Cardinal Cupich celebrates Simbang Gabi Mass in Gurnee

In the nine days leading up to Christmas, Filipino Catholics around the Archdiocese of Chicago gather at various parishes to celebrate the annual Simbang Gabi novena.

Pope marks 800th anniversary of Nativity scene, asks prayers for Holy Land

Away in a cave near Greccio, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi had the first Nativity scene — a live one — staged for the faithful on Christmas Eve in 1223. A 15th-century fresco now decorating the cave inspired the Nativity scene erected in St. Peter’s Square for the 800th anniversary celebrations.

Where’s the baby?

When do you put the baby Jesus in your Nativity scene? Do you include the infant in the manger when you set the Nativity scene up? If you set it up before Christmas Eve, that is. Or do you hold off and let the Christ child make his grand entrance on Christmas morning?

Giving trees a part of Christmas charity at parishes

Fifty years ago, Margaret Hilliard, a parishioner at St. Gilbert Parish in Grayslake, read about giving trees in a magazine and thought it would be a good thing for her church to try.

Archdiocese’s 'Twelve Days of Christmas’ extends holiday celebration

Many people, when they wake up on the morning of Dec. 26, think Christmas is over. It’s time to put away the decorations and stow the wrapping paper for another year.

St. Damian students learn to sign Christmas songs

When music teacher Lynn Kingsbury at St. Damian School in Oak Forest learned that her students wouldn’t be allowed to sing in class because of COVID-19 restrictions, she made a dream of hers into reality — teaching the students how to sing in American Sign Language.

COVID-19 doesn’t stop Catholic Charities toy drive at basilica

For over 20 years, the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Queen of All Saints Basilica Parish, 6280 N. Sauganash Ave., has held its “Shared Christmas” program to collect toys, clothing and sundries during Advent for clients of Catholic Charities and other organizations in Chicago. The group would put tags on giving trees in the church with specific names and needs for parishioners to take home and purchase items to donate.

Group holds Christmas party for the homeless

Over 100 volunteers from Caridades de la Cruz offered food, clothing, showers and haircuts to 125 of the area’s homeless at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 21, 2019.

Pope's homily: Christmas says, 'You are loved'

Christmas night tells each person, no matter how poor or sinful, that they are utterly and totally loved by God, Pope Francis said as he celebrated Jesus' birth.

Keeping Christmas

This Christmas season, we plan to attend a Simbang Gabi Mass for the first time. It’s not so much that we are seeking out the traditional Filipino pre-Christmas novena to the Blessed Mother. It’s more that we have to be picking up Caroline from the train station at the time we would usually be at Mass for the last Sunday before Christmas, and the Saturday vigil Mass at our parish that weekend is part of the novena.
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