The First Week of Advent, a Christmas “Giving Tree” is set-up with gift tags with new gift items to be purchased. The gifts are to be delivered to IHM unwrapped with the gift tag attached and put under the Giving Tree as soon as possible hopefully by the 3rd Sunday of Advent. After the masses, the gift items are collected and put in the Social Ministry office and then volunteers sort the items by the organization(s) that should be distributing the donations.
Some of the organizations where IHM usually distributes the gifts/donations are: (i) the Dominican Sisters Family Health Agency in the South Bronx, (ii) the Paradise House, a residence for people with special needs on the Grand Concourse, (iii) HOPE Community Services as food pantry soup kitchen & social services agency in New Rochelle and some local families.
Annually, in early December, Parishioners of IHM are asked to take a gift tag from the tree in the Church, purchase a new gift, and return it unwrapped under the Giving Tree. Gifts are then distributed to organizations and/or familes in need. Please watch the Bulletin for your opportunity to get involved.
IHM Coordinator: Dottie Meehan. Please complete the simple form below to send an email to Dottie
Jesse Tree is a way of preparing for Advent by journeying through the stories on Jesus’s family tree. Each day of Advent, read a Bible story about someone on Jesus’s family tree and hang an ornament symbolizing the story on your Jesse Tree. As you decorate your tree, you’ll see how God prepared for Jesus to be born through many generations.
Read about Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree tradition is rooted in Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Jesse was the father of David, Israel’s greatest king. And Jesus is descended from the line of David. He is the branch God promised would grow from Jesse’s family tree. Each symbol represents a story from within this family tree and a step toward the birth of Jesus.