Flocknote

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving making memories with family and friends!

Looking to December, we are welcoming the Advent Season! I challenged the kids last week to bring home a list of Catholic Advent Family Activities and see how many they could check off before Dec. 16th. I even offered a prize to the child who returns their list with the most stars colored in for each activity completed. Activities that count on your sheet are highlighted in PURPLE below.

Advent_Activities_Catholic_Printable.pdf

UPCOMING PARISH EVENTS:

Advent Giving Tree - Take a tag from the tree in the Commons and bring the gift back by Dec. 13th

Help Serve Coffee & Donuts after mass. Sign up here!

Reconciliation in the Day Chapel 3:30-4:30pm
Dec. 1st - No Classroom Faith Formation for preschool, kindergarten or elementary programs.

Dec. 4th - Parent Meeting for families enrolled in sacrament preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion

Dec 6th - Free Advent Concert by our Music Ministry 6:15 and 7:30 in the Church

Spaghetti Dinner - tickets available after Masses or at the door
Dec. 7th - 8:30am St. Nicholas Breakfast - see details and get tickets here!

6-9pm Give a Parent A Hand - See details and sign up below.

Dec. 9th - No Classroom Faith Formation for elementary programs.

Celebrate the Feast of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe - if you read a story like "The Lady of Guadalupe" it counts for 2 activities on your list!

Dec 10 Respect Life Rosary 7:00pm in the Day Chapel

Dec 11 Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel from 9a-6:45p and

Benediction at 6:45p-7:15p

Dec 14/15 - Food Drive for Our Lady of Lourdes Food Pantry

Dec 15/16 - Advent Prayer Service last 30 min of class/Final Collection for the Mitten Hat Drive for Appalachia

Dec 22-Jan 19 - Pre/Kg programs on Christmas Break
Dec. 22-Jan 26th - Elementary (grades 1-5) programs on break

GIVE A PARENT A HAND - Saturday, Dec. 7th 6:00-9:00pm - in the Parish Hall

Bring your children age 3 (potty-trained) and up. Our youth will keep them well entertained, feed them dinner and show them a movie while you enjoy some time to have a date with your spouse or do some Christmas shopping.

While there is no cost for having your children participate, we encourage you to bring donations for our book drive-- At minimum, one book donation per child, which we'll be donating to schools/children in need. Books can be from an Age 4 through High School reading level. There is a limit to the number of children that we can accomodate so sign your child(ren) up today!

Give a Parent a Hand Sign Up

My favorite ADVENT CALENDAR/RESOURCES:

Loyola Press has an online version and a printable one for adults and kids!

Dynamic Catholic offers the Best Advent Ever daily emails.

Redeemed Online is offering an online reflection called Advent Made Simple.

Do you have an Advent Wreath to mark the season in your home?

Here are some tips on making one!

FORMED CORNER:

For the Kids: Brother Francis - The Days of Advent

For You: Daily Advent Message

JOURNEYING TO BETHLEHEM
The advent season is a time of preparation, of joyful anticipation and of waiting! Help your child live this joyful anticipation by setting up the nativity but having Mary and Joseph journey to the manger. Move Mary and Joseph around the room, each week a bit closer to the manger. And be sure to wait to add baby Jesus until Christmas! Consider making a birthday cake for Jesus or simply sing Happy Birthday to Jesus as you place him in the manger on Christmas morning...BEFORE you open presents!

The wise men can have a similar journey to the manger. Start moving them around the room on Christmas timing their arrival with Epiphany, Jan 6th, the twelfth day of Christmas!