Advent in our International Congregation

For around 2.5 billion Christians worldwide, Advent is a very special time in the Church year: a time full of anticipation and preparations for Christmas, the celebration of the incarnation of our Lord. A time of silence, reflection, and diverse traditions.

We wanted to take a closer look at these traditions and asked the members of our multinational and multicultural community how Advent is celebrated in their home countries. The result: there are many similarities! At all our locations, festive Advent services are celebrated, candles are lit on Advent wreaths, and the doors of Advent calendars are opened every day in December. The wait for Christmas is also used everywhere as a time of prayer and spiritual reflection. And light plays an important role: lights in dark times, the star on the horizon: for the Lord is coming. But there are also differences.

Germany

In Germany, on the eve of December 6, children place their nicely polished shoes or boots outside the front door – and in the morning, they find small gifts and sweets from St. Nicholas. The “Stutenkerl”, a traditional German pastry, is also said to represent this Saint. In the past, as a sign of blessing, the pastry was given to the sick or those who were unable to attend church.

The beginning of Advent is celebrated in the Motherhouse Church in Münster with a particularly solemn vespers service. During the service, a priest lights the first candle on the Advent wreath while the Sisters sing the song “Wir sagen Euch an den lieben Advent…” (We announce to you the beloved Advent…). For several years now, a festive charity concert with Christmas carols has also been held in the Motherhouse Church in aid of Johannes Hospice in Münster. 400 candles burned at the “Christmas Carols 2025” on December 7, 2025, with the Münster Concert Choir; many children also took part. The impressive light show and our organist Markus Schröder also contributed to the great success of the concert.

I remember a tradition from my elementary school days: during Advent, every child who had done a good deed placed a straw in the manger so that the divine child could be softly bedded at Christmas.

Sister M. Benedikte

What would Advent be without cookies? At our Motherhouse in Münster, our Vietnamese Sisters baked lots of cookies with Sister M. Vera and then decorated them with chocolate with Sister M. Rita in the Generalate kitchen. The Sisters also traveled to the convent in Kroge for an Advent visit.

Poland

In many areas of Poland, children symbolically bring light to people’s homes, and nativity scenes and Advent cribs are lovingly crafted in monasteries. The Sisters of our Polish Province offer spiritual and material assistance by organizing Christmas packages for the needy, and offering meetings and conversations with socially marginalized people.

One of the most characteristic features of Advent in Poland is the Rorate Mass – a liturgy celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the early hours of the morning, usually before sunrise. Participants bring candles or lanterns symbolizing the expectation of the coming “Light of the World” – Jesus Christ.

Sister M. Teresa

In Oldrzychowice in our Polish Province, Sister M. Franciska Wanat and several volunteers organized a visit from St. Nicholas for children affected by the flood disaster of September 2024. Fifty-two children took part in the event and spent a wonderful afternoon together.

USA

In the USA, Advent calendars have 25 doors because Christmas is not celebrated on Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Day, December 25.

I love to sing Advent songs to prepare for the coming of our Lord. I discovered Handel’s Messiah about 40 years ago and listen to it often. When I was a child the crib was very special in our home. In the Novitiate we practiced the spiritual building of the crib with special thoughts each day. 

Japan

In our convent in Himeji, we have been using purple and pink candles for about 20 years, which we brought back from the Korean mission. Purple represents repentance, pink represents joy. As the colors of the candles change from three deep purple to three light purple and then to one pink candle, Christmas draws nearer.

Our community has adopted the tradition of the Missionaries of creating a “spiritual manger.” We prepare to welcome Christ by building this manger and laying “straw” in our hearts, gathering prayers, sacrifices, and good deeds.

Sister M. Laetitia

Indien

In some regions of India, rose cookies, kulkuls, and fruit bread are baked during Advent. Through social media and parish groups, many also take part in charity activities and outreach programs, making Advent a time not only for spiritual preparation but also for sharing love and joy with others.

In India, a land rich in prayer, color, and celebration, we understand deeply what it means to wait with expectation — for the monsoon rains, for the harvest, for light to overcome darkness. As we light the Advent candles, I am reminded of the diyas (lamp) we light during Diwali — both shining as symbols of hope and the triumph of light over darkness, of God’s presence in our lives.

To all my sisters around the world: may this Advent help us rediscover the beauty of waiting — not with anxiety, but with peace and trust. May our hearts become humble cradles of hope, ready to receive the Prince of Peace. And may our lives, wherever we are, shine like little lamps, spreading the warmth and light of Christ’s love to all we meet.

Sister M. Renita

We would like to thank the Sisters of our international Congregation who sent us information about Advent in their home countries: Sister M. Benedikte (Germany), Sister M. Teresa (Poland), Sister Janelle (USA), Sister M. Laetitia (Japan), and Sister M. Renita (India).