Denver Catholic

ADVENT I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I DECEMBER 3, 2014 THE SAINT BEHIND SANTA CLAUS The true story of Santa Claus be- gins with St. Nicholas, whose feast day is widely celebrated Dec. 6. Nicholas, who was born in the fourth century in a province of Asia Minor called Patara, obtained his wealthy parents' inheritance after they died. Raised a Christian, he decided to follow Christ's words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor." He used his en - tire inheritance to assist the needy, the sick and the suffering. In the Netherlands and Belgium, historic accounts say he arrived and rode a white horse to distribute gifts. He later became the bishop of Myra and earned a reputation for gen- erosity and love for children. While a bishop, Nicholas suffered for his faith. Under the Roman emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecut- ed Christians, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned. Yet prisons were packed with clergy and there was no room for criminals. St. Nicholas was released from prison and he attended the Coun - cil of Nicaea in 325 A.D. He died Dec. 6, 343 A.D. and was buried in Myra where pilgrims travel to visit his tomb. In Europe, his feast day is cele- brated as the main day for gift giving. In the Netherlands, candies are thrown at the doors of homes. Dutch children will leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping for gifts from St. Nicholas in return. In the United States, some celebrate by having children leave their shoes out so St. Nicholas can fill them with candy. St. Nicholas is also the patron saint of sailors and ships and is venerated by Catholics and Ortho- dox communities. BY JULIE FILBY Every Christmas, churches fill beyond capacity with con- gregations made up of weekly Mass-goers, "Christmas Cath- olics," Christians on-the-fence, lapsed Catholics, non-believers and everyone in between. Infrequent Mass-goers don't always know the words to prayers during Mass, some don't realize preparing for the liturgy is generally best done in silence, and others are not ac- customed to genuflecting, mak- ing the sign of the cross or other active parts of prayer. Instead of approaching the scenario with an "us and them" mentality, regular pew sitters are encouraged to greet guests with warmth and courtesy, re- gardless of how many punches they may—or may not—have on their Mass card. "At Christmas, one out of three people attending Mass will be coming for their once-a- year visit to church because of a tug on their heart to go back to the roots of their faith, or a sense of obligation," said Irene Lindemer, director of commu - nications at St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial. "What a great opportunity," she added. "Maybe we'll touch their hearts and they'll realize how beautiful the faith is." Nearly all Americans, 95 per- cent, celebrate Christmas and of these, slightly more than half described the holiday as "strongly religious" for them, according to a 2010 Gallup poll, continuing an upward trend observed over 20 years. The poll found of the majority incorpo - rating religion into their holiday celebration, 62 percent attend- ed services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Lindemer and the parish staff began asking: How will we wel- come these guests? "Will we be upset that they took our parking place? Or that they are sitting in 'our' pew?" she said. "Do we feel superior because we are here every Sun- day and they only come once a year?" That's not an uncommon re- sponse, said Msgr. Thomas Fr- yar, pastor at St. Thomas More Parish. "We almost always react at first with why it shouldn't hap- pen that way," he said, "as op- posed to letting God's grace and blessing take us to where we may not normally go." Maybe the "regulars" in a congregation should ask a dif- ferent question, he continued, such as: What could be done differently so that these annual visitors come more often? "We are responsible for the lives of our brothers and sis- ters," he said. "What are we do- ing to let them know they really are welcome at the table of the Lord?" This year, St. Thomas More Parish is launching an initiative dubbed "Making Room in the Inn" to welcome everyone that makes up the Christmas con- gregation. The campaign will include banners, posters, lumi- naries and carolers dressed as shepherds to greet people upon their arrival; outdoor greeters and parking attendants to help car and foot traffic navigate the active setting and find both a parking spot and a seat; every- one will receive a program and a gift; and a special invitation will be extended to guests to sit in the church to allow them to fully experience the liturgy. At the most-attended Christ- mas Eve Mass, a 4 p.m. liturgy that draws 3,000 to the church that holds about 1,000, three live Masses, instead of video streams, will be celebrated: in the church, the neighboring parish hall (McCallin Hall) and the school gym. "Rather than sitting in your 'regular spot' in the church, (we're asking weekly parishio- ners to) sit in McCallin Hall or the school gym so our visitors can sit in the church," sug- gested Lindemer, or to come to a different Mass that typi- cally has seating such as Mid- night Mass or early Christmas Day. "Imagine if each of us did something extra this Christmas at church, what a difference we could make." This type of hospitality isn't unique to the Centennial par- ish, Msgr. Fryar said, but is of- fered at other parishes as well. "Hopefully what we're seeing is part of the reflection of what is in the hearts and minds of Catholics all over the world," he said, "as we prepare to not only welcome our Lord and the cel- ebration of this birth at Christ- mas but also as we prepare to welcome our brothers and sis- ters in the family of God." For more information, visit www.stthomasmore.org or call 303-770-1155. Julie Filby: 303-715-3123; julie. filby@archden.org; www.twitter. com/DCRegisterJulie Christmas traditions: Making room at the inn How to welcome Christmas Catholics GREETER Thomas Gunning welcomes pa- rishioners to Sunday Mass at St. Thomas More Church in Centenni- al Nov. 30. Greeters, and others in the parish, will welcome guests to Christmas Masses through a new campaign titled "Making Room in the Inn." introduce him to others like a husband would introduce his wife or parents their children. "If Jesus Christ is our first love we will want to share him with everybody, with every person we meet," Archbishop Aquila said. Franciscan Sister Rosa Suazo has shared Christ during her 61 years as a nun and her work ministering to migrant work- ers in Colorado. "I helped get clothes and shoes and drove them to doc- tors' appointments," Sister Suazo recalled. "I helped inter- pret for them. Many went on to be successful and their chil- dren went to college." Dominican novices and Ca- puchin Friars celebrated as altar servers at the Mass. Sev- eral communities of religious orders attended including Car- melites, Dominicans, Francis- cans, Poor Clares and Mission- aries of Charity. "I'm excited about the Year of Consecrated Life because it calls attention to this physical life where we are called to serve the Kingdom of God," said Capuchin Brother Jason Moore, 35, who is studying to be a priest. Brother Moore was planning to be a doctor when he heard a "cry from God" to join religious life. For Franciscan Sister Cecilia Linenbrink, her calling came 70 years ago when she was a young woman. "God is so good," she said. "I have so much gratitude for life." The Year of Consecrated Life runs through Feb. 2, 2016. • Sister Cecilia Linenbrink, O.S.F., 70 years • Sister Mary Sean Crimmins, R.S.M., 65 years • Sister Bernadette Teasdale, S.C.L., 60 years • Sister Marie Virginia Lovato, S.C., 60 years • Sister Rosa Suazo, O.S.F., 61 years • Sister Mary Jo Anzik, S.C.L., 50 years • Sister Patricia Hayden, S.C., 50 years • Sister Maureen Kehoe, S.C.L., 50 years • Sister Rita Moriarty, C.S.J., 50 years • Sister Renee Washut, S.C.L., 50 years • Sister Sharon Ford, R.S.M., 50 years • Sister Mary Francesca Igweilo, O.P., 25 years • Sister Jennifer Otuonye, D.M.M.M., 25 years Joy From Page 1 PHOTO BY DAVE RICH ARCHBISHOP TO HOST CHRISTMAS TELEFORUM The Archdiocese of Denver is launching a new opportunity for the faithful of northern Colorado to connect with Archbishop Samuel Aq- uila through live TeleForum events. The first TeleForum, a phone call initiated by the archbishop, will take place 7 p.m. Dec. 21. Titled "En- ter the Mystery," the event will feature a Christmas message from the archbishop, specific ways for Catholics to live the season more intentionally, time for Q-and-A with the archbishop, and a chance for participants to leave feedback. The call is open to everyone and pa- rishioners can sign up at http://vekeo.buzz/sa. For more information, call 303-715-3230, email info@archden.org or visit www.archden.org. SISTERS HONORED FOR SERVICE

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