If your idea of celebrating Christmas involves time with family, friends and neighbors instead of strangers at a crowded mall, then Christmas Carol Festivals are for you.

Sixteen parishes in the Diocese of Trenton will once again host a CCF, a program to promote Christ-centered faith sharing during one of the most holy seasons of the liturgical year.

CCF is a 45- to 90-minute program of Scripture, music, witness and fellowship designed for Catholics of all ages. The celebration focuses upon Our Savior, the true reason for the season, and serves as a bridge for newly engaged or lapsed Catholics back to an active role in the Church family. The program concludes with a solemn procession of a statue of the infant Jesus to the manger and is followed by light refreshments and invitations to future parish events.

Christmas Carol Festivals originated in the Diocese of Trenton in 2007 and have caught on every year since. In 2010, the program was awarded the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership’s “New Wineskins” award. This year, festivals are slated at parishes throughout New Jersey and across the nation. (For a list of local CCFs, see page 24.)

Though the basic recipe of the program remains the same, participating parishes blend in their own special ingredients to tailor it to local tastes.

The CCF in St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton, has grown each year in size and enthusiasm, reported coordinator Mary Bernard. “It is a celebration of the season and of the memories we carry from our own childhood that we want to pass on,” she said. “Each year we ask the people to bring a particular figure from their Nativity scenes – this Bethlehem – and they receive a blessing.” The parish collects winter wear for local needy and holds a reception with Christmas cookies following the event.

Ann-Marie DeStefano noted this year marks the fourth annual CCF in St. James Parish, Red Bank. Organizing the highly-anticipated parish tradition engages multiple generations, as the “God Squad” youth group and hospitality committee combine to plan the important evangelization tool.

“For a month prior, we ask parishioners to invite family, friends and anyone who has been away from the Church to come and be welcomed warmly into the fold of our parish community,” DeStefano said.

“During the evening, we sing traditional Christmas carols, share stories of our various family traditions, listen to inspiring witness stories, pray together, watch the youth reenact the Nativity scene, and relax together while taking a break from the pre-Christmas rush.”

Sacred Heart Parish, Mount Holly, has seen a tremendous community response to the CCF, and coordinator Teresa Redder anticipates an even larger group at their upcoming program scheduled for Dec. 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas.

“The welcoming and inviting atmosphere in our auditorium is always like being with your caring family – warm hospitality, delicious treats and relaxed socialization,” Redder said. “The best part is how multi-generational it is, bringing together grandparents, parents, children, empty nesters and single members of the community with much smiling, loud singing and shared faith.”

She continued, “Every year, there has been a profound connection to the mystery of the Incarnation when people bring their prayer intentions to the manger (handmade by our Boy Scout troop) while everyone is singing ‘Silent Night.’  The tenderness of that moment is imprinted on the hearts of everyone there.”

Redder recalled the program changing the faith life of at least one young family. “At our last festival, I was approached by a young father who told me he had been away from the Church for several years,” she said. “He called me ‘Mrs. Redder’ and told me that he was my oldest daughter’s classmate all through high school!  The event made a big difference in his life.  He had his children baptized afterwards.”

While the parish community of St. Catharine of Siena Parish, Seaside Park, considers CCF a favorite event every year, the 2012 festival stands foremost in their collective memories, said coordinator Andrea Vahey.

“We had it at St Justin’s in Toms River after Sandy. It was a reunion of sorts, our first get together since the devastating storm forced us out of our church because no one was allowed on the island,” she said. “Displaced people were exchanging their new address and phone number info. We were all very happy to be in the same room. In time of troubles, it was wonderful to be with our people again!”