Come home for Christmas; no registration required

CFP Correspondent 

  Pastors aren’t expecting to see the large crowds that attended Christmas Masses prior to the pandemic. The precious blood still can’t be distributed, and parishioners will continue to be required to wear face masks in some churches. But Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses should be closer to normal this weekend. 

 Msgr. Michael F. Rose, pastor at St. Mary Church in Shrewsbury, said parishioners found it troubling last year not to be able to sing Christmas carols along with the organist and cantor. This weekend, they can. 

 “There were no missalettes or hymnals in the pews last year,” Msgr. Rose said, “but people actually know ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ and ‘Joy to the World.’ So, it was hard for them not to sing.” 

 That restriction has been eased in part because of the availability of COVID vaccinations. So not only will parishioners be able to sing at each of St. Mary’s Christmas Masses, but the festival choir will sing during the 10 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. 

 “It’s going to be better than last year,” Msgr. Rose said, “because more people are coming to church now, more people are comfortable being in church. We can sing, we’ll have a choir, we’ll have a trumpet. So it will be better this year.” 

 Unfortunately, for the second consecutive year, to stay safe St. Mary will not hold a children’s Christmas pageant. Prior to the pandemic, children performed the story of the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve. 

 With capacity limited to 40 percent by the state and six feet of social distancing required last year, St. Mary could accommodate only 200 people in its 600-seat church. Msgr. Rose estimated that attendance at the seven Masses totaled only a quarter of the previous Christmas. Nevertheless, reservations were required for the Masses at 3 and 5 p.m. because they were traditionally the most attended. 

 “They liked it because they didn’t have to come an hour early to get a seat,” Msgr. Rose said. 

 Msgr. Rose said prior to the pandemic, 2,000 to 2,500 people would attend his parish’s six Christmas Masses. The church would be packed for the 4:30 Mass on Christmas Eve so the parish also offered Mass in St. John’s High School cafeteria.  

 “People enjoy coming to Mass on Christmas,” Msgr. Rose said. “So it’s always a great feast to look forward to celebrating in the same way that Easter is.” 

 With COVID vaccines not yet readily available in December 2020, the state Department of Public Health asked parishes not to schedule Christmas Eve Masses after 9 p.m. So, Bishop McManus allowed Christmas Eve Masses to begin at 3 p.m., an hour earlier than is liturgically permitted. 

 USUAL SCHEDULE 

 Last year, Christ the King in Worcester offered Masses at 3, 5 and 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and this year will return to the usual schedule of 4, 6 and 10 p.m. The festival choir returned in September and will conduct a Christmas concert at 9:30 p.m. Christmas Eve and sing at the 10 p.m. Mass. 

 Christ the King’s children’s choir would sing at the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass but hasn’t sung since the pandemic. Cantor Alana Kearney will instead be the soloist. 

 The folk group will sing for the first time since March of 2020 at the 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. 

 Last year, Christ the King mailed about 300 tickets to those who registered for one of the three Christmas Eve Masses. Registration won’t be necessary this weekend because social distancing has been eased. 

 St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton, was among the other parishes that distributed tickets. St. John held 13 Masses, six more than the year before, to maintain social distance, and some were celebrated outside for those not comfortable entering the church. 

 Msgr. Thomas J. Sullivan, Christ the King’s pastor, said prior to the pandemic 800 to 1,000 people would attend the 4 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve in the 800-seat church with many watching a live telecast in the adjoining Johnson Room. He estimated that last year 200 to 250 people attended the three Christmas Eve Masses, including 130 at the afternoon Mass. 

 He’s hoping that on this Christmas Eve 200-300 people will attend the 4 p.m. Mass, which will also be televised in the Johnson Room. Services were telecast live in the Johnson Room for three Christmas Masses last year, but Msgr. Sullivan said only one family took advantage. 

 Unlike last Christmas, the bishop’s suspension of the obligation to attend Mass is no longer in effect, but many people still haven’t returned to church. 

 Msgr. Sullivan expects to see more people than last year at Mass this Christmas Eve although not approaching the turnout before COVID. In Worcester, face masks are still required in all indoor public venues, including churches. 

 “If the people are really concerned about picking up COVID in a church environment they’re just not going to come,” Msgr. Sullivan said. “So whoever comes, comes, and we’ll have a wonderful Christmas celebration with them.” 

 RING BELLS AT CHRISTMAS 

 Father Juan D. Escudero became pastor at St. Rose of Lima Church in Northborough in July after spending three years, the last two as pastor, at St. Denis Church in Douglas. He enjoys watching the excitement on the faces of children in the pews on Christmas Eve. 

 “It’s beautiful,” he said. “Children are part of the soul of Christmas. There’s joy to come into the church and see the Nativity scene and see baby Jesus. That’s definitely something very special.” 

 St. Rose of Lima has invited parishioners to bring bells on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so they can ring them when singing “Gloria.” 

 Last year, fewer people than usual attended Christmas Mass at St. Denis, but the parish found other ways to reach out. The 7 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass was live streamed so people could watch at home and was shown on a big screen outside the church so people in the parking lot could watch while listening on their car radios. 

 St. Rose of Lima held an outdoor Christmas Eve Mass at 3 p.m. last year and Father Escudero said he heard hundreds of people brought chairs to attend. 

 St. Rose of Lima plans to hold Masses at 4, 7 and midnight on Christmas Eve and at 10 a.m. Christmas Day. Some members of the choir will sing at the midnight Mass. 

 “We are seeing more people coming each weekend,” Father Escudero said. “I think that has been a slow progression, but it is moving towards that direction of having more people coming weekend after weekend.” 

 Father Edward D. Niccolls, pastor at St. George Church in Worcester, said more and more people are returning to Mass each weekend and he expects larger crowds for the Christmas Masses than last year, but he realizes some people are still hesitant to return, especially with the variants and required face masks. So for those reluctant to return to church, he plans to record the 4 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve and post it on Facebook. 

 Typically, 500-600 filled St. George for the 4 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve so the parish would also hold a Mass at 4:30 p.m. at St. Peter-Marian High School for another 150 or so. 

 “It’s joyous,” Father Niccolls said. “It’s nice to be able to celebrate Mass with the people you usually see and some that you may only see at that time of the year.” 

 OUTSIDE MASS 

 Last year, Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish in Spencer celebrated its 3 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve outside under a tent while parishioners listened on their radios in about 80 cars in the parking lot. 

 “Our outside Mass was well received,” said the pastor, Father William Schipper, “because people who hadn’t been to Mass for a number of, maybe, months felt comfortable coming in their cars. Other than feeling cold, and it wasn’t really all that cold, it was a nice experience and I’m glad we were able to do it and I think the people appreciated it.” 

 Father Schipper said attendance for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses last year totaled only about half of what it was prior to the pandemic. However, he said attendance at daily Masses this year has since risen to more than two-thirds of what it was before COVID. 

 Masks haven’t been required in church in Spencer for a while and if that continues for Christmas Eve, Father Schipper anticipates more than 100 people for the 4 p.m. Mass and about 150 for the 10 p.m. Mass. In the past, 400 attended the late-night Mass. 

 “I hope that we can provide a spiritual as well as enjoyable liturgy,” Father Schipper said.