Parishes throughout the diocese prepare for Christmas in Advent

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
December 8, 2005

Parishes throughout the Diocese of Sioux City will be preparing for Christmas in different ways during the season of Advent.

The Webster County Team Parishes will have several events for parishioners to participate in. The Webster County Team Parishes include St. Joseph Church in Barnum, St. Matthew Church in Clare, Christ the King Church in Dayton, St. Joseph Church in Duncombe, Corpus Christi Church, Holy Rosary Church and Sacred Heart Church in Fort Dodge as well as Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Moorland.

One Faith Festival was held on Dec. 7 and other will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 14 at St. Edmond School. The theme of the festival is "Peace through Reconciliation."

There will also be Advent evening prayer opportunities, two of which were already held on Dec. 6 and 8. The other two evenings will be Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 6:15 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Chapel.

Advent reconciliation services for the Webster County Team Parishes will be held in conjunction with first reconciliation. On Dec. 11, services will be held at 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart in Fort Dodge and 3 p.m. at Holy Rosary in Fort Dodge. Services on Dec. 18 will be at 1 p.m. at Corpus Christi in Fort Dodge and 3 p.m. at St. Joseph in Barnum and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Moorland.

At St. Louis Parish in Royal parishioners were invited to a Christmas Breakfast Buffet and Bake Sale that was held Dec. 2.

"This annual fundraiser of the Altar Society raises monies for needy local causes, as well as providing support for Camp Cayoca and NCYC participants of the parish," said Lois McCarty, the DRE at St. Louis Parish.

The event is open to anyone and is a freewill offering. McCarty noted that this year's attendance was around 150. Guests were accompanied by candlelight at festively decorated tables.

"It always takes place on the first Friday of December," said McCarty. "Many families come in before school in the morning and before going to their jobs. Several employees of local businesses attend during their morning coffee break. It has developed a reputation for the elaborate decorations and the always changing buffet."

This year's menu was potato bacon eggbake, broccoli mushroom eggbake, blueberry oven French toast with blueberry syrup, ham with rum and raisin sauce, and assorted muffins.

"All the ladies of the parish are involved in various stages of planning, baking, serving or decorating," said McCarty.

At both St. Malachy in Madrid and St. John Church in Ogden there is an Advent angel tree and parishioners are invited to donate items on the tree for the needs of the Boone County Youth and Shelter Services, noted Father Brian Danner, pastor at both parishes. Items range in variety from personal hygiene items to clothes and basic daily needs.

Father Danner commented that this is a project they have done before. It is about the fifth year in Madrid and second year in Ogden that it has been done.

"Here in Madrid, the parish is comprised of various small town communities," said Father Danner. "Not all of the communities include drives for the needy. One may do so and another may not. Because of our unique qualities here at St. Malachy, we decided to do an Advent angel tree for anyone who wanted to get involved with it."

There was also a penance service on Dec. 4 at St. Malachy Parish. The penance service at St. John Parish is slated for Dec. 14.

According to Susan Reiser, administrative assistant at St. Joseph Parish in Milford, the peace and justice committee at St. Joseph's adopts five children each year from the Secret Santa Tree. It is a community event where people purchase gifts for less fortunate children of the local school system for Christmas.

"We take a monthly peace and justice collection," said Reiser. "They need to see that their money is being used for a project. It is extending your heart and your pocketbook to those less fortunate. Christmas time is the best time to do that. We hope to brighten the Christmas' of these five children."

St. Joseph's will hold a children's Christmas pageant at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 18. There also will be an annual open house on Dec. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m.

"It is a time when you need to come together as a community," said Reiser. "Msgr. Seifried is a real promoter of community. You need to get with your community and provide social events. A lot of families rely on their church to provide them with social outlets."

There will be communal penance services on Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart in Spencer, 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph's in Milford and 4 p.m. at St. Mary's in Spirit Lake.

"It is important to keep the real meaning of Christmas in all of our hearts," said Reiser. "That is why we do advent things."

The Milford Knights of Columbus and CDA will have their annual Christmas party at 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 17.

St. Joseph Parish in Sioux City is continuing the tradition of having advent prayer partners among the parishioners this year, noted Mary Stevens a parishioner. She added that this has been a going on for many years.

"I think the people like it. It is a special way of bringing a prayerful unity to the parish," said Stevens.

Parishioners first sign a form to request to be an advent prayer partner. They then pick up a slip of paper with a person's name on it to pray for during Advent.

It is kept a secret throughout Advent who each person is praying for. Each person is remembered in prayers or maybe a card.

"The week of Christmas, you reveal yourself through a gift of some kind like a tray of cookies - something not expensive," said Stevens. "It is to just give gifts out of love and to share the life of God is the point of it."