The Children’s Christmas Ministry of the Parish of Saint Monica held its annual live Nativity, toy distribution and Secret Santa Dec. 18 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School and Church, Atlantic City. Children dressed as the holy family, shepherds, angels and the three wise men put on a Nativity pageant, after which students and youngsters from the community were able to choose a toy and select Secret Santa gifts for their parents.
Parishioner Blanche White-Toole, who ran the Secret Santa, explained that the gifts came from parishioners, donors and businesses, with volunteers wrapping up the surprises that children picked for their parents.
“All they have to do now is put it under the tree at Christmas,” she explained. “There was so much to choose from, they were very excited.”
She added that the event also served as a teaching tool. “I think the kids see the adults giving back to the community, giving back to them, doing God’s work. And I don’t think that is something they will forget.”
Margaret Steadman, who heads the Children’s Christmas Ministry, said, “The kids had a blast. They really enjoyed picking out a toy, but what was really cool was the enthusiasm they had for choosing a present for somebody else.”
She said the volunteers also made it a point to invite all those who were not parishioners to worship with the parish during Christmas. The event, she said, “gave them a chance to celebrate Jesus – the reason that we are all here. Not all the kids who came are Catholic, and for some of them, this might have been the first time they experienced a church campus.”
Video from photographer Dave Hernandez contributed to this report.
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