By MICHAEL WOJCIK
News Editor

WEST MILFORD - Have you ever wanted to ask a Catholic saint a question?
Last month, 282 parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Hewitt section of West Milford got a chance to learn more about several "saints" by "chatting them up" and peppering them with questions. On the afternoon of Nov. 1 these "saints," such as John the Baptist, strolled the cafeteria of the parish school, answering questions that helped parishioners complete a questionnaire on the lives of the saints - questions such as "What did you do and what to you stand for?"

"I preached in the Jordan River and baptized Jesus," said parishioner Gerry Scheil, portraying John the Baptist, dressed in robes, one of many parishioners who participated in Queen of Peace's Festival of Faith, a dynamic faith-formation workshop to get the faithful, young and old, prepared for Advent by examining the lives of the saints and by discussing ways to get ready for the birth of Christ at Christmas.

Parishioners talked with "saints" at a lunch they ate together in the cafeteria, after Mass celebrated by Father Frederick Walters, pastor. At the end of the meal, the saints joined in a procession as the faith community prayed the litany of the saints and sang "When the Saints Go Marching In."

"The saints can inspire us and provide good examples of how to follow Jesus," Scheil told parishioners, who ranged from six months old to into their 80s, at the parish's first-ever Festival of Faith.

Afterward, parishioners learned how to bring sainthood into the modern day with parishioner Dave Hardin, who in a PowerPoint slide presentation, showed shots of children, teens, grocers and emergency services personnel to drive home that God calls everyone to be saints.

"They [the saints] are we - all struggling in these hard times, when the world de-values life, compassion, and spirituality and forgets the words of Jesus: 'Love one another as I have loved you,'" Hardin said.

Then participating parishioners divided into specific age groups and dispersed to different areas in the school building. Children, K-3, assembled Advent calendars. They learned that "Christ is the best gift" and that Advent is a "time to love and share." They reflected on questions such as: "If there were no presents, what would be the best part of Christmas?"

In another area of the school, children, grades 4-8, created a Jesse Tree, made of symbols for people in the Bible such as Abraham, Moses, David, Joseph and Mary who are part of Jesus' family tree.

At the same time, children, grades 7-10, were studying the liturgical seasons. They learned that the "cycle of the Church seasons reflects the story of salvation - a story which began in the Old Testament." They chose a devotional rock, inscribed with words such as "love" or "prayer," that they can keep in their pockets as a reminder until Christmas, when they can place the rock in their manger scene as a symbol of presenting their gift to Jesus.

Meanwhile young adults and adults discussed Advent by examining Scripture, Church documents and their own experiences. They learned that "the Advent lectionary readings announce the coming of the Messiah and what will be the central theme of Jesus' ministry and message - the coming of the reign of God" (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 547).

At the end, the parish presented participating parishioners with "home kits," so they can continue to deepen their preparation for Christmas. The kits include Advent materials, such as a Jesse Tree chain and a Christmas ornament that they are to decorate and bring back to the church for display. They were encouraged to incorporate practices such as praying together in their homes in a sacred space with an image of Jesus.

"The parishioners were grateful to have an opportunity to think about Advent to make their home welcoming for Jesus," said Mary Beth Osiecki, Queen of Peace's ongoing faith formation director and Festival of Faith organizer, who heard about the Festival of Faith idea - part of the Generations of Faith program - at a conference.

Barbara Murphy, a married mother of three and a grandmother of three, noted that she enjoyed talking with other parishioners at the lunch table about older saints, such as Francis of Assisi, and newer saints, such as Father Maximilian Kolbe.

"It was excellent," Murphy said. "It was an education for many, especially for the younger people."