Events

Sounds of the Season Concert at Corpus Christi

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Opera-Lytes is pleased to announce a December performance of “Sounds of the Season”, a concert of sacred and secular Christmas music. The performance will take place on Sunday, December 4th at Corpus Christi Church, 199 Clark St. in Buffalo, beginning at 2pm. All are welcome to attend. There is no admission charge, but a free will donation is appreciated.

Opera-Lytes, a theatre company based in Amherst, NY, has been in existence for 17 years. The group specializes in performing Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and “classic” Broadway musicals. In addition to this, the group also performs two to three choral concerts each season. Opera-Lytes is the only theatre company in the area that performs Gilbert and Sullivan on an annual basis, presenting fully staged productions with orchestral accompaniment. The group has performed in such area venues as the Lancaster Opera House, Ujima TheatreLoft, the Alleyway Theatre, and the Riviera Theatre.

“Sounds of the Season” will feature soloists and chorus in a concert presentation of Amahl and the Night Visitors, a one act opera by composer Gian Carlo Menotti .This heartwarming Christmas opera tells the story of Amahl, a poor shepherd boy, who with his Mother encounters the three Kings on their journey to meet the Holy Child. The second half of the program will include a choral presentation of sacred and secular Christmas favorites. Selections will include “The First Noel”, “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day”, “Deck the Hall”, and a medley of holiday songs by American composer Irving Berlin, and more. There will also be an audience carol sing along at each performance.

Opera-Lytes “Sounds of the Season” will be music directed by Paul Waara, joined by guest conductor Jill Neuhaus, and accompanied by James Welch. For further information about this holiday performance, please contact Corpus Christi Church at 896-1050. Information can also be found on Opera-Lytes website, www.operalytes.com.

Corpus Christi Parishioners to Fill the Church Tower With Messages of Faith and Thanksgiving

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Corpus Christi Church, located at the “Superman Corner” of Clark and Kent Streets on the East Side of Buffalo, was dedicated in 1909. The congregation has long maintained that during construction, the copper crosses atop the domes of the church towers were filled with hundreds of letters written by the parish’s school children. However, lacking any documentation, these messages became the stuff of urban legend. More than 100 years later, those long-ago letters have been found.

Since 2005, a multi-phased, multi-million dollar initiative has been underway to restore Corpus Christi to its full splendor. The current focus of this comprehensive project is the restoration of the iconic south tower. As work on the tower crosses began, those hopeful messages were discovered, along with small holy medals and other religious items. Unfortunately, time and exposure to the elements had destroyed this historic treasure trove, leaving behind just soggy clumps of paper and bits of corroded metal. Still, the discovery has captured the imagination of both the contractor and the congregation, and has inspired an invitation to current and former parishioners to record their own messages of faith and thanksgiving for their beloved church.

The parish has weathered many challenges during the last century. The congregation’s letters are sure to reflect the sobering facts of how close they came to losing their church, their gratitude to the Pauline Order for assuming leadership of the parish in 2004, a record of the challenges they have encountered in revitalizing this sacred place and fervent prayers for the future of this landmark church. This time around, the letters will be encased in a fashion that will safeguard them for generations to come.

The letter-writing endeavor will take place on Sunday, November 6th after all the Masses. Light refreshments will be provided. All current and former parishioners are invited to attend Mass and take part in this historic project.

Images of the recently discovered documents can be viewed on by clicking here—>