From the Parish Priest
Christmas Already?!?
Dear Friends,
This may seem a bit soon, but I am preparing for Christmas and need your assistance!
Between Advent Sunday and Candlemas (basically all of December and January), we will be hosting six major Mission Community events—one in each of our parishes, but for the benefit of all! These will be in addition to our usual activities. I hope to have a full timetable of these ready for the next magazine.
One of these events will be a Crib Festival—a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the Nativity scene and enjoy the many beautiful interpretations that adorn our homes, schools, and churches.
We would love to have as many cribs on display as possible. If you have one or more—we would be very grateful if you’d consider lending it to us for the festival.
Whether it’s:
- Been in the family for years
- Made by the children at nursery
- Knitted by a favourite auntie
- Carved as trench art during the wars
- Made of wood or plastic
- Old or new
- Crafted locally or brought from afar
—We would love to include it, along with its story, in what we hope will be a wonderful festival leading into Christmas.
The Crib Festival will take place the weekend before Christmas, concluding with a special Carol Service.
More details will follow, but I wanted to give everyone plenty of notice so we can prepare the best display possible.
Those of you who know me well will know that I hate the early celebration of Christmas. I love Advent to be a season of waiting and hoping, and I so enjoy the excitement of Christmas Eve and the joy of the Christmas season—but that doesn’t happen unless someone has done the preparation in advance.
So… if you would like to be part of this year’s celebration, let me know—and it will be wonderful to have you on board!
With love and prayers,
Philip