Service of Lessons and Carols Celebrates Season

The Austin College community opens the holiday season with the annual Service of Lessons and Carols on December 6 at Grand Avenue Presbyterian Church, 901 N. Grand Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will be held at Grand Avenue Presbyterian this year due to continuing renovation work on Wynne Chapel on campus.

The Service of Lessons and Carols will include Hebrew and Christian scriptures, carols, anthems, and a candle-lighting ceremony. The A Cappella Choir and Chamber Orchestra will perform selections from Handel’s “Messiah.”

Faculty and staff participants will include President Steven P. O’Day, David Whelan of the Physics Department, registrar Eugenia Harris, and Madalyn Haines of the Academic Skills Center staff.

Student readers include Lois Bronaugh ’20 of Buda, Texas; Ti’Anna Smith ’22 of Houston, Texas; Harrison Vickmark ’21 of McAllen, Texas; and Dylan Williams ’23 of Garland, Texas. Santos Botella ’20 of League City, Texas, will deliver the invocation.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change LivesAustin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and more than 100 expert faculty members allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. This year, the campus recognizes 100 years of co-education and has had several opportunities to recognize the history of women and accomplishments of current alumnae. Austin College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.