Santa Claus arrives via helicopter during the second annual Blessing and Lighting of the Christmas Tree event, on Wednesday December 8, 2021, at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. (Michael Cavazos/ News-Journal Photo)

A tall Christmas tree and Santa Claus in a helicopter were the main focuses of a special holiday gathering on the main plaza of Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler on Wednesday night.

The choir of St. Gregory Catholic School sang Christmas carols while physicians and members of the Christus community watched as they sang in front of the Christmas tree as part of the annual tree lighting and blessing event.

Children gasped and screamed with excitement as the Christus Flight for Life helicopter flew above the crowd and as Anne Pileggi, chief operating officer at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System, announced to children that Santa was coming.

“It was taken from another event I put together for Jacksonville five years ago for a 5K race we do and we have Santa come on a helicopter, so when we started talking about this year’s tree lighting, I said, ‘We need to bring Santa and we can have him land on the helipad and then come down. We knew that it would just be such a great excitement and sensation to have,” Pileggi said.

When Santa finally came down from the helicopter, Pileggi said the kids were so excited.

“When I said Santa is going to be coming, you could see them light up. They started getting excited, they started getting rambunctious. It was really fun. It’s the holiday spirit and it shows that side of Santa and fun, but also we blessed our Christmas tree and carry on our traditions in our ministry to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ,” Pileggi said.

Andy Navarro, vice president of Mission Integration, jokingly said the children were so excited, he thought more crowd control may be needed.

“No, they were so excited, waving, singing, Anne did a great job of really getting them excited,” Navarro said. “For us this time of year, it’s in our name, Christus is Christ, and we want Christ to be at the center of everything we do, including celebrating and lighting the tree.”

Navarro said although it’s been a challenging year, its been a great opportunity to serve the people of the community and the greater Tyler area.

Sister Margo and Sister Michaela of Christus Trinity Mother Frances said it’s a wonderful season of Christmas as they await the day of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“What a wonderful thing that the whole community, children, adults can come and celebrate Christmas to know that Christ is among us. It’s a beautiful thing for the Children to enjoy that Santa is coming not through the chimney, but through the helicopter,” Margo said.

She added helicopters are significant in that they bring healing as they rush to help others. Michaela said her favorite part of Wednesday’s event was seeing the happy children.

“In the midst of hospitality, usually its a sad place for many, but (today) it’s a great joy,” Margo said.

President of the Christus Health System Jason Proctor attended the event with his family and three children, who are 9, 7 and 5 years old.

“At Mother Frances Hospital, we are about Jesus. Our mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ started when he was born on Christmas, so we celebrate Jesus all year long, but this month and Christmas is especially important, so it’s a blessing to be able to celebrate his birth and what that means to the system and to the world,” Proctor said.