Live Nativity Brings Christmas To Life; Children’s Christmas Party and Candlelight Mass
HAMBURG, N.Y. – A Live Nativity will bring the Christmas story to life during Hilbert College’s 22nd annual Christmas celebration at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, 2019. The celebration will include a children’s Christmas party and, new this year, a Candlelight Mass at 4 p.m. in St. Clare Chapel. Christmas at Hilbert is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of new toys/gifts for children (10-13 years old) to be distributed by Baker Victory Services.
Featuring the Holy Family, shepherds, angels, the three wise men, and animals in a small outdoor stable, the Live Nativity will take place at 2 p.m. in the campus quad near the Campus Center.
The Live Nativity dates back to 1223, when it was recreated by St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, which is the spiritual foundation of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, Hilbert’s founding congregation.
Immediately following the Live Nativity, the holiday celebration will move indoors for the children’s Christmas party in the Hafner Recreation Center. Free photos with Santa will be available at the party, which will also include Christmas games and arts & crafts. Cookies and hot chocolate will be provided. A Candlelight Vigil Mass of the Second Sunday of Advent will take place in St. Clare Chapel on the Hilbert College Campus at 4 p.m. All are welcome.
Saturday, December 7
2:00 – Live Nativity in the Main Quad
2:15 – Children’s Christmas Party in Hafner Recreation Center
4:00 – Candlelight Mass in St. Clare Chapel
Christmas at Hilbert is sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry, Hilbert Student Government Association, and various student clubs. More information on the children’s party is available by contacting Jessica Todd at 926-8932 or jtodd@hilbert.edu. For more information on the Live Nativity or the Candlelight Mass, please contact Mamie Smith, msmith@hilbert.edu.
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 800 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.