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.

According to Ryan Verity, youth minister, the St. Mary's parish community recently experienced the tragic loss of two teen lives.

"This has not only rocked the foundation of our parish, but the entire community,"  Verity said. 

St. Mary's Faith Community is presenting the event to bring teens together and offer them help to deal with these tragedies and with challenges they face in their own lives.

"I have realized that many teens are depressed, anxious, and at times, some may even consider suicide. Most of the time this goes unnoticed,"  Verity said. "There are also those who are experiencing grief for the first time, and may not know how to deal with it. We are offering this event to begin the healing process."

The theme of the presentation is:  "Your life has purpose. Your story is important. Your dreams count. Your voice matters. You were born to make an impact.  You are NOT Alone."

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ryan Verity at youth@stmaryswormville.org or call 688-0599.

Carrie Ann Ford (www.carriefordmusic.com) is a singer, songwriter, presenter and teacher, who has been sharing her message of God's unfailing love with audiences across the globe for nearly 20 years. John Wilde is director of lifelong faith formation at Nativity of the Blessed Mary Parish.