Why I Made My Advent Angel: My Answer for a Faith-Filled Christmas

One year for Christmas my oldest daughter had a unique gift request—a plush hammerhead shark. During a toddler standoff, I heard myself blurt out, “Remember the hammerhead!” It wasn't long before we both started laughing. But that silly moment stopped me in my tracks. I realized I never wanted my children’s virtues to be leveraged with "being good for Santa" or promises of more gifts under the tree. I wanted Advent to feel like something richer than a 24-day countdown to presents.

On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, as I tiptoed around filling tiny shoes with chocolate coins, I reflected more on this: I wanted a tradition to anchor to that would allow my children not to simply anticipate presents, but Jesus. Something that would infuse meaning and memory into our Advent when it came to our faith—that went beyond the Santa-centric hustle and bustle. I hoped to inspire my children to focus not just on what they would get from Santa, but what they could give to Jesus. Something beautiful and tangible that would be a clear call every single day, “We’re preparing a gift for the Baby King, not waiting for Santa to bring us one.”

That’s when the idea of My Advent Angel was born—I loved the thought of telling the story of Christmas through an angel's eyes, and then actually having an angel doll to go with the story that would be huggable and hand-stitched. Something tangible my children could love and hold onto, that would remind them of the angels at the first Christmas, and also their own guardian angels—and on top of that, it would all serve as a gentle encouragement to be good for Jesus.

When I told my husband the idea, he loved it. He believed in it from the very beginning. We both felt that even if My Advent Angel were just to be a little family tradition in our own home, it would have been worth every late night and prayer. But God had bigger plans. With my husband's steadfast support, and my sister's artistic help, My Advent Angel is now a reality, not just for our family, but for yours too—offering a real way to keep Jesus at the heart of Christmas.

We created the My Advent Angel Gift Set to be a simple, stress-free, and meaningful way to celebrate Advent as a family. Each item in our gift set brings something special to the season: the My Advent Angel Book tells the story of Christmas and God's love for each one of us; the Virtue Cards offer child-friendly explanations of the virtues of the Fruit of the Spirit and inspire children to grow in kindness with over 100 ideas to show love to Jesus and others; the Holy Card offers an opportunity for family prayer time; and last but not least, the My Advent Angel Doll, huggable and hand-stitched, reminds children of the Nativity and its angels, and serves as a gentle reminder that being good shouldn't be about Santa, elves, or presents—but for Jesus.​

In our short time since sharing My Advent Angel, we have been humbled by the amount of people who have recognized the beauty of this tradition of faith and have made it their own. A grandmother wrote, “I bought three sets for my grandkids… it fills me with joy to know I’m passing on the faith, not just buying junk they’ll throw away in a year.” A third-grade teacher told us, “You really need to get this going in Catholic schools everywhere.” One strong-willed six-year-old now carries her angel everywhere and, her mom says, she has seen a real change in heart since using the Virtue Cards. Even two teenage boys cornered their mother after seeing the illustrations and made her promise to buy sets for their future children. And a parish priest simply said, “My Advent Angel is exactly what the world needs.”

In hearing the stories of how My Advent Angel has touched peoples' lives, I have come to understand you will get much more than what comes in the My Advent Angel Gift Set—as it taps into something deeply spiritual—it is a timeless tradition to help instill virtues, values, and beliefs in your children, so they will pass the faith on to their own children someday. 

For our own family, my husband and I have been amazed at the discussions that My Advent Angel has sparked with our children, from talking about our guardian angels, to asking why Jesus cried as a baby and if He felt the things we feel, to chatting about heavenly crowns. These are the family conversations that matter more than anything in the whole world. That’s why we created My Advent Angel, for moments like this that go far beyond the season.

It's beautiful to think of My Advent Angel sitting on nightstands and bookshelves in homes across the country, sparking the same conversations in other families. Children carry their angels to Mass, snuggle with them each night, and—most beautiful of all—start thinking about what they can give Jesus instead of what they hope to get. That is the real gift: a tradition that outlives the excitement of Christmas morning and keeps pointing little hearts (and big ones) back to Jesus, long after the magic of December fades away. It's precious for me to see my children keeping their Advent Angels close year-round. I hope yours will too.

Written by: Catherine Fowler Sample

Hi, I'm Catherine—mom of three, wife to one very amazing husband, and the heart (and night owl) behind My Advent Angel.

Years ago I worked with the producer of Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ to write and produce the film The Dating Project. I’m also the author of Gather Together: Recipes and Reflections to Build Friendships Around the Table (Ave Maria Press). Both of those projects grew out of the same desire that still motivates me now: to build up relationship culture around Jesus—whether that be in dating, at a dinner party, or in the domestic church. If My Advent Angel helps even one child fall more in love with Jesus, my heart is full.

Come say hello on Instagram @myadventangel—I answer every message myself (usually between homeschooling and drinking too much coffee).