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| It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... |
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...at the Monastery
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As Christmas approaches, preparations at the monastery swing into high gear. In addition to the Sisters’ individual preparations for the holidays, there are rooms to be decorated, monastery gifts to be prepared and delivered, cards to be signed, cookies to be baked, and community gatherings to attend. The bulletin board is full of opportunities to sign up to volunteer: to organize get-togethers, to assist in greeting guests, and, of course, to help clean up! Everyone shares in the work of making this most holy of seasons a true time for the community to celebrate. |
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| Sister Kathleen McNamara admires the Christmas tree in the Community Room. |
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| These Santas (some filled with candy) were made and given to the community by Thanh Ngo who works as part of the monastery cleaning staff. |
Celebrations of the season have already begun. The Sisters decorated the community tree on Saturday and Sister Patricia blessed the tree at a community gathering after supper on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. “Uncle Pete” Zonsius and two helpers, T.J. and Jamie Harrington, stopped by the monastery on Saturday morning to deliver gifts to the Sisters in the infirmary. |
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| Sister Dorothy visits with Uncle Pete's helpers, T.J. and Jamie Harrington. |
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It has been unseasonably warm in Chicago, so Sister Patricia Cielinski was able to decorate the windowsills (with evergreen branches from our own backyard) in short sleeves! |
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| Sister Rita has made the outside of the monastery beautiful with lights, including these two sheep outside the windows of the infirmary. | Although she has already finished scarves for the infirmary staff, Sister Mercedes continues to crochet gifts for the season. | |||
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| Sister Mary Alice takes a break from baking Christmas cookies to visit with Sister Patricia Crowley and Uncle Pete. |
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