All are welcome to come and make their own Advent Wreaths (for the table, which are different from the group making ones for the door!) following the 8:30am Mass on Sunday, November 27th in the Parish Hall at St. Francis in Belfast. A donation of $10 is requested for the materials. Please RSVP so we have enough supplies, contact Jennifer Parker after Mass or call the parish office at 236-4785.

History Highlights of the Advent Wreath from 
www.catholiceducation.org:

• The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition. Advent wreathes are used as part of our spiritual preparation for Christmas. 
• The symbolism of the Advent wreath. The wreath is made of various evergreens, signifying continuous life and are meaningful to our faith:  The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering; pine,   holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and   healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism: The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns.
• The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. A tradition is that each week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Savior. Three candles are purple and one is rose. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead. 

READ MORE AT: https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-history-of-the-advent-wreath.html