As the long-awaited day draws near it is beginning to look like Christmas in the monastery. Of course, no Christmas lights are turned on until Christmas Eve!

    The novitiate finally finished this afghan :)  Just in time for Mother Catherine Marie to give away for Christmas. Here they are pictured with our Sr. Ann Miriam who resides at Carmel Home. Sister may have been the one who began these granny squares which were found in a box a couple years ago when we did some cleaning out. The novitiate just finished them off. Sr. Ann Miriam did many works of art in her younger years - even dying her own yarn various colors!

The Third Sunday of Advent brought us the Whitesville Hoe-downers for an hour of Christmas songs with a few Gospel hymns. Our own Sr. Rose Marie got in on the act with a couple songs including "Ashoken Farewell".

 Here June Evans and the "Hoe-downers" follow Sr. Rose Marie's lead violin

Dwayne Roby gets in on the act. We so appreciate his serving at Mass on Sundays too! And don't miss Joe Payne at his left - faithfully attends daily Mass in our monastery chapel.

    This past Tuesday before Mass our chaplain announced a message of great joy - we have a Bishop-elect!   His name is Rev. William Medley (Bishop-elect Medley now!) and he is from the Louisville archdiocese - yes! a Kentuckian!

    O Come, O Come Emmanuel! Six days more until we kneel at the Crib of Redeeming Love!

* Photo of Bishop-elect Medley found on our diocesan website.