Advent went pretty quick and the approach of Ordinary Time on January 9th comes even faster. As we’ve done in the past, we share some deliberately belated Christmas photos to both share what a monastery Christmas is like and to prolong the Joy of the Incarnation for all!
This year was something of a record for us in another way, it was the earliest we ever decorated for Christmas as Archbishop Shelton Fabre, administering the Diocese of Knoxville until a new bishop is appointed, stopped by for a short visit on December 20th. If cocoa, coffee, tea, and cookies were offered, it made sense to have the tree and lights up too. Only the Mass Chapel remained unadorned until the last “week” (hours) of Advent.
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- Lumps of coal? Not quite. Oreo “Truffles” at the first stage.
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- There is no lack of volunteers when cookie decorating is happening.
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- Freshly dipped truffles get a little make-up.
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- Chocolate and White Chocolate.
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- A treat for the eye but way much more for the mouth!
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- Formation Group tackles the nine foot tree. A grabber and ladder help.
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- Sister irons table runners.
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- Preparing a generous gift of poinsettias for Chapel decorating.
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- Gunther checks in on the chaos…
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- Gunther approves of the finished tree so long as he is the only gift.