As Advent begins, more than 80 actors of evangelization gathered, from the French, English and cultural communities to live an experience of preparation for Advent.

The diocesan office for Faith Education hosted two sessions, one evening and one daytime animated by Ellen Roderick, co-director for the Diocesan Center for Marriage, Life and Family.

We discovered the wonderful gift that the Church offers us in the season of Advent.
During the darkest and most busy time of the year, we recognized the importance of taking time to prepare our hearts, our homes, and our children for the coming into the world of the Great Light, God-with-us, foretold by the many prophets of the Old Testament.

We looked at how to prepare for the celebration of His first coming as an infant, how to recognize His ever present coming in the Eucharist and the sacraments, and how to wait for His second coming, the Parousia, when God will be all in all.

We unwrapped the many gifts of this season, including the new liturgical year with its new cycle of readings, the many resources, crafts, prayers and music that help us enter into the mystery of the Incarnation. 

We ended with the collaborative creation of a word cloud describing our hopes and joys for this season. It was a wonderful time of both reflection and formation.