Winter has arrived and there is never a dull moment at the Monastery ~ especially when we experience all of the wonderful events that take place during this time. Take a few moments to see all of the happenings at Our Lady of Grace.
Advent
Advent is a wonderful time at the Monastery. Advent causes us to be patient as we wait for the arrival of the Christ child. It is a holy time filled with anticipation. At Vespers on Saturday and Sunday evenings, the community is led into chapel by a single candle carried by the Prioress.
Christmas Eve
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year at the Monastery. Since we observe the time of Advent as a very special, we do not begin decorating for Christmas until mid December. The trees go up and decorations begin to appear throughout the entire Monastery. On Christmas Eve we gather in Chapel for the blessing of the Christmas crib prior to Evening Prayer. Our Christmas Eve is celebration for the community. Led by singing angels our of Chapel to the dining room, we gather for a pitch-in dinner enjoying many different dishes prepared by various sisters. We then gather in the Assembly Room for games, fun and a visit from not only Santa Claus but Mrs. Claus as well!
Christmas
The celebration of Christmas ramps up even more on the actual day. The sounds in our Chapel are absolutely beautiful as the bell choir and Schola share their musical gifts. Our Liturgy welcomes the Christ child with joyful voices. We are blessed to have family members and friends join us for Mass and our wonderful Christmas dinner. It is a day where we truly see the many blessing we have in our lives.
