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There will be a free woodwind quintet concert Dec. 5, 7 p.m., at St. Adalbert's parish in Schenectady. It will include a performance by St. Luke's Septet and an audience sing-along; attendees can donate to Toys for Tots....

The cluster parishes of St. Isaac Jogues in Chestertown/Hague and St. James in North Creek planned an Advent program, "A Gospel for All Ages," inviting families to share stories and traditions of how they prepare for Jesus' birth....

St. Edward's parish in Clifton Park offers Advent evening prayer each Tuesday at 7 p.m. during Advent. The parish just offered youth a movie and game night with a movie on a big screen, Wii, air hockey, foosball and free food....

Our Lady of Fatima parish in Delanson continued a tradition of beginning Advent by asking parishioners to add a pine bough to an Advent wreath outside the church as they left Mass. JEANNETTE COPPOLO provided the boughs; GEORGE TALLMAN set up the wreath....

St. Mary's parish in Crescent is having repairs done to the walkway to the parish hall. Also, the parish is giving "Absolutely Advent" books to children in kindergarten through fifth grade, with activities and reflections....

"LIFT" - the Ladies in Faith Together group at Holy Cross parish in Salem - will take care of cookies for shut-ins and a baby shower for women in need this Christmas....

Immaculate Conception parish in Hoosick Falls has dedicated the southeast corner of the church to honoring and remembering deceased loved ones; after a funeral Mass or service, a photo is placed on the wall for a month of "holy remembering."

Second- and third- graders from St. Mary's Academy in Hoosick Falls will decorate yew bushes at the parish's Mary shrine Dec. 6; also, GREG AIDALA and BEN GEURIN will provide a comedy the night and carols will be performed by MIKE AND CINDY BREWSTER and friends. On Dec. 7, after a tree lighting, ninth- and 10th-grade confirmation candidates, accompanied by parents, will meet at Immaculate Conception for a class test and discussion on "The Gospel Truth about Christmas"....

Among speakers at a series at St. Ambrose parish in Latham will be BISHOP EDWARD B. SCHARFENBERGER, speaking Dec. 11, 6 p.m., on "When our families stop going to church: how to cope, how to hope, how to respond"....

St. Mary's in Oneonta will sponsor a "St. Nicholas shop" after Masses Dec. 6-7 where children can buy inexpensive gifts for their families, donated by parishioners....

Immaculate Conception parish in Glenville will bless expectant families and those awaiting a child through adoption at Masses Dec. 20-21. The parish noted that it must be Advent, as parishioner CHARLES FIEDLER is already acting as a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army....

Children at St. Michael's parish in Troy spent November taking blank calendars, reflecting on things they're thankful for and writing them on the calendars, which were returned to the parish. STEVE TAYLOR, CHRISTOPHER MONACO, SARAH AND RACHEL STEELE and MEGAN HURLEY served breakfast sandwiches at the parish one Sunday....

Christ the King parish in Westmere, Albany, will offer a women's Advent retreat Dec. 6, focused on Mary. The day-long retreat will include a movie, gifts and a chance to win prizes....

Holy Mother and Child parish in Corinth/Lake Luzerne will sponsor a float in the town's Christmas parade Dec. 6....

Parishioners of St. Anthony's Church in Schenectady, under construction for months since a fire heavily damaged the church, began to have Masses in the church hall as of Thanksgiving. The temporary worship space will be used for liturgies until the repairs are complete....

At Holy Trinity parish in Cohoes, a Dec. 6 breakfast will have guest speaker St. Nicholas telling his story, along with everyone singing Christmas carols....

"Come to Bethlehem," Dec. 12 at Transfiguration parish in Speigletown/Schaghticoke, will include crafts, decorating cookies, making reindeer food, a visit from Santa and a wagon ride with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer....

Youth from St. Gabriel's in Rotterdam will offer a living Nativity Dec. 15 in the school gym....

At St. Paul the Apostle parish in Hancock, there really was "room at the inn:" Through donations for people in need, the parish recently was able to shelter two travelers in a hotel for the night....

St. Joan of Arc parish in Menands plans to deliver boxwood Christmas trees to its homebound parishioners....

St. John's/St. Ann's Center at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Albany, which serves people in need, thanked many volunteers recently: Students from the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany helped with a mailing; REV. JOHN WALDRON served food at the center's Welcome Table; the youth ministry from Christ the King parish in Westmere, Albany, donated baskets of food; Corpus Christi parish in Round Lake donated produce; and LYNN, ALEC, COLIN AND LIZZIE HANSON; RILEY O'BRIEN and MICHAEL AND LINDSAY AGRO packed Thanksgiving food baskets. The center's food pantry is seeking personal care items, plastic bags and more....

St. Mary's parish in Clinton Heights will hold a "blessing of the bambinelli" Dec. 14, with parishioners bringing the baby Jesus figurines from their home nativity scenes to be blessed; they can also bring home blessed straw from the church to add to their creches.

St. Nicholas will bring gifts for children beginning at noon Dec. 6 in the church. The parish was also offering an Advent Taize prayer service....

At St. Joseph's in Scotia on Dec. 6, children can visit with St. Nicholas in the parish hall and parishioners can shop at a Christmas bazaar. Parishioners ATHENA KRUSZONA and Dr. DOMINICK MELE just celebrated their 100th birthdays....

Holy Spirit School in East Greenbush and its public relations committee is committed to getting students out into the community and being stewards of the faith. This year, they've already participated in many volunteer activities: picking vegetables at the Patroon Land Farm for the Regional Food Bank, helping to install a Civil War gravestone at St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands and collecting food for CoNSERNS-U....

"Teens are great!" boasted St. Jude the Apostle parish in Wynantskill: Teens from the grade six-eight EDGE program went to Van Rensselaer Manor nursing home to help residents play bingo, and one man remarked afterward, "Thank you for letting that young man help me. I have not had that much attention in years!"...

REV. JAMES KANE, pastor, gave a talk on "Islam 101" at St. Patrick's parish in Ravena and is leading women's and men's Bible study groups on women in the Bible....

Christ Sun of Justice parish in Troy has three new Knights of Columbus: STEPHEN ANDERSON, PATRICK ASELIN and NICHOLAS DVORAK....

St. Joseph's in Scotia raised $75,000 to redo masonry and paint the wall around its rose window....

JULIE AND CHRIS KUTNER renewed their marriage vows at Holy Cross parish in Salem....

STEPHEN BUONO and RICHARD HARBECK are new trustees at St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph's parish in Rensselaer....

It's the time of year when many people change jobs. St. Stanislaus in Amsterdam bid farewell to music director MICHELA RICCIO; at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Schenectady, interim secretary MARLENE MAURIELLO turned over duties to CAROL PHILLIPS; CHRISTOPHER CONLON is the new custodian at St. Joseph's in Fort Edward; and Thanksgiving was GENE MARIE CALLAHAN's last day as director of the music ministry at St. Francis of Assisi in Northville and St. Joseph's in Broadalbin.

Also at St. Francis and St. Joseph's, retired priest REV. OWEN SHANLEY is unable to celebrate weekday Masses through the end of the year, so the parishes may cancel them.[[In-content Ad]]

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