Monday, December 12, will be the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas and Pre-born Children. Our parish will observe this major feast with devotional prayer services sponsored by various Hispanic ministries throughout the night before. These celebrations will culminate in a Solemn Street Procession with the Guadalupe Torch at 5:30PM and a Solemn Mass with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at 6:30PM, followed by festivity in the Institute.
This Tuesday, December 13, you are invited to our Christmas Tree Lighting at 7PM. Join us as we kick off the holiday season in front of the Rectory! There will be live performances by the various choirs of our parish and the Mariachi Youth Band, a visit from Santa Claus, Special Blessings and toy gifts for all children. Hot refreshments will be served. Bring your family and friends!
This year, the theme for our parish’s outdoor Christmas decoration is “Christ Our Light.” We invite you to engage this theme of light by donating a Christmas tree to our church, either as a way to honor a cherished person, or to honor a family, a group or a ministry that have a special meaning to you. Each tree will be elegantly decorated with lights and will grace the gardens around the outdoor Nativity scenes for the entire season of Christmas. Each tree will also have a memorial tag with the names of the donor and the person who is memorialized.
We are happy to announce that a beloved holiday tradition will return to our parish this year, namely, the Christmas Eve Concert. On Saturday, December 24th, at 9:30PM in the upper church, there will be a live performance of sacred music in a variety of styles, from the 15th to the 21st century repertoires, and in several languages. Featuring the English Choir, the Mount Carmel String Trio and Choir Percussionists, this beautiful rendition is sure to put everyone in the true spirit of the season. Please note that the Concert will begin at 9:30PM, followed by Christmas Eve Mass at 10:00PM.
Our “Giving Tree” Donation Boxes to benefit families with needs this Christmas are available by the main church entrance on Newtown Avenue and by the elevator. Donations in cash, checks made out to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or gift cards, are all welcome.
Our Youth Ministry is conducting a Charity Drive to help poor migrant families in our neighborhood with basic hygiene, food and baby items. Please see their special flyer for specific items that you may donate during the week.
For more information about these events including details about Catholic Charities Santa’s Toy Shop Event, please read the bulletin here on our parish website and see the “What’s Happening” Column at the top of our home page!