College Chaplains Plan Events to Celebrate Start of Advent

The College Chaplains and the College Choir of the College of the Holy Cross will sponsor the 28th annual Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols on Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. in St. Joseph Memorial Chapel, along with a number of other events to celebrate the start of Advent.

The festival will consist of nine Advent and Christmas scripture readings, beginning with Old Testament prophecies and concluding with the Gospels. The readings, proclaimed by various members of the College community, will be interspersed with carols performed by the College Choir including Morten Lauridsen’s “O Nata Lux” and Felix Mendelssohn’s “Sleepers, Wake.” All will be invited to join in familiar tunes such as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and Adeste Fideles.”

The College Choir and the Office of the College Chaplains have presented the Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols since December 1978. The religious service is based on one celebrated each year at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England.

Other events include:

Advent Toy Collection: Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society, will collect Christmas toys for needy children in Worcester at all chapel services the weekend of December 2-3.  Bring a new, unwrapped, nonviolent toy to Mass at 4:30 p.m. Saturday (Mary Chapel), 11:30 a.m. Sunday (St. Joseph Chapel), 7 p.m. Sunday (Mary Chapel) or 10 p.m. Sunday (St. Joseph Chapel) or to the Inter-Denominational Service of Praise and Worship at 4:30 p.m. Sunday (McCooey Chapel). Advent Reconciliation Service: Celebrate God’s unconditional forgiveness in preparation for Christmas at this service of scripture, prayer, reflection and song on Dec. 4 at 8:30 p.m. in McCooey Chapel. Assistant Chaplain Meg Fox-Kelly will preside and preach. Fathers William Clark, James Corkery, Lawrence Daka, James Hayes, Anthony Kuzniewski, James Miracky, William O’Halloran, Joseph Pomeroy, Oliver Rafferty and Edward Vodoklys will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: This Roman Catholic holyday of obligation, which is the patronal feast of the Catholic Church in the United States, falls nine months before the celebration of the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus. It celebrates the belief that Mary was free from sin from the moment she was conceived. Masses for the holyday will be celebrated on Dec. 8 at 8 a.m. (Fr. Corkery, McCooey Chapel), 12:05 p.m. (Fr. Dunn, Mary Chapel) and 10 p.m. (Fr. McFarland, Mary Chapel), and on Dec. 7 at 10 p.m. (Fr. Bruce, Mary Chapel). The Mass on Thursday evening will be in American Sign Language with voice interpretation.

Community Advent/Holiday Mass: Join President Rev. McFarland C. McFarland, S.J., for the last weekend Mass of the fall semester on Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. in St. Joseph Chapel. A reception with refreshments will follow the Mass. There will be no 7 or 10 p.m. Mass this Sunday. The Saturday (4:30 p.m.) and Sunday (11:30 p.m.) Masses will be celebrated as usual.