Tuesday, July 4

Our Lady of Sorrows 74th annual 4th of July Festival

Alabama’s oldest BBQ festival will continue this year with food, children's games, Bingo, and the always-popular trash and treasure rummage sale. Bulk orders will be available in the school cafeteria Monday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a first come, first served basis with whole Boston Butts, boneless turkey breasts, chopped pork, pork ribs, smoked 1/2 chicken, beans, slaw, sauce, and bread being offered. Plates will be sold in the Parish Hall from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. with pork, ribs, sliced smoked turkey breast, or 1/2 chicken plus beans, slaw, and bread being offered. Pork sandwiches and hot dogs are also planned. A raffle will be held at 3 p.m. with 19 total prizes. The trash and treasure sale will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Games are from 10 a.m. until noon and Bingo begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.ourladyofsorrows.com. The church is located at 1728 Oxmoor Road in Homewood.

Sunday, July 16

Blood drive at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church

The Knights of Columbus Council #7584 of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church and LifeSouth Community Blood Center will be holding a blood drive in the parish hall from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All donors will receive a T-shirt, a $20 e-Gift Card, and will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card. Coffee and donuts will be available for donors and their families. Donors must be 17 or older (16 with parental consent) and show a photo I.D. Please consider this “gift of life” during this summer when blood supplies are critically low. Contact Phil Selig at 979-7720 or philselig@charter.net if you have any questions. The church is located at 2061 Patton Chapel Road in Hoover.

Friday, July 21 - Saturday, July 22

'Victory in Jesus' conference

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference of the Diocese of Birmingham will be held on July 21 and 22 at John Carroll Catholic High School. The conference theme is “Victory in Jesus.” Father James Blount will be the main speaker with Father Eric Gami, parochial vicar at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, and Teresa Ragusa, a miracle COVID survivor, also speaking. Father Blount is an internationally known healing ministry priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Trinity (SOLT) of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia.  He is a very gifted spiritual director and confessor and a bold charismatic preacher endowed and empowered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Because of the recent demand to hear Father Blount, everyone must pre-register to attend the conference. The registration fee for the conference is $25 for individuals and $65 for a family of 3 or more. For further information, contact Sally Smith at 205-983-4150 or mustardsally14@gmail.com or Ray Makofsky at 205-999-8947 or earl.makofsky@gmail.com. To register, visit www.catholiccharismaticrenewal.org.  The school is located at 300 Lakeshore Parkway in Birmingham.

Saturday, July 22

Women’s Eucharistic retreat

The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville will host At the Well, a women’s eucharistic retreat, from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Come and encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, Who alone can satisfy our deepest desires and heal your deepest wounds. The featured speaker, Crystalina Evert, will share insights from her new book, "Women Made New," helping women to understand that they are never alone and that by uniting their suffering to Christ’s, they can change the world. Sensitive and adult topics will be discussed. Retreat is for women age 16+ only. To register for the retreat visit olamshrine.com/at-the-well. The shrine is located at 3224 County Road 548.

Saturday, July 29

An evening with Sarah Hart

St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Jasper is sponsoring an evening with musician Sarah Hart at 7 p.m. on the shores of beautiful Smith Lake. Hart in one of the leading figures in comtemporary Catholic music. Her songs of faith, spirit of joy, and love for teaching and leading workshops have touched the lives of many. She is a Grammy nominee and BMI winner, an ALA Odyssey Award winner, and an Audi Awards nominee. Her music has been recorded by many artists including Amy Grant, Celtic Women, Matt Maher, and The Newsboys. By land the concert will be held at 968 County Road 3926 in Arley. By water the concert can be attended near the mouth of Rock Creek. To learn more visit sarahhart.com or stceciliajasper.com.