Dear Friend of Annunciation Parish & School, Friday, December 8th, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A “solemnity” is the highest ranking feast on the Catholic Church’s Calendar. This feast day is also a Holy Day of Obligation. Our Masses here at Annunciation Parish will be at 8:15 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The Immaculate Conception cel- ebrates the fact that Mary, herself, was free from sin from the moment she was conceived in her mother’s womb. The December 8th Solemnity of the Immac- ulate Conception is celebrated exactly nine months prior to the September 8th Feast of the Nativity (Birth) of Mary! There is a famous tapestry in the Reims Cathedral which is made up of fifteen tableaux connected to Mary’s life. Tableaux VI, “The Perfection of Mary", is full of symbols regarding Mary’s Immac- ulate Conception. View this tapestry and learn more about it’s symbolism at the University of Dayton’s Mary Page here. Sincerely, Dr. Sandi Chakeres, Director of Faith Formation Immaculate Conception Holy Day Special points of interest: Please remember to return all gifts to our Advent Giving Tree in church no later than this Sunday, December 10! Thank you! How do you celebrate Advent in your home? Share your ideas and photos with us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook to get all our latest news and see all our latest photos! Our Lady of Guadalupe ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY PARISH December 8, 2017 FIAT: Faith In Action Today Annunciation Parish & School Religious Education/Faith Formation News Dr. Sandra Chakeres Director of Faith Formation 513-861-1295 [email protected] www.annunciationbvmparish.org www.facebook.com/annunciationbvmparish **Icon at top left of page: Archangel Gabriel (Annunciation), 16th Century, Russian Heritage, Location: Andrei Ru- blev Museum in Moscow. Used with permission of St. Isaac of Syria Skete (Orthodox Byzantine Icons, Inc.); 25266 Pilgrims Way, Boscobel, WI 53805 www.skete.com We celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Decem- ber 12th. In the year 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared in Mexico to Juan Diego. Mary appeared as a young, pregnant Aztec woman. When the local bishop didn’t believe this vision of Juan Diego, Mary provided a sign - roses in De- cember! Mary’s image, as she appeared to Juan Diego, mi- raculously appeared on his tilma. Through the centuries this cloak has remained intact, and is on display above the altar at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico. FIAT NEWSLETTER