FORESTVILLE — Now that the holidays are beginning, the ladies of the St. Rose Society have their plans made to gather and bake your favorite Christmas cookies. Members of both churches of the community of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish come together for a little fun along with a lot of work to present these festive, edible gifts.

Orders are now being taken for cookie trays, which will be available on the weekend of Dec. 15 and 16. The cookies will be baked the week before. From decorated cutouts to tea cakes, oatmeal and chocolate chip, cherry chip drops and peppermint pigs, decorative press cookies and many more varieties will be arranged on trays and beautifully wrapped for gift-giving or for your own pleasure. Medium trays with 35 plus cookies will sell for $17. Larger trays with 50 plus cookies will sell for $22. Separate trays of freshly made Cucidatti (Italian fig cookies), also wrapped for gift-giving, are available for $15 per pound.

To order cookie trays, call Carmen at 965-9914, Pat at 934-2961 or Fran at the Mt. Carmel rectory 934-2233. Pick-up times are Saturday, Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon and on Sunday, Dec. 16 at noon at the St. Rose of Lima Church Hall, Center Street in Forestville.

The St. Rose Society is well-known for its mission work in the community and in other countries. The proceeds of this cookie sale will enable the ladies to continue their work. In the past, the food pantries of Forestville and Silver Creek, the St. Gianna Pregnancy Outreach Center and the missions in Latin America have been recipients of their Christmas baking.

A special thank you to all who have purchased cookies in the past and will this year! May your holidays be blessed!