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| In a video created for the online Lighting the Way event, St. John Vianney in Janesville parishioner Brenda Riley provides tips on how to make Advent wreaths using items from around the house.(Contibuted photo) |
JANESVILLE — At the start of each Advent, St. John Vianney Parish in Janesville hosts an Advent-by-candlelight event called Lighting the Way for Women.
The event is designed to help women, who are typically very busy during the holidays, start their Advent off right by enjoying a peaceful evening of prayer, reflection, and fellowship.
Growing event
Each year, attendance for Lighting the Way has grown.
In 2019, more than 220 women gathered at St. John Vianney for the event.
As fall 2020 progressed, it became clear that increasing COVID concerns and limitations on gatherings would make it impossible to hold the popular event in person.
Kris Kranenburg, coordinator of adult faith formation at St. John Vianney and one of the event organizers, started to hear from women who were saddened that the gathering couldn’t take place.
“Women were sharing beautiful stories of how Lighting the Way helped them to regroup spiritually and keep their focus on the season of Advent,” said Kranenburg.
“We didn’t want to lose that, especially in 2020 when it felt like so many other things had been taken away.”
Recognizing that people were tired of tuning in for virtual events on platforms like Zoom, the decision was made to create a website that would offer a variety of content.Available online
The online version of Lighting the Way for Women (available at https://sjv.org/ltw) allows people to engage with the videos, prayers, music, and spiritual reflections when it’s convenient for them.
Women can participate individually, using the material for personal Advent meditation, or they can organize virtual watch parties with friends to enjoy videos together and recreate some of the fellowship of the in-person gathering.
“We have some amazing women at our parish who were willing to share their talents for videos,” said Marie Wallace, coordinator of religious education at St. John Vianney.
In addition to tutorials on DIY Advent wreaths, the Jesse Tree devotion, and dessert decorating, volunteers also created beautiful music videos featuring seasonal songs.
Michelle Nilsson, associate director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Madison, provided a four-part spiritual reflection entitled, “Mary as a Light for Our Path.”
“I have always been so impressed with how many women participate in this event,” said Fr. Paul Ugo Arinze, pastor of St. John Vianney Parish.
“Now, with everything accessible online, even more women can benefit from the content and hopefully have an even deeper Advent experience. I believe this is also a great opportunity to evangelize since people can easily share the link with friends and family.”
Lighting the Way online will be available throughout Advent at https://sjv.org/ltw