Grand Army Plaza glowed with color and ceremony on Monday as Bishop Brennan, leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, presided over the annual lighting of the Christmas tree and blessing of the créche.
The event, held Dec. 8 in front of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, drew parishioners, passersby and families who gathered to usher in the Advent season.
This year’s display features a 25-foot balsam fir wrapped in 18,000 multicolored lights alongside a traditional Nativity scene. Together, they form one of the city’s most prominent Catholic Christmas installations and serve as a visual marker of the diocese’s approach to the holidays — rooted in faith, steeped in tradition and open to all.
Bishop Brennan emphasized the spiritual significance of the celebration, linking the evening to the Catholic Church’s Feast of the Immaculate Conception, observed annually on Dec. 8.
“This display of the nativity will give other people hope as they see the reason for our joy,” he said before entering into prayer for peace, justice and mercy. “We have brought light to the darkness of the season, as we prepare for the birth of Jesus.”
The tree’s multicolored lights were intentionally chosen, symbolizing the diversity of the Diocese of Brooklyn — known as the “Diocese of Immigrants.” The Diocese offers free assistance for “immigrants, tenants and workers” through the Catholic Migration Services, a “not-for-profit legal service provider committed to promoting justice and compassion.”
