Faithful can join Mary, Joseph, and Bo Advent adventures

The faithful are following Mary and Joseph and their faithful “steed” Boaz as they travel through Ridgewood, attending Advent events and giving back during the season of giving.  

With the help of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, the trio began their adventures on Dec. 1 and will be out and about each day through Dec. 25.  

Youth Ministry Director Glen McCall said the idea behind the Travels of Mary and Joseph comes from a combination of the Elf on the Shelf and the Travels of the Three Kings. A photo and description of where they are is posted on the Facebook page and the parish website each day. 

So far, they have attended the town tree lighting, given support at the Christmas concert choir practice, went to a retreat with youth ministry, and visited with Academy of Our Lady School students. One day they split up with Mary attending the MOMs group and Joseph checking out the Men’s Cornerstone meeting.

As they travel, the trio may also give followers some activities for families to do together as we prepare for Christmas Day. In early December, Mary, Joseph, and Bo stopped by Ridgecrest Senior Housing to visit the seniors.  

“One thing they noticed is many of those living here don’t get many Christmas cards. They are hoping your family will send a Christmas card to the seniors to brighten their holiday season,” the post reads with an address included. 

Other posts remind followers to donate Shop-Rite gift cards for the Sharing Tree, pray for Our Lady of Mount Carmel youth while on retreat, and drop off groceries to the Father English Food Pantry.  

“Visting the Father English Food Pantry was eye-opening for Mary and Joseph! They never imagined over 20,000 receive assistance every month,” the post reads. 

“We wanted to give options on how to give back in an easy but impactful way to the groups the church supports all year long,” McCall said. 

There’s also a map available to download on the church’s website for those wanting to chronicle Mary and Joseph’s journey.   

Boaz, or Bo known to his friends, is taken from the movie “The Star,” said McCall. In the film, Bo is a mill donkey wanting to escape his life. He sees the star one night and believes it’s a sign that his life is soon to change. He joins the Royal Caravan marching into Nazareth and encounters Mary, whom he feels compelled to keep from danger. The movie will be shown at the church on Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. Mary, Joseph, and Bo will likely appear.  

Upcoming adventures will reveal what Bo’s favorite food is and his favorite flavor of ice cream, McCall said. 

The church hopes the travels of Mary, Joseph, and Bo will bring families closer to the nativity story and their faith in Jesus Christ.