Advent prepares us for Christmas, the celebration of the Christ Child coming to us in Bethlehem, and calls us to direct our hearts and minds to await Christ’s coming again at the end of time. Therefore, Advent is a season of excitement, expectation, joy, and wonder. Join us the morning of Saturday, December 3, for our annual Advent Morning of Recollection.

Advent is an appropriate time for us, as adult believers, to spend some time deepening our relationship to the One whom we await. You are invited to our parish Advent Morning of Recollection to "Come and See…" (John 1:39) – to spend time with Jesus and learn how you are called to follow his Way in your present life circumstances. With time for prayer, input, discussion and reflection, you will begin the Advent season with a posture of receptivity that readies you for the wonderful gifts God offers you through the coming of Jesus! The celebration of the Eucharist will conclude our time together.

Sister Patricia A. Parachini, a Sister of the Holy Names, holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic University of America. A pastoral theologian, educator and a spiritual director, Sister Parachini has ministered in a variety of contexts for more than 40 years. In addition to her teaching and formation ministry at Washington Theological Union, her most recent ministries have included: Religious Literacy Project Coordinator at Georgetown University; staff chaplain in pediatrics and a faculty associate of the Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University Hospital. As a faculty member at both St. Mary’s Seminary and University and the Catholic University of America, Sister Parachini taught preaching and pastoral theology. Sister Parachini has taught preaching in summer institutes at St. Elizabeth College, CUA and Aquinas Institute. She has directed retreats, supervised ministers and spiritual directors in training and worked as a campus minister, a parish director of religious education and a teacher in both middle school and high school. For two years, she was the assistant to the director of the diocesan Catechetical Center in Kyoto, Japan.