The following parishes have informed the Catholic Courier about their upcoming Advent activities and offerings.
• Teens in the youth group at the Fairport parishes of Church of the Assumption and Church of the Resurrection will have a cookie decorating party via Zoom Dec. 20, using cookies and supplies they picked up earlier in the week.
• St. Rita Parish in Webster is hosting an Advent Extravaganza, a drive-through event which will take place Dec. 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the church parking lot, 1008 Maple Drive. The event will feature light and music displays, living Nativity scenes, a mailbox to drop off cards for baby Jesus, and handouts of ornament kits and treats, as well as an opportunity for socially distanced photos with St. Nicholas. The parish’s virtual Advent Service of Lessons and Carols is available to view on the parish’s website and Facebook page.
• St. Monica Parish, located at 34 Monica St. in Rochester, will host a drive-through Christmas parade Dec. 20 from 11 a.m. until noon in the church parking lot. Participants will receive a Christmas blessing and a gift, and are invited to bring their own jingle bells in order to make a joyful noise. Bikers are welcome.
• A chamber ensemble Christmas concert will be livestreamed from St. Patrick Church in Victor at 4 p.m. Dec. 20.
• All are invited to participate in St. Benedict Parish’s Amazing Advent Adventure. The Ontario County parish’s online initiative provides a wealth of information, videos and suggestions for those wishing to embrace the Advent season. Parishioners also are invited to record and submit short, Christmas-related videos to be included in the Parish Family 2020 Christmas Video Scrapbook.
• Holy Spirit Parish in Webster and St. Joseph Parish in Penfield are offering an Advent small-group study series for adults via Zoom each Monday at 1 p.m. Father Jim Schwartz, pastor, and Cathy Kamp, pastoral associate, will facilitate the study sessions, which will examine Pope Francis’ most recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, and how it can help Catholics enter into the spirit of the Advent season.
The parishes also will livestream a virtual Advent prayer service Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. The recording from a Dec. 7 virtual prayer service also is available.
• The staff of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mendon created an online Advent calendar with daily suggested activities. Parishioners and staff submitted photos of the creches in their homes, which were used to create a virtual creche display on the parish website.
• Father Gary Tyman and the staff at Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Anne in Brighton created a video about creches, which is available online.
• St. Martin de Porres Parish in Caledonia, Scottsville and Churchville is collecting new and gently used coats, blankets, comforters, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and boots, as well as new socks in all sizes. All items will be donated to Livingston County Catholic Charities, and this collection will continue through March. Donations may be brought to St. Columba Church, 198 North St., Caledonia, each Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Someone will be at the Knights of Columbus room, next to the rectory garage, to receive donations.
• St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Irondequoit held a virtual parishwide Advent retreat Dec. 6, 7 and 8. During the retreat, Deacon Lon Smith, Father Lance Gonyo, Sister Karen Dietz and Deacon Jonathan and Jodi Schott discussed ways to continue loving, inspiring and transforming during the Advent season, even during a pandemic. A recording of the retreat are available on the parish’s website and Facebook page.
• St. Marianne Cope Parish in Rush and Henrietta is offering Advent prayer videos each Monday, Wednesday and Friday during Advent. The videos will be posted on the parish website by 9 a.m. each day.
St. Marianne Cope parishioners also were asked to submit photos of their families with their Advent wreaths, Christmas trees or creches. The photos will be used to create a video, which will be posted on the parish website or shown before Christmas liturgies.
• St. Francis and St. Clare Parish in Waterloo and Seneca Falls has asked parishioners to send in photos of their lit Advent wreaths each week, which are used to create a weekly slideshow posted on the parish’s Facebook page.
