By Angelina O’Donnell

With the season of Advent here  campus ministry has tried to find ways to weave the holiday in with the rush of finals. 

On Thursday, November 29 there was a dinner open to members of the St. Michael’s community in celebration of the Advent season, which marks the new year in the church and is celebrated as a time of anticipation for Christmas and the birth of Christ. At the dinner, the 27 participants in attendance, which included Edmundites, students, faculty and staff, and members of the 11 a.m. worshipping community reflected upon Scriptures spoken during Advent.  

The season spanss December 2-25, said Rev. Michael Carter, S.S.E.‘12. “The word advent is a word that we see in English in some ways that can mean the start or the beginning of something,” Carter said.  

Another member of the campus who celebrates Advent is sophomore Emily Murray ‘21, a transfer student. “The school I transferred from [Scranton University] did more to celebrate than Saint Michael’s [College]” 

Even with the chaos of finals there still have been a few events on campus. Jerome Monachino ‘91, associate director of Edmundite campus, led the Advent liturgical planning group. “Although the Advent season is often busy with the stress of final exams, the liturgical scripture reminds us to rejoice, pray and be kind,” Monachino explained. 

With this in mind he and his team, started in early October and explored the Advent readings over four consecutive weeks, eventually extracting a tailored focus for the community. “It is meant to highlight the interface between Liturgical Scripture and our community,” Monachino said. They decided that this year’s theme would be, “Rejoice, and let your kindness be known to all.”