By Harold Egeln
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BAY RIDGE – A fairly new Christmas tradition throughout southwest Brooklyn all began with hope and help from friends here in Bay Ridge in 1995. It was then that business, city and healthcare leaders came to an historic cloistered Bay Ridge convent and school to launch the first “Celebration of Light� to keep the Christmas spirit aglow.

“It brings everybody together for the holy season and keeps its spirit alive,� said Larry Morrish, one of the organizers who was there at the beginning to give help to the Sisters of the Visitation (now celebrating its 400th anniversary this year) and its parochial school.

Morrish, Fifth Avenue business leader Marty Golden (soon to be a councilman and later a state senator), Douglas Jablon of Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes and other local business and civic leaders held a press conference a few months before the holiday season.

In a combined effort to boost religious institutions and the faith that sustains them, the first Christmas display, a full-sized manger with life-sized figures of shepherds, animals and magi, would be placed on the huge front lawn outside the convent and its school. Freely providing the display was the Long and Delosa Construction firm.

Now, the 15th annual “Celebration of Light� encompasses at least 26 houses of worship in a wide area of southwest Brooklyn after starting from a few churches in Bay Ridge in the mid-1990s.

Celebrations Where And When

Good Shepherd Church at 1950 Batchelder St. held the first opening celebration of its display on Tuesday. Following this weekend with their opening lighting celebrations are Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Fourth and Ovington avenues on Dec. 4 at 10 a.m., Mary Queen of Hearts at 1395 East 56th St. on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., Our Lady of Angels at 7320 Fourth Ave. on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., and St. Mark’s at 2609 East 19th St. on Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Also hosting displays on Sunday, Dec. 6 will be St. Brendan’s at 1525 East 12th St. at 4 p.m.; Immaculate Heart of Mary at 2805 Fort Hamilton Pkwy. at 4 p.m.; Holy Cross R.C. Church at 2530 Fifth Ave. at 5 p.m.; and Visitation Monastery at 8902 Ridge Boulevard at 6 p.m.

Next week, the celebrations continue at Our Lady of Guadeloupe at 7201 15th Ave. on Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.; Fort Hamilton Army Base Chapel on Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m.; St. Anselm’s at 356 82nd St.; on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m.; and at St. Finbar’s at 138 Bay 20th St. on Dec. 12 at 6:45 p.m.

The following week, there will be celebrations at St. Andrew the Apostle at 6713 Ridge Blvd. on Dec. 13 at 3 p.m.; St. Athanasius at 2154 61st St. on Dec. 13 at 5 p.m.; Regina Pacis at 1230 65th St. on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m.; St. Ephrem’s on Dec. 16 at 929 Bay Ridge Pkwy. on Dec. 16 at 8 p.m.; and St. Bernedette’s at 8201 13th Ave. on Dec. 16 at 8:30 p.m.

Celebrations follow at New Utrecht Reformed Church at 18th Avenue and 84th Street on Dec. 19 at 3 p.m.; St. Cecilia’s at 84 Herbert Street on Dec. 19 at 5:45 p.m., Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church at 8401 Ridge Blvd. on Dec. 20 at noon; and St. Patrick’s on Dec. 20 at 9511 Fourth Ave. at 6 p.m.

More celebrations, at dates and times to be announced, will take place at St. Catharine of Alexandria at 1053 41st St., St. Mary Mother of Jesus at 8401 23rd Ave., St. Gregory the Great Church at 224 Brooklyn Ave. and Salam Arabic Lutheran Church at 345 Ovington Avenue.

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