El-Bethel convocation

Light of the World Missions will hold its annual Holy Convocation at El-Bethel Assembly, 511 Michigan Ave., Wednesday through July 12.

Sessions are daily at 6 a. m., 10 a. m., 1 p. m. and 7 p. m. Bishop William Henderson is presiding prelate.

Healing Mass set

A healing Mass will be celebrated by the Rev. David A. Bellittiere at 7 p. m. Thursday in St. John Newman Parish at the St. Cecilia site, 991 Centerline Road, Sheldon.

The sacrament of the sick will be offered.

Honors for Urbaniak

Sharon Urbaniak, associate director of religious education for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, will receive the Edward M. Shaughnessy III Serving All God’s Children Inclusion Award for Religious Education at a symposium next Saturday in Louisville, Ky.

Urbaniak’s dedication to people with profound mental and physical difficulties was cited in her receiving the national award. Urbaniak works with the “God’s Family” program, a diocesan faith-formation program for people with special needs and their families using an intergenerational model of faith formation and an events-centered approach.

Elim conference set

“The Theology of Relationships: Building Relationships for Effective Ministry” will be the subject of Turning The World Upside Down Covenant Fellowship’s first convocation and conference July 15 to 17 in Elim Christian Fellowship, 70 Chalmers Ave.

Bishop T. Anthony Bronner, founder of Turning The Word Upside Down Covenant Fellowship, will be a featured speaker. Registration is $60 for the youth conference or $140 to $150 for the adult conference. Fee covers development and training sessions, course materials and meals.

Evening sessions, starting at 5:30 p. m., are free and open to the public.

For details or to register, go online to twudministries.org or call 832-7698.

Serbian fest planned

St. Stephen Serbian Orthodox Church, 177 Weber Road, Lackawanna, will host the 26th annual Serbian Festival July 25 and 26, featuring tours of the ongoing church interior fresco project, an introduction to the Orthodox faith, an overview of parish history and mission, as well as liturgical a capella performances by the Kosta Manojlovich Choir in the old-world Slavonic language.

Admission is $1 donation. Times are 2 p. m. to midnight on July 25 and noon to 10 p. m. on July 26.