Last Updated: May 16, 2003

The Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, Ill., a nine-sided temple with a gleaming white dome that is a national historic site and one of the region's top tourist attractions, will celebrate its 50th anniversary at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 17, with a special service in the sanctuary. People of all faiths are invited. The temple is off N. Sheridan Road at 100 Linden Ave.

A Chicago area a cappella choir directed by Evander Gilmer will sing. The featured speaker will be Fariborz Sahba, an architect who designed the Baha'i House of Worship near New Delhi, India, and the Baha'i World Center on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. There is a reception afterward.

For information, call (847) 853-2300 or see www.us.bahai.org.

3 Catholic parishes receive grant for music

Three collaborating west side Catholic parishes with multicultural congregations - St. Michael, St. Rose and St. Francis - have received a $15,000 grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship for "developing and sharing the musical gifts of the central city in Milwaukee."

Their congregations sing and pray, separately and together, in various musical styles and in all or some of the languages Hmong, Lao, Spanish and English. The grant will help them develop that music and reach out in the suburbs through workshops and retreat days, said Barbara Tracey, tri-parish music and liturgy coordinator.

Youth poetry reading to benefit Iraq's children

The Candlelight Coalition peace group will hold a Youth Poetry Reading to benefit the UNICEF campaign for Iraq's children from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Bethany-Calvary United Methodist Church, 7265 W. Center St., Wauwatosa. There will be a bake sale, and guitarist Joey Leal will perform.

Christian choir invites public to service

The New Beginning Christian choir is inviting the public to a musical worship service titled "Hear Our Praises" at 7 tonight and 8:45 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday at Apostle Presbyterian Church, 1509 S. 76th St., West Allis. The choir, with 40 members from various Milwaukee-area churches and denominations, will blend personal reflections with contemporary, gospel, swing, Latin, Celtic, traditional American and patriotic songs.

Lecture to explore why there are many religions

The Milwaukee branch of the Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research will be host of a free lecture on "If There Is Just One Creator, Why So Many Religions?" from 3 to 5 p.m. today at the Racine Public Library, 75 7th St. Call (414) 299-9896.

St. Paul's to mark end of Choristers' 1st season

St. Paul's Church will celebrate on Sunday the conclusion of the first season of its Choristers of St. Cecilia, a professional-caliber choral ensemble for girls ages 8 to 14.

At 3:30 p.m., organist Roger Sherman will give a recital at the Episcopal church, 914 E. Knapp St. The church's former music director, he is now associate organist at St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle.

At 4 p.m. the Choristers will sing a "Festival Choral Evensong of the Easter Season." There will be an afternoon tea, champagne reception and silent auction. The evensong is free. Reception tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Call (414) 276-6277.

Jewish center to break ground for new facility

Milwaukee's Jewish Home and Care Center will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Sarah Chudnow Campus - a 100-unit, independent and assisted-living facility - at 1 p.m. Sunday just west of Market St. and Mequon Road, next to East Towne Square Mall in Mequon. A reception will be held afterward at Congregation Agudas Achim Chabad, 2233 W. Mequon Road, Mequon.

Church uses M&M's to help hunger program

In this case, the M&M letters on the candy might be translated as Mission & Munching. Kids at Shorewood's Kingo Lutheran Church recently raised $658.90 for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal by collecting donations in small plastic tubes that had been filled with M&M's candies. Each time a child returned a tube to the church filled with $10 to $14 in quarters, he or she got another tube filled with the chocolate candies.

The money can be used to provide food for more than 1,200 refugee infants in Tanzania or to buy farm animals or fruit trees to help a community, Pastor Diane Olson said.

Faith-based job services organization honors 4

Abundant Life Ministry, a Milwaukee faith-based organization that provides vocational counseling and other job-related services, honored four people at an event this month at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa.

Qutina Newble received a Rising Star Award. Rosa DeJesus received a Beacon of Hope Award.

Good Samaritan Awards for continuing volunteer work went to Neil Rosnow and Mike Estes.

For information, call (414) 875-0531.