Christmas memories

Father and son enjoyed helping Franciscan sisters decorate convent

By Michael Howell (Special to The Criterion)

Some of my fondest memories while growing up in St. Gabriel Parish in Connersville were related to living across the street from the parish and school.

At the time, St. Gabriel School was staffed by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis from Oldenburg.

For many years, my father was called upon by the superior to assist the sisters in decorating the convent for the Christmas season.

He had converted to the Catholic faith, and always considered it an honor that they would ask him for help during Advent.

Of course, Dad always had to have a helper and that was always me.

Dad would arrange a day with Sister Rose Ann, which he called his “day of fun with the nuns.”

He would gather his ladder and tools, and we would ceremoniously walk across the street, where the sisters were anxiously awaiting our arrival.

First, we went to the basement to gather all the strands of Christmas lights, garland and ornaments. Each sister would carry some of the decorations, and off to the huge front porch we would go to start our decorating project.

The school custodian was kind enough to have already delivered four Christmas trees and live garland to the convent for Dad to work with as we decorated the convent inside and out.

I don’t think they knew at the time, but Dad had nicknames for each sister. He enjoyed joking with the sister that he called “the cub bear.”

She was a younger sister, who was light on her feet and had the heart of a child. While we decorated, she crawled in and out of windows in her long habit and laughed all the time.

Dad was in his element, smiling and singing with the sisters all joining him in song.

Sister Martha Clare helped him set up two Christmas trees on each corner of the porch then arrange a large tree on the balcony as well as another big tree inside the convent community room.

Once the trees were up, Dad had to wrap them in lights then the sisters would begin putting on the ornaments and garland.

Dad and I would go to the balcony and start hanging the live garland on the balcony porch.

When we were finished, with all the lights turned on, there were many appreciative “oohs” and “ahhs.”

Dad would step back and smile as each sister hugged him for helping them make their home a little happier.

Although there are no sisters living in the convent now, I can’t drive by it without thinking of the sisters and Dad decorating it.

Until he died, each year in early December my father would reminisce about his “days of fun with the nuns.”

(Michael Howell is a member of St. Gabriel Parish in Connersville.) †