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Here are a selection of brief news items pertaining to area church activities:

St. Elizabeth Church to host screening of ‘Maria Goretti’

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church will host Ignatius Night at the Movies on Thursday, June 26, starting at 9 p.m.

The night will feature an outdoor screening of “Maria Goretti,” a feature film that portrays the brief but virtuous life of a 20th-century saint who died defending her purity and who incredibly forgave her killer.

One of six children of Luigi and Assunta Goretti, a poor sharecropping family living and working in the swampy area of southern Italy where malaria grew to epidemic proportions, Maria embraced and reflected an incredible love of God and others modeled by her parents. Herself a model of humility, love and joy, she was a source of delight to all who knew her.

Suffering the unwanted attentions of a friend, Maria eventually was trapped by him and defended her purity physically and with prayer. Stabbed 14 times, Maria, on her death bed, found it in her heart to forgive her assailant and express her desire that he join her in heaven one day.

St. Elizabeth Parish will be one of many churches, schools and organizations in North America holding an exclusive screening of this dramatic feature film as part of the ongoing Ignatius Night at the Movies series.

The movie will be shown on a big screen behind St. Elizabeth’s church. Participants should bring lawn chairs and blankets. Refreshments and snacks along with Ignatius materials will be available for purchase.

In case of inclement weather, the movie will be inside.

A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the St. Elizabeth youth group.

La Crescent pastor is new ELCA bishop

DECORAH, Iowa — James Arends of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in La Crescent, Minn., is the new bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

He received 155 votes to 113 for Brian King of Bethany Lutheran Church, Iowa Falls, Iowa, in fifth-round balloting this morning.

A third candidate, Rev. J. David Bersagel of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, West Salem, was eliminated in fourth-round voting held Friday.

There were five candidates for bishop when the assembly began voting Friday morning.

Group seeks help for weather victims

The Wisconsin Council of Churches, working with Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WVOAD), is accepting monetary donations for victims of the flooding and tornadoes that struck across Wisconsin over the weekend.

Checks should be made payable to Wisconsin Council of Churches 2008 Flood Recovery and mailed to the Wisconsin Council of Churches, 750 Windsor St., Suite 300, Sun Prairie, WI 53590.

WVOAD is a group of private nonprofit agencies specializing in disaster recovery assistance.

Bridge of Life plans concert event June 29

Bridge of Life Lutheran Church will celebrate seven years of ministry with a free concert event called Bridgefest on Sunday, June 29, from 4 to 8 p.m.

The outdoor concert will be held at the church’s outdoor worship site and future building site on Highway 35, two miles north of Holmen across from Seven Bridges Bank. A variety of music will be provided by Peter Eliason, Doug Mahlum and Kris Risch.

The event also offers good food and a chance to check out the site’s hiking trail and prayer labyrinth.

In case of rain, the event will be held in the church’s worship space in Holmen Square mall.

World-class handbell choir to perform

Strikepoint, one of the world's top handbell ensembles, will give a performance at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 21 N. Hill St., La Crescent, Minn.

Strikepoint rings on six octaves of bells and frequently adds other instruments. Concerts are designed to delight and stir listeners whether they know all or nothing about handbells.

There is no admission charge, but a free-will offering will be taken, with an $8 donation suggested.

Mindoro Cut centennial includes worship

Mindoro Lutheran Church will hold an outdoor service and other events Sunday, June 29, in celebration of the centennial of the Mindoro Cut.

Worship services will be held in Mindoro Park starting at 9:30 a.m., with coffee and rolls served before and after. A plant sale also is planned for after the service.

Other activities planned include re-enactment of the 1932 bank robbery at the bank at 1:30 p.m., local speakers sharing their stories and a historic walking tour.

Food can be purchased at the Lions Shelter from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Christ the King plans summer Bible school

Christ the King Lutheran Church will hold its vacation Bible school for kids in pre-K through fifth grade from June 8-12.

Theme for the VBS is “Avalanche Ranch — a Wild Ride Through God’s Word” — and sessions will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. To register, call 783-1892 or e-mail ctklutheranch@aol.com.

St. Patrick’s sets VBS for Aug. 11-15

St Patrick’s Catholic Church is will hold a vacation Bible school from Aug. 11-15. This year’s program is called “POWER LAB - Discovering Jesus’ Miraculous Power.”

There is room for 75 children ages 4-10. Registration is $15 before July 1 or $20 after.

Teenagers might enjoy signing on as a “funologist crew leader.”

For more information or to register, contact Cathie Steinhoff at 783-5535, ext 8, or cathie@stpatz.com.

Onalaska woman starts weekly ministry

Pam Ellis, an Onalaska resident and author of “Real Torn ... Beneath the Veil” has started a new ministry that meets at the Onalaska OmniCenter.

The ministry, called PASSION — Power and Atonement for Suffering, Sin and Iniquities in Our Nation — meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday. All are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Ellis at (608) 498-1591.

Christ the King plans summer Bible school

Christ the King Lutheran Church will hold its vacation Bible school for kids in pre-K through fifth grade from June 8-12.

Theme for the VBS is “Avalanche Ranch — a Wild Ride Through God’s Word” — and sessions will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

To register, call 783-1892 or e-mail ctklutheranch@aol.com.

Volunteer Corps seeks participants

Participants are sought for Lutheran Volunteer Corps, a full-time program that offers people a one-year opportunity for spiritual and personal exploration while working for social justice, living in intentional community and simplifying their lifestyles.

Volunteers are matched with nonprofit organizations in Baltimore, Md.; Wilmington, Del.; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Milwaukee; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Seattle and Tacoma, Wash.; and the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

Applications may be downloaded at http://www.LutheranVolunteerCorps.org/Volunteers.htm/. For more information, contact Kelly Shinn, recruitment coordinator, at (202) 387-3222 or Recruitment@LutheranVolunteerCorps.org.