Nearly 100 seniors brought their lunch and clapped along to the
beat of “Be Honest With Me,” “Hound Dog,” and other hits from the 1950s at
Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling Aug. 31. As part of the 2018 Luncheon
Concert Series, Nashville Standard’s Adam Melia, a professional musician who
has toured the United States since 2014 as part of the folk duo Adam & I,
treated the seniors to music from the 1950s and 1960s. He sang hits from Johnny
Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly,
Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers and more.
Claude Gianino, president of the senior group, said the concert
series is the group’s signature project designed to foster Christian unity. One
of the missions of the Friars of the Atonement, who until this month staffed
the parish, was Christian unity, said Gianino.
“We are a small group but we can encourage and bring awareness of
Christian unity in a small way,” he said. “We as a group are open not only to
parishioners but seniors from other parishes and faiths.”
The concerts, which began in 2012 for parishioners and seniors, draw
people from 11 local senior centers, nine local Catholic parishes and nine
Christian churches.
Gianino, who has been president for 10 years, said the group’s 21
active members are like family. The senior group has been part of the parish
since its beginning. The group gathers every Friday for “bring your lunch”
meetings at the library, and goes out to lunch on the second Friday of the
month. The group holds birthday
celebrations, hosts guest speakers and the concert series.
A parishioner, Marty Angerome, said the growing concert
attendance is a sign that the outreach is working. “Each time we do this it
gets bigger and bigger,” she said.
She said once a month members share their personal stories. “It
has bonded us,” said Angerome. “It has turned out to be a really good support
group for people.”
