Ireland's Christmas lights the Holy Family's way

Intermountain Catholic

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Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word Michele Curtin lights the candles on an Advent wreath. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

SALT LAKE CITY — When it comes to lighting the way for Joseph and Mary to reach safety in Bethlehem it is to the Irish we look.

Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word Michele Curtin told the Intermountain Catholic the Christmas Eve lighting of the tall, thin Christmas candle by the father of the family warms the whole Irish home.

"Then, we light many small candles for each of the windows to light the way for Joseph and Mary, should they be looking for a place to stay," she said. "Looking at the town from the outside, one would see thousands of little lights leading the way."

Immediately after the Christmas candle is lit, the entire family kneels before the crib, a staple in every Irish Catholic home, and prays for the needy and those who help them.

"The crib, instead of being filled with hay, is filled with mountain laurel, which makes a nice, soft bed for the baby Jesus," she said. "And our home was decorated with holly, laurel, and Celtic art by Brian O’Higgins, who was also a poet."

Born in County Cork in the south of Ireland, Sr. Michele grew up on a farm, the youngest of four children.

"I used to beg my mother to let me go to Midnight Mass when I was young. She would tell me, ‘When it’s warm enough for the crow to stick out his tongue, you can go.’"

The last Christmas Sr. Michele spend in County Cork was in 1947, before she entered her order at the age of 15. Inspired by St. Therese of Liseaux, Sr. Michele though if the saint could enter an order at so young an age, so could she.

Sr. Michele fondly recalls roast goose stuffed with potato and onion stuffing, and trifle for dessert.

"I still make trifle," she said. "Today, we go down to the store and buy a plum pudding. When I was a child, Santa would put gifts in our stockings. They were always things we needed."