Saturday
Bake sale, starting at 8 a.m., annual sale by the Women’s Fellowship of the First Congregational Church of Gray and held at Shop ‘N Save Plaza, Route 100, Gray. Held rain or shine.
Sunday
Anniversary Memorial ceremony and vigil, 11:30 a.m., to honor the 47 people who perished in the Lac-Megantic train explosion on July 6, 2013. Sponsored by area faith and other groups and held at Congress Square, High and Congress streets.
Shape Note Singing, 1 to 4 p.m., free participation event, not a performance; all are welcome. The New Church, 302 Stevens Ave., Portland. More information is available at www.maineshapenotesinging.org.
Coastal Sound Quartet, 4 p.m., featuring music from the Big Band era through the Beatles. A dance floor will be available and admission is $7, with proceeds benefiting church projects and ministries. Refreshments will be available. Christ Church, 6 Dane St., Kennebunk. To learn more, go to www.christchurchkennebunk.org, or call 985-4494.
Monday
“Spiritual Challenges of Parenting and Grandparenting,” 6 p.m., free and open to the public. Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (ChIME), 555 Forest Ave., Portland. Call 347-6740 for details.
Friday and Saturday
Downeast Spiritual Life Conference featuring the Rev. Dr. John Philip Newell: “Rebirthing The Divine: the Spirit, the Earth and the Human Soul,” and a closing performance by singer, songwriter Gordon Bok at 7:30 p.m. July 12. The conference will be held at Maine Maritime Academy, Castine. Tickets for Gordon Bok’s “Songs of the Sea” concert are $25 and it is open to the public without conference registration. For complete information about the concert, the worship service and all the speakers and activities, or to register for the conference, go to www.downeastspiritual.org, call 374-5200 or e mail info@downeastspiritual.org.
July 12
Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Mary’s Church, 144 Lincoln St., Bath.
Craft and bake sale, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., North Sebago Methodist Church, Route 114, North Sebago.
Latino Festival, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with foods from Central and South America, games for children, handmade crafts and live music, to benefit the capital campaign, and held in the church hall and in the parking lot at Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Church, Sherman and Mellen streets, Portland. In addition, a Buy a Brick program has started and with a donation of $50, individuals can write the name of someone they wish to remember or an intention on a brick, which will be used to rebuild the tower of the church. Bricks are available for purchase after Masses at Sacred Heart Church or by sending a check to Capital Campaign-SHSD, c/o the Pastoral Center, 307 Congress St., Portland. To contribute to the Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Capital Campaign, visit www.portlandcatholic.org/capitalcampaign.
Other
Bishop Robert P. Deeley has announced the following priest assignments:
Effective Aug. 4
Fr. John R. Skehan has been appointed pastor of Stella Maris Parish (St. Vincent de Paul Church, Bucksport; Our Lady of Holy Hope, Castine; St. Mary Star of the Sea, Stonington) and St. Joseph Parish (St. Joseph Church, Ellsworth; Blue Hill Mission, Blue Hill; Our Lady of the Lake Mission, Green Lake; St. Margaret Chapel, Winter Harbor). Fr. Skehan will also become pastor of the Parish of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Holy Redeemer Church, Bar Harbor; St. Peter Church, Manset; St. Ignatius Church, Northeast Harbor) on Oct. 1. Born in Bangor, Fr. Skehan attended Hampden Academy and received his B.A. in biology from Bowdoin College. Before entering the priesthood, he was a junior high science teacher in Oakland. Fr. Skehan completed his clerical studies at the Theological College in Washington, D.C. and was ordained to the priesthood in 1986. He has served at parishes in Waterville, Houlton, and currently, as pastor of the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord and has served as the diocesan director for parish planning, as a chaplain at Maine Medical Center and as a campus minister at several Maine colleges.
Fr. Scott M. Mower will become pastor of the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord (St. Christopher Church, York; St. Raphael Church, Kittery; Our Lady of the Angels, South Berwick; Star of the Sea Church, York Beach). A native of Orono, Fr. Mower attended Orono High School and received his B.S. in child development from the University of Maine in Orono. Before entering the priesthood, he was a third-grade teacher at Indian Island School on the Penobscot Indian Reservation in Old Town. He completed his clerical studies at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1997. He has served at parishes in Waterville, Ashland, Portage, Washburn, and currently, as pastor of St. Joseph Parish and as administrator of Stella Maris Parish.
Effective Oct. 1
Fr. John F. O’Hara Jr., current administrator of the Parish of the Transfiguration of the Lord, will retire effective Oct. 1.
Fr. O’Hara has served at parishes in Rumford, Bangor, South Portland, Benedicta, Machias and Bucksport during his 43 years of active ministry. He has also served as chaplain for Maine Maritime Academy and was a moderator for the Maine Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
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