WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The Hillsdale Interview: Luminaries 2023

Episode Date: November 27, 2023

Hillsdale residents Jean Heise and Heather Tritchka join WRFH to discuss the Christmas luminary tradition coming to Hillsdale for the first time in 2023.

Hello, welcome. You're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm Gavin Listro, and I'm interviewing Ms. Jean Heise and Ms. Heather Trichka about the local luminaries event here in Hillsdale taking place this holiday season. Thank you both for joining me. I've seen the posters around campus, and I was presented with this opportunity to interview the organizers. And so I just wanted to get a brief summation of basically what is the luminaries about. I've never heard about it. So if I could just get a elevator pitch. Have Jean start with that because this is kind of, she's bringing it to Hillsdale, so I'm going to have her tell you the history and what's going on. Wonderful. Luminary nights are really, it's an ancient tradition and started in the use of candles, real candles for Christmas, was started in Germany by Martin Luther. Later on, it became a tradition through the Catholic Church that the path, to the Mass, midnight Mass, would be lit with candles with the theme of lighting the path for Mary and Joseph to find the way to Bethlehem. And that tradition has lasted for many, many years, and it still has a very sacred meaning. There certainly are many communities that don't realize

the meaning, but I think it's a very important one. We are observing. We are observing. that the first Sunday night of Advent, which December the 3rd, and from 5 to 8 in the evening, and I hope we can start a new tradition here in Hillsdale, as it is a tradition really all over the world. Yeah, that's great. I've never been, I'm excited because I've never been in a community that's done this. And I kind of leads in my second question of who, who is this kind of aimed at? Is this for the entire community of Hillsdale? should they be looking forward to this, or is this for the college? No, it's for everybody. Wonderful.

Absolutely everybody. And we're thrilled they have interest of the college, and Heather's going to talk in detail about that. Wonderful. And, no, it's not a college event, but we're so thrilled that the college is participating in it. And they've got a great plan to do that. Yeah. And if you could you maybe expound in the higher? Yeah, I'll talk about that a little bit.

So when Jean was talking about this, she was talking about having the lights through town. And then we thought, well, why don't we bring in the two anchors? We'll bring in the college and the hospital and make a path between the college and the hospital. But then, of course, anybody living other places, we'd like them to go ahead and participate as well. But we're really focusing on that path first. And so we talked with the hospital, JJ Hodshires, the same. CEO. He was very excited to have the college involved. We're going to have college students are going to go and put the luminaries all around the hospital. Gene has done a lot of work passing out cards between here and the hospital to make sure all the people know coming from Hillsdale Street all the way up, up Powell, up Hillsdale Street towards the hospital. And then the college. We had a great meeting with goal students about a week ago and they've really taken. in it and run with it. We're very grateful for that. They have teams going where they're going

to invite churches to do prayer walks up along the path where the luminaries are lit. They're going to have carolers at the hospital at 7 o'clock, which would be wonderful. We're going to have a tree. I have to actually go drive around and see which tree this is going to be, that's going to be decorated and look great. I just haven't quite figured that out yet at the hospital. So there looks like a specific destination point. We'd like to see the walk all the way up past the eagle lit and then all the way down Hillsdale Street past the college properties. I believe a lot of the college students are going to take that. And then some of the different organizations like the Catholic Society are going to put up the luminaries in front of St. Anthony's. They're probably

going to take it all the way to the corner. So different church groups and different organizations at the college are going to pick up different areas of the city. And I have Gene talk about what is the luminary, like what actually are we talking about? That was going to be my next question. Yeah, go ahead, Gene. Well, they're very simple. A paper bag can be brown or white, and of course white, in my opinion, is spectacular. And it has, there's a candle inside and we're using tea lights.

And it's anchored with kitty litter that has clay or sand. And so you have a paper bag with a light, a candlelight in it, and that is anchored. And you don't just have one, but you can line up your driveway, your front yard, your porch. I think it'd be thrilling if those who will have lakefront properties to line up their leg front front properties. Lights on the water. But they're so sick. It's not an expensive project by any means. And Galzers is hardware is going to be one of the suppliers.

And also Hillsdale Crafts Supply. Wonderful. The woman who owns that store grew up with them, and she is very enthusiastic about it. That's great. And you can order them online too, but it's inexpensive. It's simple. but it's the many that bring the glory to the evening. Wonderful.

Yeah. To the evening. I actually went into Gelsers yesterday to get some of the supplies and see how they had them displayed just to make sure that it was obvious and it made sense when I was telling people to go in there and get your supplies. It's on an N-CAP on the left when you walk in. And Mike Parney, who was working there, I said, okay, I need 100. So we kind of guesstimated on the bags.

I got about 100. And then the tea lights are packaged, 50 tea lights to a package. And the bag of the kitty litter with clay like Jean saying, it's very heavy. I can see why that kind's recommended. But I used to make these when we were little and we would just use rocks and dirt out of the yard. It's not quite as glorious. Right, exactly. Just something to fill the bottom of the bag.

And when I was talking to the college students, if you haven't seen it. these before, it's, it's really very simple. And once they see it, they'll understand. But they said, well, how many to use? And I said, well, just a pacing, like walk about three feet and they put another one and then take another step and another one because they wanted to know, well, how many will it take to go down the pathway to the eagle? He said, well, just walk it and count each step. Gotcha. And that's about how closely you pace them. And so you just put the bag out, put your anchor in it, put your tea light in. I'd set them up first. And then at five o'clock, just go through and light the candles.

And so the ones that I bought yesterday, I'm going to put out on the point at the wedge downtown. Awesome. Yeah. May I make a correction? Of course. I have not been delivering cards

that whole strip. My whole focus has been on businesses. Wonderful. And cards, for example, a very popular restaurant in town had actually heard about it, which is wonderful or read about it, and simply hers magazine.

And so they took some cards, the small cards, to pass out to customers. Wonderful, yeah. But a lot of people are sending this out on Facebook and all that kind of networking. And we've still have more to do. But we really hope there's not one single person in town who hasn't heard about it. That's wonderful. I think this is so great that this is reaching so many people. I'm joined here on Radio Free Hillsdale by Ms. Jean Heise and Ms. Heather Trichka.

As a college student, I'm very interested how a college student could get involved in this. I was thinking of myself, I live on an off-campus house, so I have like a house of my own that I would love to, you know, put the lights out. How would someone in a dorm participate in this? How do you encourage them? Yeah, the college students that live on campus, the goal students are going to have a program either the day before or, or that day where you can come in and put together a bag. Oh, nice. They're also going to give you the opportunity to write on the bag if you want

or to decorate it so that you can personalize it. If you want to write a verse or something Christmassy, you can write on the bag and put it out. So they're going to set something up to where you can actually pre-make a bag and set it out there and they'll let you know how to do that. That's great. If you live off campus, go to Gelsers and get supplies. I bought enough for $100 and I think it was $23.

That's great. I was going to ask you the price. Yes, very affordable. I didn't actually ask how much shitty thing was. I just said I need a hundred. And so I was like, really, that's all. That's great. I was a nice surprise. May you address something? She brought something up to write on the bag. But it's a lovely thing to do a light in memory of someone. So you could, you know, special or a love note or whatever. But what a lovely thing to do in to light. one in memory of somebody and put their name on the bag. Yeah. I think there's something wonderful about using candles and just light to remember things. I mean, my church back home uses candles and our Christmas Eve service and we all light them and they turn the lights off and it's a beautiful site. And I'm imagining it's going to be very similar to drive around and walk around and

see those on the street. You know, even for those who do not embrace the Christmas story, it still is, it's a beautiful thing, you know, to visualize and to see. And also the joint effort of the whole town coming together. So it really, while it certainly is a message and a reminder for Christians as we begin the Advent, which is the preparation season, it still is, beautiful thing for people of all all beliefs. Yeah, I definitely agree. And that was kind of going to my next question is how do you foresee this benefiting the community? Do you think it's, like you said,

though, not everyone here in Hillsdale is a Christian, but you would hope that maybe that they're, they're benefiting this from this somehow besides just thinking it's like a, you know, you feel like this is going to bring the community together in a way? Oh, I definitely think so. I think it's people coming out and enjoying the start of the Christmas season. And whether you know what Advent is or not, it should be a beautiful path of light with people out there that are doing prayer walks and singing and everybody's invited. I can't see how that wouldn't be a lovely thing. You know the articles that have been written. In fact, there's a wonderful article in the Collegian. And there's going to be one in the daily. There's one in simply hers. But we've emphasized the meaning of it. So that's being

explained. That's great. What's it? What's the, yeah. Do you guys hope to make this like a yearly tradition depending on how this goes? Hope so. And it wouldn't it be lovely if we didn't have to do a big campaign for it? Everybody just knows the first Sunday of Advent at night is ready to go. We just have to show everybody what we're talking about. So this year it's going to, we're just going to say, okay, that was our first go. It is, it's a little funny though how much you have to explain. It's just a bag with a light in it. Yeah. It's just a little bit confusing. But once everybody sees this, they're going to say, oh, okay, okay. It sounds too simple, isn't it? I got it. Yeah. The poster definitely helped. I've seen those before. So, yeah. You know something else?

I think that's very important that we certainly had costs of printing and advertising, but those costs have been covered by private donors. That's wonderful. We have a fund at the Community Foundation, and we will have all of our costs covered, and that really is a tremendous. I see definitely this being a long-standing tradition. the fact that you guys already have so many people on board and, you know, covering those costs and

spreading the word on their own volition. I think that's, I think it's very great for Hillsdale. I love seeing communities come together like that. May I make a point here to Brian Springer and who is very involved in the drafting for the college? Yeah, marketing. Yeah. And, and, but he designed that for us, you know, as a blessing. And I think it is breathtaking, and he did that as a gift and made sure that stockhouse printers who did the printing got all that accurately and the papers and everything.

He was a very key component to this whole thing. And I'm hoping that when people see him, they thank him for that effort. Because quite honestly, without his contribution, I don't know what we would have done. Oh man, that's great. And he did it as a gift. Wow. That's very nice. I love Christmas.

It's always bringing out the charity in people's hearts. Yes. That's great. And for those who are just joining us, would you mind just kind of restating what this event is and what you guys are promoting here? We are talking about establishing a new tradition in Hillsdale of the first Sunday in December, which is the first Sunday of Advent, and that of lighting up the town with luminary lights, which would be candles and bags and so forth, and carry on the tradition of lighting the path for Mary and Joseph.

Wonderful. And this is a very old tradition, though. It is centuries. But new to Hillsdale. New to Hillsdale. I don't believe that we have ever done this. I've been here about 25 years now and I've never seen it. So I believe it's new to Hillsdale.

As far as I've been here, I've never seen it. That's great. And I know as a, as a Hillsdale student, there's the classic butting of heads between Catholics and Protestants on campus. And those are very, some heated debates that take place during your few first years here. I wonder if you guys foresee this event, maybe bringing those groups together, potentially, in an event that kind of they can both take part in. I think this is very ecumenical. Wonderful. I'm Catholic and Jean is Lutheran, and we don't fight that much at all. You know, that's sad that that's happening on campus. And those of us who are God's children, we just should rejoice in anybody who has a Christian faith. Absolutely. And I'm hoping this one really is a powerful statement of what Christmas is and how that we as Christians, God's, children, can work together to glorify him. That's wonderful.

Yeah, I really love that. You guys, have anything else you would like to say to people while we have them on the air? It's free advertising. I think I would just say one more time that all you need to do to participate is go get some bags, put some sand or dirt in the bottom, and get the little light and put it in there. And then just put it in front of any property that you own. Or if you just see an empty lot that nobody's going to light, just go ahead and put them along the sidewalk. pace them out about three feet, and that's how you participate. It's very simple, very easy.

Just grab a piece of sidewalk area where it doesn't look like someone might be able to do that and set them up. Wonderful. Five o'clock, because we're going to have everything lit on December 3rd on Sunday. We're going to meet down at the hospital about seven to do some caroling and prayer walks all along the way, but just come and walk the path if you like or just go down to the hospital and meet us. there at 7 and drive through. Awesome. I'd be a good idea to pray that we have good weather.

Yeah, I was just wondering about that. I know it's a little too early to forecast. That would be really sad if it rained. Let's hope not. It's going to be lovely. I'm going to just be optimistic. It's going to go ahead. It's going to be lovely.

Just go do it no matter what. Exactly. I agree. And you were saying white bags will probably be best, correct? You can get whatever. If you have a bunch of brown lunch bags and just use those, that's fine. Gelsers is selling white. bags, that's what I have, but use what you have.

You know, there's something else, too. If you go online and look at these images, you can buy fancy bags that have candles punched in them or snowflakes, you can actually do that yourself if you want to make a design in your bag with a paper punch or whatever. So it allows you to be creative if you want to, so that the, light comes through more boldly, but you can decorate the bags. Yeah, like I remember when I was a kid, I used to make those snowflakes, but just by folding the paper and putting out certain triangles.

You do it with a bag. That would be beautiful. Yeah. Wonderful. And this is a Christmas celebration for all the people of Hillsdale. So we encourage you guys to all participate. Yeah. Is there any other last comments we have before we end about the event, the Luminary.

The title of the event is Luminaries. Or... Luminary night. A luminary night. A momentary event. Celebration of lights. We haven't really built a certain theme or name, but it's a night of luminaries. And this will be the very first year.

So come out and be part of this historical event. I'm very excited to see the turnout. And I'm very hopeful that it's a very, you know, involved event for the whole community. Yeah, me too. It would be nice if some of the sorority houses. and... Fraternities as well. Fraternity.

Yes. Yes. Fraternity and sorority houses would... Yeah. Maybe somebody could adopt broad lawn and help Dr. Earnhout and puts them across the front of his work. Well, and I've informed them that...

Oh, okay. Well, maybe Mrs. Arne would like some help. So... Yeah, it is a broad lawn. So there's a lot of distance to cover. It is. It is. It is.

Yeah. It is. I mean, need some assistance with that. Wonderful. Well, thank you guys so much for joining me. Miss Jean Heise and Ms. Heather Trichka, I appreciate you guys coming in and talking about this and sharing your just your enthusiasm for this event.

And I think I'm very hopeful that Hillsdale's going to be just as enthusiastic about this whole thing as you guys are. Thank you. Of course. Thank you for having us. We appreciate that. We do appreciate it. Thank you.

Of course. This is Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm Gavin Leistro, and you've been listening to an interview about the luminary night on the first Sunday of Advent.