An “Evening of Thanksgiving” is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at St. Kilian Parish in Adams/Cranberry townships to prayerfully mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
The event is part a year-long observance titled “From Conflict to Communion: Together in Hope” being led by local Catholics and Lutherans.
The presider for evening prayer will be Greensburg Bishop Edward Malesic, with a homily by Father Charles Bober, pastor of St. Kilian and a Pittsburgh Catholic columnist.
Three witness talks also will be given, sharing about the collective work already accomplished between Catholics and Lutherans. The speakers will be the Rev. Donald Green, former executive director of Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania; Bishop Donald McCoid, former head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod; and Helene Paharik, former official with the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Bishop Kurt Kusserow, current head of the local ELCA, and Metropolitan Archbishop William Skurla of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh also are expected to be in attendance.
A light reception will follow the program.
The final 2017 Reformation event is a “Day of Commemoration of Hope” on Oct. 28 in the Fred Rogers Center at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, concluding with prayers in St. Vincent Basilica.
Read the Pittsburgh Catholic Publishing Associates article.