A warm and toasty Christmas tree designed by the Diocesan Office of Faith Events (OFE) will not only bring joy to those who see it but warmth from winter’s cold for all those who benefit from it.
Called ‘The Warm and Toasty Tree,’ it is filled with 150 knit and crocheted hats and 200 scarves. 
It is this year’s OFE entry at the Hartford Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art’s annual Festival of Trees and Traditions. Crafters from across the Diocese of Norwich created the hats and scarves that adorn the tree.
“Our knitters come from across the Diocese,” said Andrea Hoisl, OFE Director. “By sharing their gifts and talents, they are part of our evangelization effort and ministering in their own special way. Ministry comes in many forms. Theirs is behind the scenes but no less as important as anyone else’s.”
Hoisl said the idea for the tree was an offshoot of the OFE ‘prayer square’ ministry made up of knitters and crocheters from across the diocese who create hand-made ‘prayer squares.’ Each square includes a prayer for recipients to know someone from the Diocese is holding them in prayer. The OFE distributes the squares to various agencies, convalescent homes, and hospitals. “The network of knitters and crocheters for this ministry has more than doubled through the years and their contribution to people who receive them is priceless,” said Marianne Nicholas, OFE administrative assistant and coordinator of the ‘prayer square’ ministry.
As the number of crafters increased, Hoisl expanded it asking them to create hand-made scarves and hats for this year’s tree. “The response was overwhelming,” said Hoisl. “We had more than we could use for the tree. Some of the patterns and designs were so fancy and intricate. We are blessed to have had a big pool of people who generously shared their time and talent with us for this project.”
The remaining 300 scarves and hats will be given to St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich or will be distributed in January as part of the OFE’s Street Ministry, which provides items to unsheltered people.
The base of the tree was created by Glen Miller, a retired cabinet maker who is part of the OFE’s End of Life Ministry. Hoisl and Nicholas fashioned the tree with colorful hats and scarves draping each wooden branch.
This is the third year that the OFE has participated in the Atheneum festival in which local organizations, artists and community members decorate holiday trees and wreaths throughout the art galleries.
After attending the Festival four years ago, Hoisl was struck that all of the trees were secular in nature. She thought it was important to add a spiritual dimension so the following year the OFE entered two trees. “I see our presence at the Festival as an ideal opportunity to evangelize,” she said. “The Festival is attended by a large number of people of all ages and stages of life. Participating at the Festival is one small way to remind people that the Church is still a vibrant presence in the community.”
As with this year’s tree, all of the ornaments adorning past trees were created by OFE staff members and parishioners throughout the diocese. In addition to the ‘Warm and Toasty’ tree this year, the OFE also entered a ‘Mental Health Awareness’ tree as part of its One Heart Ministry – a partnership for people with disabilities, their family members, and caregivers. All of the ornaments feature the color green, and include green ribbons, which is the international symbol and color for mental health awareness. Many of the hand-made ornaments included messages of hope and strength for those struggling with mental health issues.
The Festival remains open through December 10. All of the trees are available for purchase with many buying them and donating them to charities. All proceeds are used to fund the museum’s special exhibitions and educational programs. The museum is located at 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT.
By Mary-Jo McLaughlin
Bookmark and visit NorwichDiocese.org/Advent for additional resources this Advent season.
