Christmas Tales Workshop for Boys (Ages 9-13)

Christmas presents us with the greatest story ever told: the story of how the immortal God became a little child in order to save His people from their sins. Over the centuries, this archetypal story has been the inspiration for countless works of literature, art, and music.

In this year’s Christmas Tales workshop, we’ll be discussing two pieces of literature that flow out of that Christian tradition: O’Henry’s short story “The Gift of the Magi,” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Letters from Father Christmas.”

Boys are expected to read these tales beforehand, and we’ll be using the workshop to discuss the stories while exploring how they draw us deeper into the mystery of the Christmas story where it all began.

The workshop will also feature fun activities, including a Kahoot quiz testing the boys on what they’ve read.

Clement Harrold is a seasoned speaker, writer, and debater. He graduated from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2021 with a triple major in theology, philosophy, and classics, and a minor in German. During his time there, he regularly led seminars and workshops which trained students to explore and defend their Christian faith. Clement’s writing has appeared in First Things, Church Life Journal, the Washington Examiner, and elsewhere. He received his master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in May 2024 and is currently pursuing a doctorate in theology at the University of Oxford.