PENSACOLA |  FORT WALTON |  PANAMA CITY |  TALLAHASSEE
Click the links above to view the 2023 Advent penance times in your area.
Please call your parish if days/ times are not listed. 

Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. The final days of Advent, focus particularly on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas).

Questions: What are the colors of Advent?

In the Roman Catholic Church, the official liturgical color for most of the Season of Advent is violet. It is used in both Advent and Lent to signify a time of preparation, prayer, penance and sacrifice. Only on the Third Sunday of Advent is a rose (pink) colored candle lit, as a symbol of joy; the priest may also wear rose vestments on this Sunday.

DEVOTIONS

Advent devotions including the Advent wreath, remind us of the meaning of the season. An advent wreath can be purchased or made as a family. The wreath is traditionally a circle of evergreens, symbolizing the eternal and never-ending life we have in Christ. In recent years, advent candles placed in a row on a mantle have become more popular and are an acceptable form of a "wreath" to use in commemorating Advent.

Each of the four candles placed in the wreath has a special significance and deeper meaning:

• The 1st Sunday of Advent is observed with a violet candle, symbolizing hope, particularly hope in Christ's Second Coming.
• The 2nd Sunday of Advent is also marked by a violet candle, symbolizing faith, again in reference to Christ's Second Coming specifically.
• The 3rd Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. This is the only Sunday in the season that is marked by a rose candle representing the virtue of joy - joy that the time of waiting is almost over and that Christmas is nearly here.
• The 4th Sunday of Advent is the final Sunday and is marked by a violet candle symbolizing peace, a virtue that Christ's Presence brings to us.  

A white candle can be added to the center of the wreath which is meant to symbolize Christ and is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. This is an optional candle and is based on the desires of the family.

An ancient tradition revived in the mid-20th century as an Advent practice, the Jesse Tree represents the family of Jesse, father of King David. Out of this family line, God would take flesh and live among the people of earth. The Gospel of Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17) names a person from each generation before Jesus’ birth. Stories about these people are in the Old Testament. The Jesse Tree itself can be made from paper, cloth, branches or a tabletop Christmas tree. Make or add an ornament each day of Advent to represent the ancestors of Jesus.

Click here to dive into the season of Advent with these practical and inspirational resources for your family, parish, or school.

2023 Advent Penance Services

Pensacola Area

St. Ann, Gulf Breeze
Monday, November 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Pensacola
Wednesday, November 29 at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 20 at 6:30 p.m.

St. Mary, Pensacola
Tuesday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Nativity of Our Lord, Pensacola
Wednesday, December 6 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

St. Rose of Lima, Milton
Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m.

St. John the Evangelist, Pensacola
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m.

Little Flower, Pensacola
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:30 p.m.

St. Anne, Bellview
Thursday, December 14 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

St. Jude, Cantonment
Friday, December 15 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

St. Sylvester, Gulf Breeze
Saturday, December 16^th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

St. Paul, Pensacola
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.

Additional Opportunities:
Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit, Pensacola
Every Friday from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Every Saturday from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Bascilica of St. Michael the Archangel, Pensacola
Every Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Pensacola
Every Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Fort Walton Area

Christ Our Redeemer, Niceville
Monday, December 4, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.

St. Peter, Mary Esther
Tuesday, December 5 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 12 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 19 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Resurrection, Miramar Beach
Thursday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m.

St. Mary, Ft. Walton Beach
Monday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m.

St. Rita, Santa Rosa Beach
Friday, December 15 at 5:30 p.m.

St. Margaret of Scotland, DeFuniak Springs
Friday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Holy Name of Jesus, Niceville
Monday, December 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Christ the King Mission, Freeport
Thursday, December 21 at 6:00 p.m.

Additional Opportunities:
Our Lady of Victory, Crestview
Mondays 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
First Friday 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Panama City area

Our Lady of the Rosary, Panama City
Monday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m.

St. Dominic, Panama City
Monday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m.

St. Joseph, Port St. Joe
Wednesday, December 13 at 5:30 p.m.

St. Bernadette, Panama City Beach
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m.

St. Francis of Assisi, Blountstown
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m.

St. John the Evangelist, Panama City
Wednesday, December 13 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

St. Theresa, Sunny Hills
Monday, December 18 at 5:00 p.m.

Additional Opportunities:
St. Patrick, Apalachicola
Every Saturday at 4:30 p.m. or by appointment

Tallahassee area

St. Eugene, Tallahassee
Thursday, November 30 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 6 from 7:25 - 8:00 p.m.

St. Louis, Tallahassee
Thursday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Crawfordville
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m.

Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, Tallahassee
Thursday, December 14th at 7:00 p.m.

Good Shepherd, Tallahassee
Monday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m.