NEWS FROM PAGES PAST
50 years ago — Dec. 25, 1964
This Nativity scene brought to an inspiring close the four-act Christmas drama by the well-known English author Robert Hugh Benson presented at Sacred Hearts Academy on Sunday. Songs by the Choristers and Christmas numbers by grade school pupils proved delightful intermissions. Our Blessed Mother was portrayed by Esther Pfunter and St. Joseph by Patricia Coiner. The angels were Sandra Nishimura (kneeling) and (left to right) Sandra Lamansky, Bonnie Cullen, Kimberly Buckman, Rosanna Lambert, Elnette Like, El Nora Nobriga, and Alvina Hinch.
25 years ago — Dec. 15, 1989
The-4th-Sunday-of-Advent-Christmas-Vigil-Mass-Schedule-Scrunch
It’s a once-in-a-childhood occurrence (the last time it happened was 11 years ago). The fourth Sunday of Advent is Christmas Eve!
While kids may be rejoicing because they don’t have to sweat out a fourth week of Advent before the arrival of their most favorite day of the year, pastors and other non-children are stocking up on Excedrin.
This year, Christmas and the feast of Mary, the Mother of God (New Year’s Day), both holy days of obligation, follow Sundays. Add to that the tradition of evening and vigil Masses and the result is a potential Mass schedule nightmare. …
Bishop Ferrario sent a letter last month to pastors addressing the scheduling problem. “If we are not careful,” he wrote, “the weekend of Dec. 23-25 could drive parish staffs, liturgical ministers and musicians, not to mention our parishioners, into a state of frenzied exhaustion to the detriment of the liturgies for both the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas.”
10 years ago — Dec. 17, 2004
Immaculate Conception: Church marks 150th anniversary of difficult dogma
Pope John Paul II is leading celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Immaculate Conception, a dogma that many modern Catholics do not fully understand.
The Vatican is hosting a four-day International Mariological Congress to mark the event, attended by Marian experts – Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant – from all over the world. Participants were to join the pope for a commemorative liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
The festivities also include a special “Concert for Immaculate Mary” in the Vatican’s audience hall, featuring a number of pieces written in her honor. …