DOVER St. Mary’s Parish here will light and bless an installation of illuminated, commemorative Christmas trees. The lighting will take place at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8 after the Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation.
Some 125 Douglas fir trees, supported on small posts, have been installed around the church grounds. Each is decorated with miniature white lights. A manger — or Nativity scene — nestled between the church and rectory is a focal point of the installation. In all, 35,000 lights will illuminate the trees. They will be lit each evening through the entire Christmas season.
Parishioners and others contributed support for individual trees. Dedicatory certificates identify them as a memorial to loved ones, as tributes or as commemorations. The contribution per tree was set at $200. All proceeds support the core mission of the parish.
Father Lemmuel Camacho, St. Mary’s pastor, said, “From the moment I learned about last year’s Christmas tree project, I wanted to see it continued. The parish’s beautiful setting contributes so much.” The church grounds comprise multiple historic buildings and acres of sweeping lawns and fields, a picturesque grove and a spring-fed brook.
Father Camacho observed, “St. Mary’s Church is a beautiful, distinctive building. Surrounding it with illuminated Christmas trees makes it even more so. We believe that this season we will offer a wonderfully visible gesture, a gift to all who visit or pass by. It as well represents an opportunity for evangelization — to encourage people to come back to St. Mary’s and to welcome newcomers. It will also be a sign of hope to our community especially during these difficult times. “We often hear that we should ‘light one candle.’ It is a powerful idea. And by lighting 125 Christmas trees with an amazing 35,000 individual lights, St. Mary’s will, in a unique way, share the glorious gift of Christmas and its message of joy to all.”
The pastor added, “Our site is at a prominent intersection of the multiple communities the parish serves. It’s a true gateway property to Wharton to the north, to Mine Hill to the northwest and to Dover to the east. Many thousands of passersby will see the tree installation.”
When the extraordinary illumination is over, trees will be turned into mulch.
A cherished local landmark, St. Mary Church was completed in 1873. The Gothic Revival building is listed on the N.J. Register of Historic Places. It is noted for its bold stalls (built of stone brought by early parishioners from local mines), superb stained-glass windows all dating to 1873, and a timber roof whose dramatic trusses are visible in the interior.
“We are extremely grateful to our sponsors and parishioners,” Father Camacho said. “Deacon Stu Hartnett, Chris Kimker and numerous volunteers from our parish took the lead in planning and implementing the installation.”
Deacon Hartnett said, “We followed our pastor’s vision. In moving forward we had to resolve a few practical challenges. Then things almost miraculously fell into place. Thanks to many volunteers from the parish, especially from our Seniors Group, we are ready to turn on the lights. This will again be a very special Christmas at St. Mary’s.”