Advent 2025: Make Note of These Important Dates at St. Agnes
Celebrate Advent 2025 with important dates, meaningful traditions, and simple ways to prepare for the coming of Christ. Discover how our community comes together during this season.
As we look toward the close of the year, many in our school community are already anticipating the coming of the Advent season.
For Advent 2025, that season began on Sunday, November 30. This simple date marks more than just a day on the calendar. It’s the start of a season of waiting, reflection, and preparation – a time to open our hearts to the coming of Jesus Christ and to ready ourselves for the joy of the Christmas Day celebration.
Find out how we will celebrate this blessed time together on campus at St. Agnes Academy.
Advent 2025 Dates to Remember This Year
Below are key Advent 2025 dates and ideas to carry with you as we enter this meaningful time together.
Date | Event / Significance |
Sunday, November 30 | First Sunday of Advent — the official start of Advent and the liturgical year. |
Sunday, December 7 | Second Sunday of Advent — a chance to deepen our prayer, reflection, and family traditions. |
Sunday, December 14 | Third Sunday of Advent — sometimes called Gaudete Sunday, a moment of joyful anticipation. |
Sunday, December 21 | Fourth Sunday of Advent — the final full Sunday before Christmas Day. |
Wednesday, December 24 | Christmas Eve — Advent formally ends; we prepare for the birth of Jesus. |
Thursday, December 25 | Christmas Day — we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. |
What Is Advent — And Why Does It Matter?
Advent is more than the days on a calendar. The word comes from Latin ad-venire, meaning “coming.” It is the season when Christians remember the first coming of Christ — His birth in Bethlehem — and await future fulfillment.
Traditionally, Advent spans four Sundays (sometimes a bit more, depending on how the dates fall on the calendar), beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of Saint Andrew (November 30) and leading up to Christmas.
During these weeks, believers are invited to slow down, reflect, pray, and ready themselves spiritually – not only for Christmas, but for a deeper openness to the coming of Christ into our lives.
Advent at St. Agnes: What This Season Means for Our Community
Advent marks the start of a new Church year and reminds us that faith begins in quiet expectation. The season connects us back to the Feast of St. Andrew and spans the four Sundays before Christmas Day. It also links us with Catholic tradition around the world as we reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ and stay present to the ways God meets us in everyday life.
At St. Agnes, Advent is shaped by our Dominican pillars: study, prayer, community, and preaching. December on campus is both peaceful and active, filled with opportunities for students to pray, reflect, and practice hope.
Special St. Agnes Traditions During Advent
Morning Advent Prayer (Dec. 1–10)
During the first ten days of Advent, we invite students, faculty, and families to join us before school for a brief morning prayer. Through meditations, scripture, and insight from Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, these gatherings offer a gentle way to start the day.
Each reflection invites participants to slow down, prepare their hearts, and make space for daily encounters with God. These mornings often become a favorite rhythm of the season – a simple practice that sets the tone for the whole school day.
Mass of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8)
Each year, we gather as a community to celebrate the Mass of the Immaculate Conception, an important feast day honoring Mary. This liturgy is a beautiful anchor in the heart of Advent and a reminder of Mary’s trust, courage, and openness to God’s call.
Advent Drive
From December 1 to December 12, we will collect gently used coats, leggings, two-pound bags of rice and beans, baby wipes, diapers for both babies and adults, and bed pads for those who are sick or injured. All donated items will support Casa Juan Diego, an immigrant hospitality house that serves families in need.
Simple Ways St. Agnes Families Can Celebrate Advent at Home
Advent doesn’t have to be complicated. Small practices can help students feel rooted and centered as Christmas Day approaches.
- Light an Advent wreath or candle each Sunday. In church and at home, lighting the candles of an Advent wreath reminds us of the growing light in the world as we await Christ. The wreath – evergreen and circular – symbolizes life and eternity.
- Use an Advent calendar to mark each day with a short prayer or moment of gratitude.
- Talk about the weekly themes during dinner, car rides, or bedtime routines.
- Encourage your daughter to notice “small mercies” throughout the week — moments of kindness, peace, or quiet that reveal God’s presence.
Let’s Walk Through Advent Together with Joy
As we engage in Advent 2025, our hope is that each family finds room for peace and reflection amid the season’s excitement. Whether you join us for morning prayer, Mass on December 8, or simply take part in small moments of quiet at home, we look forward to walking this season with you.
May this Advent help all of us create space for hope, deepen our faith, and welcome the joy of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Have questions about how your family can use this precious time together to grow spiritually? Contact our Campus Ministry today for inspiration!
