On Friday, December 12, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC) hosted their annual Christmas at the Center (CATC) event in Cana Hall. This holiday celebration, which welcomes attendees of all ages, has been a beloved tradition within the community for over a decade. PHJC Sisters and members of the associate community volunteered their time to make the celebration special for all those who participated.
“When people think about coming to the Center at Donaldson, they are often thinking about adults coming to church,” Sister Deb Davis, PHJC said. “While that is indeed something we offer, we consider inviting people to continue their spiritual life with us and giving kids an intergenerational connection to be important as well.”
This year, CATC featured a wide array of activities, including several crafts. Attendees were able to decorate Christmas cookies, color ornaments, and use stickers to add some Christmas cheer to picture frames. They could also write letters to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas this year. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer dropped by to greet the kids and pose for photos with them. The kids even had the opportunity to chat with Old Saint Nick himself and join him for a picture.
“It’s wonderful that we can bring the children here to learn about others who live with faith, hope, and love,” Sister Margaret Anne Henss said. “The concept of Santa isn’t just about giving gifts; it’s also about giving peace and love to one another, which is the most important part.”
Each young attendee was gifted a goodie bag that contained a coloring book, a PHJC “Holy Cow” stuffed animal, a MoonTree Studios sticker, and even a light-up tambourine. Each child was also given a walking reindeer toy after visiting Santa.
“We try to make this event festive for families that might be unable to have a really celebratory Christmas,” Sister Connie Bach, PHJC said. “The bags that each child receives when they come in contain flyers that share information about the different things that happen here. We’re here to give them a great Christmas celebration, while also trying to let them know what’s available if they want to come back for retreats or spiritual direction.”
Families could also join several PHJC Sisters in the Emmaus Café for an interactive reading of the Nativity story. The children followed along with the narrative, placing stickers of important people and objects in the provided books. For Sister Deb, Christmas at the Center is much more than just a conventional celebration of the holiday season.
“The focus on Jesus and bringing people closer to him is what I think about during Christmas time,” Sister Deb said. “It’s about Santa Claus, but it’s also about presence. Presents are nice too, but presence is the first and foremost.”
