Advent Circle Garden: A Contemplative Advent Prayer Experience - December 13-18, 2025

The Advent Circle Garden was offered to the entire Catholic Communities of Oak Park and Neighbors at the St. Giles Campus as a way to experience a Contemplative Advent Prayer. Participants walked in a spiral, made of evergreen garlands, with a candle, in silence, regarding everything as they moved to the center, reflecting on the beauty and bounty of God's creation, the words of the Prophets, and the stories of Jesus coming into the world. As they walked back out of the spiral, they chose a place to set their candle down, adding their own light to the garden.

The Advent Circle Garden has its origin in the Waldorf tradition - a number of years ago, some catechists from the Family Mass Community in Oak Park adapted it for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The spiral is made of evergreen garlands, and there are pillar candles on stands at both the entrance to the spiral, and at the center. The spiral is decorated with images, scenes and articles representing the History of the Kingdom of God through the Gifts of Creation, the Messianic Prophecies, and the Infancy Narratives of Jesus’ birth.