Christian Leaders Fellowship to Hold Prayer Service at the Pittsburgh Creche site

   PITTSBURGH -- The Christian Leaders Fellowship, an ecumenical group of local bishops and denominational executives, will lead a prayer service at the annual dedication of the Pittsburgh Crèche, on Friday, November 16 at Noon in the plaza in front of US Steel Tower on Grant Street, Downtown.

            Blessed Trinity Academy Choir and Band will perform at the Crèche at 11:30 a.m. before the prayer service.  The choir is under the direction of Mrs. Frieda Flaminio and the band is under the direction of Mrs. Susan Chambers.

            Nathan Sudie, Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director for Communications of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, will MC the event and lead the opening song.

YOUR COVERAGE IS INVITED.

This special Crèche is a project of the Christian Leaders Fellowship.  In addition, many individuals, as well as business, labor and religious organizations have contributed financial support and services to the project.  The crèche is truly a community effort.

Clothing for the figures has been designed, sewn and maintained by two local communities of religious women – Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and Sisters of the Holy Spirit.  A group of volunteers has joined the sisters in preparing the clothing and dressing the figures for the annual display.

The crèche will be blessed by fellowship leaders at noon at the plaza and will remain up for viewing through January 7, 2019. 

  “Our hope is that tens of thousands of people will return to visit the crèche this season, and let this larger than life symbol emphasize the true spirit and meaning of Christmas in the greater Pittsburgh area,” says Rev. Msgr. Ronald Lengwin, who has served as staff for the crèche to the Christian Leaders Fellowship for the Diocese of Pittsburgh over the past 20 years.

Members of the fellowship expected to participate at the service include Bishop David A. Zubik, Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh; Major Raphael Jackson and Major Sondra Jackson, The Salvation Army, Western Pa Division; Reverend David  Ackerman, United Church of Christ Penn West Conference; Reverend Liddy Barlow, Executive Minister, Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania; The Reverend Canon Don Bushyager, Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh (representing the Most Reverend (Bishop) James Hobby); Bishop Kurt Kusserow, Southwest Pennsylvania Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Reverend Renee Mikel, Assistant to the Bishop, Western Pennsylvania Conference, The United Methodist Church (Representing Reverend Cynthia Moore-Koikoi); His Eminence,  Metropolitan Savas, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh; His Eminence, Archbishop William C. Skurla, Byzantine Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh; and Reverend Doctor(Pastor) Sheldon Sorge, Pittsburgh Presbytery.

There is a designated place for donations at the Crèche. You may also send tax-deductible gifts designated to The Pittsburgh Crèche Fund in care of The Pittsburgh Foundation at Five PPG Place, Suite 250, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.