St. Stephen Parish wanted to make its Three Kings Mass as authentic as possible. So, the parish brought in a camel. The Grand Island parish also had confirmation students in the guise of Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar to bring up the gifts at Mass. But these were the traditional gifts of bread and wine, not […]
During this wonderful time of the year, when Christians throughout the world focus minds and hearts on the coming of God himself upon the earth as one of us, our attention naturally turns to the place where the incarnation occurred. While all the earth is a holy creation of the Almighty, Bethlehem and the surrounding […]
Isaiah 11:6 states, “A child shall lead them.” That is exactly what happened at St. Benedict School on Dec. 8. Will Colpoys, a second grader, led a procession of 402 students while pa rum pum pum pumming on his drum. The Drummer Boy Mass is a longtime tradition at the Eggertsville school. “This is […]
BRISTOL, R.I. — If the animals who witnessed Jesus’ birth could have spoken, what would they have said? In her 2022 Moonbeam Award-winning book, “Bethlehem Barn,” Debra Westgate-Silva gives young audiences a lighthearted retelling of the classic Christmas story – from the animals’ point of view. “The story was inspired by a church service I […]
’Tis the season of giving and the Ladies of Charity elves at Catholic Charities Santa’s Workshop are seeking donations, recipients and volunteers to help brighten the holidays for children in need throughout Western New York. Once again part of the WNY Holiday Partnership, Catholic Charities’ Christmas program will serve infants to teenagers. Each year, Catholic […]
As the first Christmas of World War I approached, Pope Benedict XV on Dec. 7, 1914, asked the leaders of all warring governments to agree to an official ceasefire. He begged “that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang.” Sadly, his plea was ignored by government leaders. But remarkably, […]
To help Catholic Charities’ nine food pantries meet the increased need this holiday season, Mollenberg-Betz Inc., a Western New York-based mechanical contractor, and their employees donated 570 hams at the Russell J. Salvatore Food Pantry & Outreach located at 75 Caldwell Place, Lackawanna on Dec. 17. Mollenberg-Betz gives their 200 employees a ham each Christmas, […]
