Ringing in the spirit of Christmas, the annual Diocesan Christmas Concert will be held at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson on the Second Sunday of Advent. Those who attend this annual concert can expect a variety of music with performances by the diocesan choir under the direction of Preston Dibble, diocesan director of music; a children’s choir under the direction of Jessica Mattiace, director of music at the Cathedral, and the principal quintet of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra and organist Kristin Dabaghian. Some of the classics that will be performed at the concert include “The First Nowell,” “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger.” The beloved Italian Christmas carol, “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle,” will also be performed.

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton came together on Nov. 30 to celebrate 80 years as a “tight-knit” faith community that today remains “spiritually alive” with a variety of devotions and an array of ministries that get parishioners of all ages involved in the parish. During an anniversary Mass that day, St. Andrew’s also commemorated its legacy as one of the first parishes founded after the establishment of the Paterson Diocese on Dec. 9, 1937.

Readers of The Beacon know well the good work that is being done on a daily basis for those in need in Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties by the agencies of Catholic Chari­ties in the Diocese of Paterson. During Advent, the needs of the poor take on even more prominence as our neighbors ask for a helping hand to brighten their Christmas celebration.

The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held Dec. 7-8 in the Diocese of Paterson. The parish-based appeal is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), and proceeds help hundreds of U.S. religious communities to care for aging members. Some 30,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests benefit.