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<p>WILKES-BARRE<strong> &#8212;</strong> &#8220;At least it&#8217;s round,&#8221; 13-year-old Patrick Franckiewicz of Wilkes-Barre said, sharing a grin with his dad as they added fresh greenery to their hand-crafted Advent wreath.</p><p>&#8220;We got that right,&#8221; Patrick Sr. agreed.</p><p>&#8220;We thought this would be a good way to get ready for Christmas, to welcome Jesus,&#8221; mom Kathleen Franckiewicz said, explaining why her family recently joined several others at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre in shaping chicken wire into circular frames and plumping them up with tiny, fragrant branches, freshly cut from fir trees.</p><p>At one point in the project, the handiwork looked like any circle of evergreens that might decorate a door in December but the Advent wreaths are intended to lie flat and hold four candles that represent the four weeks, starting Nov. 27, that lead to Christmas.</p><p>Betsy Macko, 18, of Wilkes-Barre, who came to the wreath-making event with her mom and three younger brothers, said she would take an Advent wreath to her dorm room at Marywood University, where she is a nursing student.</p><p>And Anna Marie Davison, of Dallas Township, who made two wreaths with her husband, Robert, said she intended to place one of them by the grave of her brother-in-law, John, who died in 2013.</p><p>But most of the participants said they plan to display their wreaths in their homes and light the candles, an additional one every week, to symbolize they see Jesus as &#8220;the light of the world&#8221; and to show that his birthday is approaching.</p><p>&#8220;We keep it in the middle of the table and we take turns lighting it,&#8221; said Grace Nealon, 12, of Hanover Township, who volunteered to keep smaller children busy making ornaments if they were too young to help their parents work with hand pruners and chicken wire.</p><p>In keeping with tradition, three of the candles are purple and one, designated for the third Sunday, is pink &#8212; a happier color &#8212; to show that &#8220;Christmas is really getting close,&#8221; said Grace&#8217;s cousin and fellow craft helper, Allie Jones, 13, of Shavertown.</p><p>&#8220;We light the candles and say a little prayer. It&#8217;s a good way to get away from the material aspects of Christmas,&#8221; said Marie Mack, of Wilkes-Barre Township, who accompanied her daughter, Jennifer Roman, 4-year-old granddaughter, Addison Roman, and Addison&#8217;s other grandmother, long-time wreath-maker Ann Marie Roman, to the event.</p><p>First-time wreath makers Leah Leikheim, 26, and her mother, Cathy Pockevich, of Laurel Run, said they were grateful to 19-year-old Dustin Henrie of Shickshinny, who was making a wreath with his mom and three younger siblings at a table next to them, for helping with the trickier aspects of shaping the wire for their project.</p><p>Next year, they can be ahead of the game by saving the same wire frame and reusing it, as many veteran wreath-makers do.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been using this one for 27 years,&#8221; said Bea Czarniak, 86, of Kingston, who was busy making a wreath with her daughter, Kathleen Shucosky.</p><p>The fun of the church&#8217;s annual project includes &#8220;creativity, and seeing how the kids have grown,&#8221; said Annette Jones, of Shavertown, who has attended the event since her teenage daughter was small.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a good family bonding time,&#8221; said first-time wreath-maker Kathleen Franckiewicz. &#8220;I wish we&#8217;d starting coming years ago.&#8221;</p><p>When the projects were mostly complete, church pastor the Rev. Joseph Verespy blessed the wreaths and pointed out &#8220;they are made of evergreens &#8230; and they remind us of (God&#8217;s) love which is ever green and new and fresh for us.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bobby Macko, 10, and his siblings Anthony, 15, Kenny, 16 and Betsy, 18, work on Advent wreaths for their family home, their grandmother, and Betsy&#8217;s dorm room at Marywood University during a recent wreath-making session at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre. The first Sunday of Advent will be celebrated Nov. 27 this year. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716adventwreath1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bobby Macko, 10, and his siblings Anthony, 15, Kenny, 16 and Betsy, 18, work on Advent wreaths for their family home, their grandmother, and Betsy&#8217;s dorm room at Marywood University during a recent wreath-making session at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre. The first Sunday of Advent will be celebrated Nov. 27 this year. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716adventwreath2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Patrick Franckiewicz and his 13-year-old son, Patrick, are pleased with the shape their Advent wreath is taking. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716adventwreath2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Patrick Franckiewicz and his 13-year-old son, Patrick, are pleased with the shape their Advent wreath is taking. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716adventwreath3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">For Bea Czarniak, 86, and her daughter Kathleen Shucosky, both of Kingston, making an Advent wreath is a long-standing family tradition. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716adventwreath3.jpg</photo2><caption2>For Bea Czarniak, 86, and her daughter Kathleen Shucosky, both of Kingston, making an Advent wreath is a long-standing family tradition. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716adventwreath4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Leah Leikheim and Cathy Pockevich add bows to their Advent wreath, which sports the traditional four candles, three purple and one pink, that represent the four weeks leading up to Christmas. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716adventwreath4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Leah Leikheim and Cathy Pockevich add bows to their Advent wreath, which sports the traditional four candles, three purple and one pink, that represent the four weeks leading up to Christmas. </caption3><photoCredit3>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Traditional display shows Christmas is approaching</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Families craft Advent wreaths at Wilkes-Barre church