 7. Creamed chicken/biscuits and Swiss steak dinner. Adults $9, ages 4-12 $5. Carryout available. 330-376-2141.

Good Shepherd Baptist Church — 853 Copley Road, Akron. Annual Women & Men Day services on Sunday. At 11 a.m., the Women Day speaker will be Tivoli Smith of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church. At 4 p.m., the Men Day guests will be the Rev. Joseph Harkless, and choirs and congregation from Mount Calvary Baptist Church. 330-762-6795.

Greater Bethel Baptist Church — 404 S. Arlington St., Akron. Celebrating the 12th pastoral anniversary of the Rev. Melford J. Elliott at three services Sunday. The Rev. James Elliott, pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., will speak during the 8 a.m. service. The Rev. Charles Elliott, pastor of King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church — also in Louisville — will speak during the 11 a.m. service. And the Rev. Leroy Elliott, pastor of New Greater St. John Community Church in Chicago, Ill., will speak at 4 p.m. Colors are linen, white and yellow. 330-724-0718.

Interval Brotherhood Home — at Fairlawn Country Club, 200 N. Wheaton Road, Fairlawn. The IBH 27th Annual Golf Outing will be held June 24. Luncheon, golf, hors d’oeuvres and prizes. Sponsorship opportunities available from $150 to $15,000. 330-644-4095, ext. 306.

Manchester United Methodist Church — 5625 Manchester Road, New Franklin. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 1. Flea Market & Spring Fair. Bounce house, games and raffle baskets. Concessions available, baked goods and more. Also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the third annual Cruz-In Car Show will be held. All makes, models and years welcome to participate. Motorcycles will not be judged. Registration $5. For information on either event, call 330-882-4818.

Maranatha Church — 14289 Edison St., Alliance. 10 a.m. Sunday. Memorial Day service, presenting The Soldiers of History. This is a live performance, not a movie. It goes from the Revolutionary War up to Afghanistan. For all ages. Free. 330-877-1046.

Phillips Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church — 413 Iroquois Ave., Akron. 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Women’s Day Revival will be both nights. Theme is Women of Prayer, Praise and Purpose. The Rev. Charlotte Wade will give the sermons. The Arlington Youth Choir will perform Thursday and pianist Esterline Jones on Friday. 330-784-8964,

Queen of Heaven Church — 1800 Steese Road, Green. 8:30 a.m. Monday. Outdoor Memorial Day Mass will be celebrated in the pavilion, weather permitting. It is a tribute to our fallen servicemen and women and all our deceased. A doughnut social will follow. 330-896-2345.

St. Mark Lutheran Church — 158 North Ave., Tallmadge. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and June 1. Annual Rummage and Bake Sale. Treasures, baked goods and food available. Cash only. Open to all. 330-633-3718.

Performances

New Beginning Fellowship Church — 4567 state Route 43, Brimfield Township. 6 p.m. today. Nora Hunt’s Southern Gospel Singing will host New Prophet’s Quartet from Nitro, W.Va., and The Andersons from North Olmsted. 330-673-0700.

Trinity Lutheran Church — 600 S. Water St., Kent. 3 p.m. Sunday. The Trinity chancel and cantate choirs and ringers will present Marching Order, a program of Civil War music with narration using words of Abraham Lincoln. The concert pays homage to the 150th anniversary commemorations of the Civil War and Emancipation Proclamation. Patriotic, marching and folk songs as well as spirituals will be presented, including audience participation songs. Re-enactments presented by Denny Reiser. Program is in the Great Hall of Trinity and is free. 330-673-5445.

Speakers, classes,
workshops

Community Fellowship Ministries — 951 Virginia Ave., Akron. 1 to 5 p.m. June 13. A Building Community workshop will be held. It is designed to enhance knowledge and skill base of social workers, community outreach workers, educators and nonprofit, human service and faith-based organizations. Cost is $50 per person. Facilitator is author Lathardus Goggins II. Contact Earl Thomas at 330-724-2454.

First Friday Club of Greater Akron — at University of Akron Quaker Station, 135 S. Broadway. Noon June 7. Akron native Ann Amer Brennan, an attorney, community leader and philanthropist, will address the topic The Joy of Philanthropy: What Could Be More Fun Than Giving Money Away. Cost of the luncheon is $15. Doors open at 11:15 a.m. 330-535-7668.

Trinity United Church of Christ — 3909 Blackburn Road NW, Plain Township. 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday in June. A four-week class, Exploring the Text Under the Text: An Introduction to Biblical Greek, will be offered by the Rev. Kristen Caldwell. It will examine various translations in English and provide lessons in beginning Greek. Free and open to all. To register or for more information, call 330-492-3383.

Westminster Presbyterian Church — 1250 W. Exchange St., Akron. 6 p.m. June 2 and 7 p.m. June 3. Matthew L. Skinner, associate professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., will speak on Where Did Our Bible Come From? Free dinner at 5 p.m. June 2. The public is welcome. 330-836-2226.

The deadline for Religion Notes is noon Tuesday. Items must be in writing. Please fax information to 330-996-3033, email it to religion@thebeaconjournal.com or send it to Religion, Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron OH 44309

So, it is fitting that as he looks back over the 49 years of his priesthood, he recites the lyrics of Mahalia Jackson’s If I Can Help Somebody, hoping they reflect what his legacy will be.

“If I can help somebody, as I pass along; if I can cheer somebody, with a word or song; if I can show somebody, how they’re traveling wrong, then my living shall not be in vain. If I can do my duty, as a good man ought; if I can bring back beauty, to a world up wrought; if I can spread love’s message, as the Master taught, then my living shall not be in vain,” recalled Kraker, who is retiring as pastor of Akron’s St. Vincent de Paul Parish, effective June 9.

The people in the parish community have come to know Kraker as a good man who is dedicated to helping anyone in need. As they prepare for his departure, they echo sentiments of love for all that he has done to help them grow spiritually.

“He has such a warm, inviting personality and an amazing storytelling ability that helps the kids — and us adults — embrace their faith and make better sense of what it all means. He truly lives his faith and is a great example of how to live a Christian life,” said Pierre Ferrer, after attending Kraker’s final all-school Mass this week.

Ferrer is a 1984 graduate of St Vincent Elementary School who (along with his wife, Sonji) has three children currently enrolled at the school — Tristan, 5; Marcel, 7 and Dominique, 13.

“Father Kraker has had a tremendous impact on this parish,” Ferrer said. “It’s difficult to put into words how much he means to this parish, but I can tell you that he will be sorely missed.”

Kraker came to the parish in Akron’s West Hill community 18 years ago. Under his leadership, the parish built a new family center, which includes a gymnasium; razed the old high school and convent buildings; cleaned the surface of the church building, which had been dirtied by industrial smoke; installed air conditioning and expanded the school and playground.

Eileen Halaiko, who is now retired, worked as the parish secretary during most of Kraker’s tenure as pastor of St. Vincent. She describes him as a man who exudes peace.

“He is very pastoral. I never saw him get angry or rattled about anything. No matter who comes to him and no matter what comes across his desk, he just says ‘OK’ and deals with it,” said Halaiko, who along with her husband, Stephen, has been a parishioner at St. Vincent for nearly 38 years. “There’s just something special about him. He has a kind heart. He sees a need and he finds a way to meet it.”

Both Halaiko and her husband agree that Kraker has a knack for saying something they need to hear during each of his homilies. They said that the songs he shares in his rich baritone voice enhance his delivery.

“We’ve been very blessed to have him here for as long as we have. He’s built a rich tradition of reaching out to the community and building relationships with other faith groups in the community through his affiliation with the West Hill clergy association,” Stephen Halaiko said. “He’s just a great man of faith and it is evident in the way he meets people and greets people.”

Kraker has helped develop relationships in the neighborhood via his three-mile daily walks with his canine companion, Minnie. The mixed lab is the third rescued dog that Kraker has owned since coming to St. Vincent.

“When I’m out, people will come up and ask if they can pet the dog and many times that leads to a conversation,” Kraker said. “Over the years, Minnie, Vinnie and Timmie have helped introduce me to a lot of people, which has helped me with a better understanding of the needs in the community.”

Kraker, an Akron native, grew up at neighboring St. Sebastian Parish. He and three of his classmates from the 1952 (eighth grade) graduating class of the church school – the late Rev. Francis C. LaRocca and the now retired Revs. William D. Karg and David L. McCafferty — were ordained priests on May 23, 1964.

Before his assignment as pastor at St. Vincent’s, Kraker spent 17 years as pastor of the former St. Timothy Parish in Garfield Heights. He also served as chaplain at the former Villa San Bernardo in Bedford and as assistant chancellor and director of communications in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland offices. His first assignment as a priest was as associate pastor at St. Jude Parish in Elyria.

While serving in the diocesan offices, Kraker initiated the television Mass for shut-ins on Cleveland’s Channel 8. Kraker was the main celebrant for the TV Mass from the time it was established in 1968 until 1994. He has also authored two books based on experiences with his previous dog, Vinnie.

Kraker reached the mandatory diocesan retirement age of 75 in March. Although he could have requested to continue serving in active ministry, he said that he knew it was time for a change. The Rev. Timothy J. O’Connor, who currently serves as pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Avon Lake, has been assigned as the new pastor at St. Vincent.

During his retirement, Kraker will live in a private residence and serve where he is needed in the diocese.

“There is no doubt that he has made our parish a better place. He knows how to break down barriers and bond with people,” said Harry A. Tipping, a local attorney and St. Vincent parishioner since 1969. “He’s just a likable, good guy who happens to be a priest. He’s the guy you can call on for anything and we’re going to miss him.”

A celebration to honor Kraker will be 4 to 7 p.m. June 2 in the St. Vincent Family Center gymnasium, 17 S. Maple St., Akron. Messages for Kraker can be posted on the church website (www.stvincentchurch.com) by clicking on the “Memories and Well-Wishes for Fr. Kraker” link.

“Leaving the parish is going to be difficult because I am going to miss the people and the community,” Kraker said. “But, as I leave, I certainly hope that I have done something to empower people to take their rightful place in the church, ministering to those in need.”

Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at https://twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.