A unique adaptation of the classic holiday tale, "A Christmas Carol," will be presented live on stage at St. Mary School in Swormvillle on Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at the noses, and Father Bill Quinlivan singing about the birth of our Lord. The season has arrived.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Church Pop) - Sir Alec Guinness is one of the most recognizable actors of the 20th century. While he appeared in lots of films over the years and won many awards, he is best known as having played Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.

Daybreak TV Productions, the television component of the Diocese of Buffalo's Office of Communications, has announced special programming that will air on WKBW-TV Channel 7 during the month of December.

ST. BONAVENTURE - The Western New York Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Glen Cortese, will perform the program "Baroque for the Holidays" at St. Bonaventure's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. It is the fourth concert in the 2015-2016 Friends of Good Music concert series.

Opera Sacra, the longest continually producing opera company in Western New York, began in 1975, founded by Father Jacob Ledwon at the former St. Joseph New Cathedral in Buffalo. Choosing works that center on religious themes, it has been presenting major productions for 40 seasons in many Western New York churches and schools.

CHICAGO, ILL. (CNA) - Fans of the Food Network's competitive cooking show "Chopped" can look forward to a special appearance on Monday night's episode - Sister Alicia Torres, a Catholic religious sister from the Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago.

Teens are invited to A Night of Faith, Hope and Love, led by Carrie Ford and John Wilde, on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Mary Swormville Parish Center, 6919 Transit Road, East Amherst. Students in grades six through 12 are encouraged to attend.

The World Meeting of Families was held in September in Philadelphia. Pope Francis, the fourth pope to visit the United States attended this, the world's largest Catholic gathering of families. Held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See's Pontifical Council for the Family, this year's theme was "Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive."

Author KayeLynn Grayce blends the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with Bible scripture and her own life as an exercise in sobriety in her book, "A Spiritual Awakening - Finding Your Connection."

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) - Choir members from around the Washington, D.C. archdiocese chosen to sing for Pope Francis during his visit later this month hope to stir the soul of the pontiff - and maybe even inspire him to sing along.

Over the last few years, big things have been happening, and continue to happen, in Buffalo. On this encore performance of "Our Daily Bread," host Father Paul D. Seil, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park, spends time out and about.

When a trusted friend conned Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti out of his life savings, the elderly priest decided to turn his pain into a lesson on caution and forgiveness.

Father Richard "Duke" Zajac has authored another volume of his "Life Injections" series. Like the first three, "Life Injections IV" collects sermons that Father Zajac has preached through his 39 years in the priesthood.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA) - God and comedy clubs are not generally something most families throw together; then again, most families don't create a cable comedy show either.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Synod on the Family in October, many dioceses and Catholic media producers are finding new ways to ramp up their resources on marriage and family life.

Part of their mission statement reads, "We are God's people, at work in the world, motivated by love and caring for the people of God who need our help." Who are "they," you ask? Little Portion Friary, located on Main Street in Buffalo.

Just as a standard calendar has seasons, 365 days and numerous celebrations, so too does a Liturgical Year calendar. In a Liturgical Year, the special seasons are Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Triduum, Easter and Ordinary Time.

Welcome to our new feature, Monday Morning Roundup, where we note a couple of interesting Catholic stories from the weekend to get you tuned up for the week.

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - Next month the Vatican will invite Rome's poor and homeless to a concert intended to raise money for Pope Francis' charities, which last year boasted over one and a half million in charitable giving.

Sacred Heart Parish in Lakewood will host the Donut Man, who teaches children how to fill the holes in their lives. Rob Evans will perform at Southwestern School in Lakewood on Sunday, April 26, at 5 p.m.

The Camerata di Sant' Antonio will perform at Blessed Trinity Church in Buffalo on Sunday, March 29, as part of the church's Trinity concert series of beautiful music in a beautiful space.

Feb. 18 marked the beginning of Lent, which can be described as the period spent preparing for Easter. Lasting 40 days, it commemorates Jesus' time in the desert, where He fasted, prayed and was tempted by the devil.

The St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute Visual and Performing Arts Department is proud to announce that "Damn Yankees" will be presented the weekend of March 6-8.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Be a member of the Harmonia Chamber Singers, as the local a cappella group has been chosen to perform at the world famous New York City venue on Friday, March 13. But if you don't have enough money for airfare, hotel and concert tickets, you can catch Harmonia perform locally on the first weekend of March.

Austen Ivereigh, author and founder of Catholic Voices, has written an in-depth biography of Pope Francis. "The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope" offers 391 pages of insights that show what shaped the current pontiff.

As Catholics, we are called to serve others, not through faith, but through service by way of our faith.

Originally published as an eBook, Fifty Shades of Grey has become a phenomenon, selling more than 100 million books worldwide, spawning two sequels and is now the subject of a film adaptation starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson set for release Feb. 13.

Viewers throughout the country will tune in to Bishop Richard J. Malone and a full Mercy Center Chapel in Buffalo as he celebrates Christmas Mass which will be broadcast on NBC affiliates on Christmas day, courtesy of Daybreak Television Productions and the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission.

Christmas is creeping up fast. Your "to do" list seems to be getting longer instead of shorter. We all know the true meaning of Christmas is not the cookies, the shopping, the wrapping and the meal planning. So in the spirit of holiday list making, I took the liberty of making one.

Opera Sacra, the longest continually producing opera company in Western New York, was founded by Father Jacob Ledwon in 1975 at the former St. Joseph's New Cathedral in Buffalo. Choosing works that center on religious themes, its repertoire spans more than 1,000 years of music, including the classics of Grand Opera, medieval liturgical dramas, children's fables and contemporary masterworks. This fall, in celebration of the beginning of its 40th season, Opera Sacra is planning another exceptional program, a fully-staged production of Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites."

Buffalo's singing priest, Father William Quinlivan, has added another title to his resumé - book author. With the help of a self-publishing firm, he has released "Made to Praise Him: Finding My Song."

A course, titled "Central City Practicum" and offered at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, will be this month's episode's focus.

I have been a producer at Daybreak TV Productions for more than 20 years. Within this time, I have had the privilege of working with great people, and together we have produced award-winning programs. During my tenure, there have been changes in technology, technique and promotion.

For one Felician sister, art is a way of expressing feelings, emotions and faith. Sister M. Ann Therese Kelly, CSSF, operates and sells stained glass artwork at her own studio, Illumination Stained Glass Studio, at Villa Maria Convent in Buffalo. Sister Ann Therese, also an art instructor, created stained glass windows found in six local buildings and schools, including Niagara University.

Recently, "Our Daily Bread" host Father Paul D. Seil was joined in the kitchen by Sharon Cavanaugh, director of the Work Appreciation for Youth program of Baker Victory Services. Also in the kitchen was James Stone, a WAY graduate. The day's menu included Italian stuffed peppers, basil pesto pasta and macchiato tiramisu parfaits.

Five cold snowy days in winter allowed an 83-year-old woman an opportunity to reflect on her life and write it down. Mary Carol Herwood, Ph.D., used those days, snowbound in her Hamburg home, to write her second book, "Psalms of an 83-year-old Woman."

With all the changes in the media landscape over the past decade, it may seem odd to think back to a time when Western New York didn't have its own dedicated Catholic radio station, but this month WLOF 101.7 FM celebrates 15 extraordinary years, and The Station of the Cross is continuing to grow.

This month Our Daily Bread goes international, airing an episode originally scheduled for June. Host Father Paul D. Seil is joined in the kitchen by Father Ronald Sajdak, pastor at St. Martin de Porres and St. Lawrence parishes in Buffalo. Father Sajdak is also the director of ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa Ministry. Also in the kitchen, is an associate of ROTA, Grace Sokiri. Father Sajdak and Sokiri will be making an East African Sudanese recipe kisra and nyagua.

This month "Our Daily Bread" goes international. Host Father Paul D. Seil is joined in the kitchen by Father Ronald Sajdak, pastor at St. Martin de Porres and St. Lawrence parishes in Buffalo. Father Sajdak is also the director of ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa ministry. Also in the kitchen, is an associate of ROTA, Grace Sokiri. Father Sajdak and Sokiri will be making an East African Sudanese recipe kisra and nyagua.