BLESSING OF YOUR CRIB’S BAMBINO 

Third Sunday of Advent - 16th/17th December 

"Bambinelli" is Italian for Little Infant. The Church has a beautiful tradition of Blessing the Christ Child figurines that are placed in our home manger scenes. We invite you to bring the Christ Child (Bambino) from your own crib to be blessed at any Mass on the Third Sunday of Advent. 

This wonderful tradition originates in the papacy of Pope St. John Paul II. A suggestion is that following the blessing, your ‘bambinello’, is taken home, put in a gift box and wrapped or placed in an unseen place of honour to await Christmas. Let this be the first gift your family opens on Christmas as together you place the blessed Christ-child figure in the manger welcoming Christmas into your home.