All are invited to pray the Stations of the Crib, either in person or virtually, at churches in Augusta and Waterville.

The Stations of the Crib, similar to the Stations of the Cross offered during Lent, give participants the opportunity to meditate on key moments of our faith by using sacred Scripture to tell the story leading up to and immediately following the birth of Christ. Unlike the Stations of the Cross, the Stations of the Crib at Advent focus on the events involving the birth of Jesus: the Annunciation, Joseph’s dream, the angels appearing to the shepherds, the visit of the Magi, and many others, according to a news release from Dave Guthro, communications director, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

The Stations of the Crib will be offered at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at St. Mary of the Assumption Church on 41 Western Ave. in Augusta. Attendance is limited to 50, so those who would like to attend in person can call the parish office at 207-623-8823. The prayer service will also be livestreamed on the St. Michael Parish website at stmichaelmaine.org.

A week later, the stations will be offered at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, at Notre Dame Church on 116 Silver St., in Waterville. Attendance also will be limited to 50 . To sign up, call the parish office at 207-872-2281. Those unable to attend in person are invited to join in the prayer service virtually on the parish’s Facebook page at facebook.com/CorpusChristiMaine.

A special Advent section has been created on the Diocese of Portland’s website and will be updated with new material, events and opportunities. The section includes many useful features and resources including a variety of prayers, blessings, and reflections; downloadable and interactive calendars; and event listings for the diocese.

The section can be found at portlanddiocese.org.

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