Dear friend,

Advent is a time of preparation. As the day commemorating Our Savior’s birth approaches, we prepare ourselves. We may go to Confession, or pray around an Advent wreath. We may send out Christmas cards, or light a candle for our personal intentions. We may wrap presents, or give donations so other families have presents to unwrap.

This issue of Oblates offers articles to help you prepare during this Advent season. Inside, you will find an article about the Oblates’ work in East St. Louis, Illinois, which happens to be my hometown and one of the poorest areas in the country. Every Christmas, a few of the Oblates try to help East St. Louis families find reasons to celebrate the holiday season.

To help you prepare spiritually, we have included an article about Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast day is December 12. Learn about Our Lady’s appearance to St. Juan Diego, and also learn about the Shrines devoted to her — the original in Mexico City, and now, a new devotional site built here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Missionary Association staff on winning a Direct Marketing Association (DMA) ECHO Award. This prestigious achievement honors excellence. I thank the Marketing Department for their creativity, and I would also like to recognize everyone at the Missionary Association for their dedication. We are blessed to have such a hard-working staff. So much preparation went into earning this award.

As December 25 draws near, let us prepare our hearts for the coming of our Savior. By preparing spiritually, we will better appreciate the gift of Our Lord.

In the Love of the Christ Child,
Father Tom Singer, O.M.I., Director