Prepare for Christ at Advent events8 min read

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These retreats and resources offer an opportunity for Catholics to prepare themselves, their homes and their families for the birth of the Christ child.

Retreats

Advent Joy: The 12th annual women’s retreat, is Sunday, Dec. 5, at St. Mary’s Church, Hammond. The event begins with 9 a.m. Mass, followed by brunch and a program. Cost is a freewill offering. Register by Nov. 29 by contacting Jackie Aune, 715-796-2241, or .

Advent Silent Day of Prayer is Sunday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at St. Anthony Retreat Center, Marathon. Presented by Sandy Setterlund, the event focuses on understanding the annunciation through silence, contemplation, imagination and reflection. Space is limited. www.sarcenter.com.

Women’s Advent Retreat is Dec. 8-11, hosted by the Jesuits on Lake Winnebago, Oshkosh. Sr. Elise Cholewinski, a Sister of St. Francis of the Holy Cross from the Diocese of Green Bay, will lead the retreat on personal preparation during the Advent season. Space is limited. www.jesuitretreathouse.org.

Advent Family Event in Ladysmith is Nov. 28 from 12-2 p.m. Activities include making Advent wreaths and children’s crafts. Lunch will be provided. Registration is requested for planning purposes at bit.ly/kadvent.

Entering Advent: A Candlelight River Walk is Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in River Falls. All are welcome to gather by the Kinnickinnic River at Veteran’s Park to walk, reflect and greet the Advent season. Please bring a candle or flashlight.

Advent and the Art of Listening to One’s Self, presented by Sr. Marla Lang, FSPA. The session, both online and at Marywood Spirituality Center, will explore resources for good listening as an Advent offering. Online Dec. 3 from 9:30-11:30 a.m., or onsite Dec. 4 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Visit marywoodsc.org/services/programs/ to register.

Praying Mary’s Magnificat: An Advent Day of Reflection is offered by Marywood Spirituality Center’s Pat Pintens both online and onsite on Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The theme will explore how the Magnificat makes clearer the understanding of God’s greatness and the invitation to participate in divine expansion. Register by Dec. 2 at marywoodsc.org/services/programs.

Advent Retreat at St. Peter the Fisherman, Eagle River, will be presented by Fr. Aaron Devett from 8:30 a.m. to noon Dec. 4. Retreat includes Mass, a talk, discussion, prayer, adoration and reconciliation.

Resources

Project Nazareth is offering a free four-week Advent series, running Nov. 21 to Dec. 25, to help families prepare for the coming of Jesus. Project Nazareth is based off Sunday’s readings and the catechism, geared toward families with children in preschool through fifth grade, and is offered by the Archdiocese of Boston. Includes access to Nazareth Nights, a virtual gathering for community among all Project Nazareth users. To join, visit www.evangelizeboston.com/pages/projectnazareth.

Catholic Current, from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, offers Advent parish and family resources including prayers, information on relevant saints, articles on living the faith, bulletin inserts and more. Visit catholiccurrent.org/resources-for-advent.

“Jotham’s Journey” story series: Catholic Herald reporter Jenny Snarski and her family will be reading a family story for Advent on the WonderStuffed YouTube channel. Find them on Facebook and Instagram by searching WonderStuffed or Jenny Larks. The book – “Jotham’s Journey” by Arnold Ytreeide – can be purchased on Amazon to follow along.

Advent Traditions Game is at goodgroundpress.com/resources/advent. Scroll down to the Advent Traditions Game free printable. Designed to be played as a game, the questions and activities could also be conversation starters for meal time or in the car.

MyAdvent online calendar: Free to create, you can make your own Advent calendar to share with friends and family including photos, voice messages and videos. Visit myadvent.net for more information.

Busted Halo’s Advent resources: Includes a digital twist on an Advent calendar and InstaAdvent Photo Challenge on Instagram, a quick refresher about what Advent is and a link to “10 Meaningful Advent Traditions to Try This Year.” Visit bustedhalo.com/advent-resources for more information.