Parishes throughout the Diocese of Trenton once again will participate in the award-winning Christmas Carol Festival, a program which unites generations as they celebrate their joyful, Christ-centered faith during the holiest of seasons.

Now in its sixth year, CCF is a blend of prayerful witness, Scripture, music and parish fellowship. The 45- to 90-minute program, which concludes with a solemn procession of a statue of the baby Jesus to the manger, is accompanied by opportunities for fellowship and invitations to future parish programs with the aim of welcoming the newly engaged or lapsed Catholics into a more active role in the Church family.

Both new and experienced CCF participants expressed excitement about the parish family evangelization project.

Resurrection Parish, Delran, will hold its program once again in their Holy Name Church worship site. The event engages many parish groups: the Boy Scout troop assists in setting up the space, the youth participate in the live Nativity scene, and numerous choir members of all ages unite to sing the Christmas carols with the audience. In past years the program has attracted nearly 200 people. “It’s just a nice lull in between all the craziness of what Christmas is NOT supposed to be,” summarized Pat Brooks, coordinator of parish family faith formation.

Co-creators John Boucher, associate director of the diocesan Ministry of Catechesis and Evangelization, and his wife Therese, an adult religious educator, were awarded the 2010 “New Wineskins” award for the Christmas Carol Festival, which is expected to be conducted at nearly two dozen parishes in the diocese and beyond beginning Nov. 30 and continuing into the early days of 2013.

Friday, Nov.  30, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Christ the Redeemer Church
426 Pine Street
Mt. Holly, NJ 08060
Contact: Parish Office, 609-261-0181, [email protected]

Friday, Nov.  30, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
St. Robert Bellarmine Parish Center
61 Georgia Road
Freehold, NJ 07728
Contact: Marty Weisman, 732-462-7038, [email protected]

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2 to 4 p.m.
St. Clare of Assisi Parish Hall (Camden Diocese)
140 Broad Street
Swedesboro, NJ  08085
Contact: Roberta Omiatek, 856-467-0037, ext. 316, [email protected]

Saturday, Dec. 1, following 6:30 p.m. Mass
St. Gregory the Great Church (Ferrante Hall)
4620 Nottingham Way
Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
Contact: Caryn Wohn, 609-918-9294, [email protected] 

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
St. Veronica School Gym
4219 Highway 9 North
Howell, NJ 07731
Contact: Sue Wurzler and CCF Ministry Team, [email protected]

TIME AND LOCATION CHANGE
Sunday, Dec. 2, 1:30 p.m. in lieu of noon
St. Catharine of Siena Parish Hall will now be held at St. Justin Church Hall, 975 Fischer Blvd.,
Toms River, NJ 089753 in lieu of 50 E St., Seaside Park, NJ  08752
Contact: Andrea Vahey, 732-814-8546, [email protected] or St. Justine Parish office at 732-270-3980

TIME AND LOCATION CHANGE
Sunday, Dec. 2, 3 p.m. in lieu of 1:30 p.m.
St. James Church (in the church in lieu of the gym)
115 E. Delaware Ave.
Pennington, NJ 08534
Contact: Lauren Walters, 609-706-0766, [email protected]

Sunday, Dec. 2, 3 p.m.
St. Joan of Arc Church
100 Willow Bend Road
Marlton, NJ 08053
Contact: Mary Bernard, 856-596-3227, [email protected]

Sunday, Dec. 2, 3 p.m.
St. Mary of the Lakes Church
40 Jackson Road
Medford, NJ 08055
Contact: Christine Brandt, 609-654-8208 ext. 113, [email protected]

Sunday, Dec. 2, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
St. James Church (Red Bank Catholic High School – Broad St. Auditorium)
112 Broad Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Contact: Ann-Marie and David DeStefano, 732-796-0793, [email protected]

Thursday, Dec. 6, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
St. David the King Church
One New Village Road
Princeton Jct., NJ 08550
Contact: Paula Dunne, 609-936-1218, [email protected]

Saturday, Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m.
St. Anthony of Padua Church
251 Franklin St.
Hightstown, NJ 08520
Contact: Rosemarie Constable, 609-448-0974, [email protected]

Sunday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m.
Divine Mercy Parish (St. Stanislaus School auditorium)
Home Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08611
Contact: Joan Buckley, 609-396-7063, [email protected] or
Office of Religious Education: 609-393-5233, ext.101, [email protected]
For updated information: www.divinemercyoftrenton.org

Sunday, Dec. 9, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
St. Alphonsus Church Hall
54 E. Prospect St.
Hopewell, NJ 08525
Contact: Gerard Mirandilla, 732- 618-7372, [email protected]

Sunday, Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m.
St. Gabriel Church
100 North Main Street
Marlboro, NJ  07746
Contact: Parish Office, 732-946-4487, [email protected]

Saturday, Dec. 15, 7   p.m.
Resurrection Parish (Holy Name Church)
260 Conrow Road
Delran, NJ 08075
Contact: Pat Brooks, 856-461-6555, [email protected]

Sunday, Dec. 16, 3 p.m.
Sacred Heart Parish Auditorium (Bartram Avenue entrance)
260 High Street
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
Contact: Merry Marcellino, 609-267-0209 ext. 305, [email protected]

Sunday, Dec. 16, 3 to 4:30 p.m.
St. Rose of Lima School gym
51 Lincoln Place
Freehold, NJ 07728
Contact:  Karen Powell, 732-462-7828, [email protected]

NEW SITE ADDED
Friday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m.
St. Joseph Church
685 Hooper Avenue
Toms River, NJ 08753
Contact: Karin Krenek, 732.349.8801 x2436, [email protected]

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, 7 p.m.
St. Raphael Parish Center
3500 South Broad Street
Hamilton, NJ 08610
Contact: Carmen Romero, 215-584-6651, [email protected]


Be sure to see our coverage of the Christmas Carol Festivals
in the December 20, 2012 issue of The Monitor