As darkness settled over Milwaukee on Dec. 2, shining Christmas lights and the gathering of Marquette University students lit up Marquette’s campus. Students, faculty and community members alike came together at the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Led by Alpha Sigma Nu, the honors society of Jesuit institutions, the annual tradition brought a crowd to Westowne Square to celebrate the start of Advent — a season of hopeful preparation for Jesus’ birth.
“This is a sacred time when we can find joy in the world,” Rev. John Thiede, S.J., vice president of mission and ministry, said in his prayer at the event. “Remember this Christmas tree as a symbol of hope.”
The sounds of Marquette’s pep band and choir rang out across the crowd of bundled-up students, inviting all who were near to join in the celebration.
The Christmas tree lighting, a 20-year-old tradition, is a way to encourage student engagement in campus ministry, Thiede said.
On the surface, it’s a time for students to take a break from studying by delighting in Christmas carols, enjoying hot chocolate and cookies and taking photos with Santa Claus.
Beyond that, though, Thiede said the Christmas tree is a reminder to grow in faith, generosity and joy.
“We pray for light. We pray for wisdom. We pray for calmness in our hearts,” Thiede said at the ceremony.
In between blankets of snow, students packed tightly on the pavement to admire the newly planted tree, which now permanently stands tall behind the Alumni Memorial Union.
The ceremony used to take place at the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, which required a new tree to be chopped down every year. In an effort to promote sustainability, a tree was permanently planted in its original location directly west of the Alumni Memorial Union. It will stand tall all year round and wear Christmas lights during the holiday season.
Thiede hopes the ceremony and liturgical season can help Marquette students reflect on giving back to the local community and the nation, he said in an interview with the Marquette Wire before the tree lighting.
Thiede wants students to ask themselves, “How can we be a beacon of light?”
Students who attended the event noticed Thiede’s hope for the community.
“I heard the echoes of people’s voices and I thought, ‘This means community and gathering,’” Anna Heffernan, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said of the tree lighting ceremony. “It’s really special.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Thiede said the ceremony picked up more traction. He estimated that the number of attendees grew from 50 people to over 300 in the last three years. This ceremony, in particular, was promoted across campus for weeks, inviting the entire community to join.
University President Kimo Ah Yun believes in student engagement, Thiede said.
In his speech at the tree lighting ceremony, Ah Yun expressed his gratitude for Marquette students, faculty and staff.
“I hope during this time that you really reflect on everything that brings gratitude to your life,” he said.
As people walk by the colorful Christmas tree this Advent season, the university hopes they are reminded of what it truly means: hope in trouble and light in darkness.
This story was written by Elena Metinidis. She can be reached at [email protected].
