Converse Celebrates the Season with 2025 Festival of Lessons & Carols
Written by Luciana Ugalde Garcìa ’27
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the Converse community gathered in Twichell Auditorium for one of the University’s most treasured holiday traditions: the annual Festival of Lessons & Carols. Hosted by the Office of Spiritual Life, this year’s celebration once again invited students, faculty, alumni, and Spartanburg neighbors to pause, reflect, and welcome the Advent season together.
The evening opened with a radiant musical prelude performed by the Converse Wind Ensemble and University Organist, Dr. Brennan Szafron, setting a tone of reverence and anticipation. Throughout the service, nine biblical readings shared by Converse students from across class years traced the arc of the Christmas story. These readings, thoughtfully delivered, created some of the night’s most meaningful moments.
The musical performances were especially beautiful and charming, showcasing the talents of the Converse Chorale, the Spartanburg Master Chorale, and the Converse Wind Ensemble. From the gentle simplicity of “Away in a Manger” to the triumphant joy of “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” each selection filled Twichell with warmth, clarity, and the unmistakable spirit of the season. The audience was invited to join in carols, creating a shared experience that resonated throughout the historic auditorium.
Outside Twichell, the campus glowed with hundreds of luminaries, each one sponsored in honor or memory of a loved one. The tribute transformed the front campus into a path of light, welcoming guests with a moving visual reminder of community, remembrance, and hope. This display, listed in the evening’s program, supports the Converse Student Benevolence Fund, providing emergency assistance for students facing unexpected hardships.
University Chaplain Reverend Eliza Smith DeBevoise, who led the service, reflected on the significance of the tradition. “Lessons & Carols allows us to enter the Advent season grounded in hope and illuminated by community,” she said. “The beauty created by our students, musicians, and neighbors is a gift we share with one another year after year.”
“The beauty created by our students, musicians, and neighbors is a gift we share with one another year after year.”
Reverend Eliza Smith DeBevoise
As the final notes of “Joy to the World” rang out and guests stepped back into the luminary-lit night, the spirit of the season lingered joyful, peaceful, and deeply connected.
Earlier in the evening, members of Converse’s 1889 Society gathered for the annual Holiday Cheer reception in the lobby of Wilson Hall. They enjoyed sweet and savory hors d’oeuvres and shared their passion for supporting Converse.
This year’s Festival of Lessons & Carols once again demonstrated why the tradition holds such a cherished place in the hearts of the Converse community: it brings together story, song, memory, and light to usher in a season of gratitude and renewal.