Advent literally means “coming,” and it is celebrated by many Catholics as a time of preparation. We look to the coming of Christ and work to spread His message of love and hope with all whom we encounter.
While many people in the world prepare for Christmas in myriad ways, the students and staff at St. Lawrence Seminary High School prepare for it in one very special way: through their participation in Angel Tree, a Prison Fellowship program.
Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit focused on restoring the hope of Jesus Christ to those affected by incarceration, developed the Angel Tree program to connect imprisoned parents with local parishes who offer to donate Christmas gifts to the prisoner’s children in the name of the incarcerated parent.
St. Lawrence Seminary is one such parish that participates in this program and attempts to form a bond between the incarcerated parent and his/her children. This year marked SLS’s 19th year participating in the program.
In 1997, Fr. Gary Wegner, a Capuchin friar and then-teacher on the Hill, and Mrs. Margie Buelow, SLS’s Liturgical Minister, discussed the possibility of taking on a new ministry opportunity for the school. This started the participation in the Angel Tree project. The year SLS got involved with Angel Tree, 20 children received gifts from their parents through the generosity and work of the students and staff at SLS. This year, that number has grown to over 100. This is a ministry that is embraced by the entire school community and one that brings much joy to all involved.
While every grade level has a designated role in the preparation of this ministry, the work really begins in the fall, when Mrs. Buelow receives the names of the children that St. Lawrence will sponsor. The children’s incarcerated parents are responsible for signing their children up for the program and filling out a “wish list” for the parish’s use. When Mrs. Buelow receives those lists, she and several other staff members call the guardians the children are living with to verify their preferences.
Throughout the second quarter, the Sunday Mass collection is allocated to the Angel Tree ministry. This is accumulated from student, staff, and visitor donations. The next step involves the juniors, along with other staff members, as they head out shopping for the first angels. Children receive two gifts from the school, usually one of clothing and another of a toy. The juniors look for the best gifts to maximize the money designated per child.
Once the gifts are bought, a process that takes several trips, they must be wrapped. This job is entrusted primarily to the sophomores. Mrs. Buelow sets up a workshop of wrapping paper, bows, and tape (again, often donated by staff members), and students and staff individually wrap each child’s gifts. Next, the freshmen write letters to the incarcerated parent, sharing with them what gifts were given in their name as well as wishing them blessings on their Christmas.
The final step of the process is entrusted to the seniors, as they are charged with delivering the packages to the families. The gifts are assembled in chapel and blessed during Mass on the final Sunday that students are on campus before Christmas. The community looks over their efforts and prays for all of those touched by imprisonment. The seniors are then driven by staff members to deliver the gifts. This is a transformative experience for some seniors, as they often get hugs, tears, and grateful thanks. Senior Nathan Ocon said, “We heard a little girl inside, who must have seen us, yell, ‘We’ve got presents!’ It was pretty cute.”
What began as a small project many years ago has grown tremendously, as SLS tries to spread the hope-filled message of a small birth in a faraway land in a faraway time. It is one small way that the community prepares for the coming of Christ’s birth and truly embraces the meaning of Advent.