The Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, 3808 W. Iowa St., hosted its annual Christmas party for West Humboldt Park residents on Dec. 8, 2018. More than 1,200 guests received on-site holiday lunches, Christmas gifts. For most attendees, these are the only holiday gifts they will receive.
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.
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.
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.