Your Midnight Mass plans

Are you going to Midnight Mass?

Will a Mass called Midnight Mass actually be scheduled for 9:30?

What are your plans?

Post them here so as not to derail other entries.

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148 Comments

  1. Charles E Flynn says:

    I will be going to Midnight Mass. A concert, which takes place in near total darkness, begins at 11:30 P.M. A good seat requires arriving around 11 P.M.

    Once again, our pastor had to plead with people on the Fourth Sunday of Advent to refrain from calling the rectory to ask when Midnight Mass will start.

  2. sekman says:

    I will be attending Midnight Mass at Midnight at my parish. Nothing too special about the mass, simple Ordinary Form. Myself and the three other seminarians from my Parish will serve the mass. Aside from this mass I will assist at one of the 3 vigils (yes 3 vigil masses, 4:00, 5:30, 7:00) and also assist at one of the four Christmas day masses. I think we need to re-evaluate our Christmas mass schedule a bit!

  3. disco says:

    Midnight Mass: at midnight, in Latin. The way God intended.

  4. CEF must be in our parish. Why haven’t we met? Will look for you there. Best, edp.

  5. stjmen says:

    We will be going 8am Christmas day. As much as I would love to go to Midnight Mass, our 7 year old is not able to cope with it just yet.

  6. dep says:

    alas, 9 p.m. carols, 10 p.m. mass. still, an improvement over my first year here — was not a catholic yet, but wanted to attend catholic midnight mass anyway. drove the 20 miles to town at 11 p.m. and found the christmas eve mass had been at 8 p.m. (it was not a terrible trip, anyway — the little town was quiet, with the occasional flake of snow, so i felt as if i had company anyway.)

    so, moving in the right direction. and there is a likelihood that in the coming year there will be a traditional latin vigil mass each saturday in the traditional (church-shaped) church.

    brick, as fr. z says, by brick.

  7. Marc says:

    Solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Form starting at 12:01 AM Christmas Day.

  8. Father S. says:

    I will offer the Midnight Mass at midnight. While each of the four Masses offered here on that weekend will be of a solemn character, the Holy Mass at midnight will be most solemn. We will have two deacons and all will be gloriously vested with a train of servers a very competent MC. One of the deacons will chant the Christmas Proclamation immediately before Holy Mass at the stroke of midnight. As much of the Holy Mass as possible, save the readings, will be sung. This will take place in rural Nebraska.

  9. LorrieRob says:

    Midnight Mass at midnight …music beginning at 11:15pm…contemporary but beautiful…I love the church….

  10. Midnight Mass is at midnight at Assumption Grotto in Detroit

    Solemn High Mass (1962 Missal)
    Orchestral Mass composed by Fr. Eduard Perrone
    Prelude music begins at 11:45 PM, December 24

    (N.B. If you can’t make it for midnight Mass, you can hear his composition in the context of holy Mass on January 1 at 9:30 AM and January 8 at noon).

    http://te-deum.blogspot.com/2011/12/history-in-making-at-assumption-grotto.html

  11. Mary Jane says:

    EF Midnight Mass at Midnight! Carols beginning at 11:30pm. Our choir is singing Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium (Mass & Motet by the same name). Should be lovely! I’ve been sort of tired lately so I’m a little worried about being up so late, but sleeping in the next morning should help.

  12. Jack Hughes says:

    Midnight Mass will be offerd………………………… at midnight

  13. teva41 says:

    Midnight Mass at midnight, in a church built in 1896—a nice change from my home parish’s 1970s “trendier-than-thou” architecture.

  14. Beth says:

    I’m singing in the choir for two Midnight Masses, and no I’m not holy enough for bi-location >.> There is one at 9.00 at the local Carmelite Monastery, which I think might be justified since they can’t exactly attend the Cathedral Mass, which our bishop likes all of his flock to do.

  15. tjtenor2 says:

    Singing in the choir at a solemn EF Midnight Mass that starts at midnight (with lessons and carols starting at 11:20).

  16. L. says:

    I’ll be reading at the 6:00 p.m. We have a large parish and one (wonderful) Priest, so Father have three Masses on Christmas Eve, including one at Midnight preceded by a half hour of brass music, but not counting a 9:00 p.m. Mass that our (wonderful) Priest will celebrate at his other parish, a twenty minute drive away. Then he’ll have the regular Sunday schedule of two Masses at our parish and one at the other. I don’t know how he has the stamina for it.

    By the way, doesn’t the Holy Father, due to his age, celebrate “Midnight Mass” at 10 p.m.?

  17. Bryan Boyle says:

    Midnight Mass at Midnight at St. Augustine in Kendall Park NJ. Got to get there by 11:15, though, due to the crush of visitors and twicers. But, there is room enough for everyone.

  18. Philangelus says:

    My parish is actually having a midnight Mass!!!

    Unfortunately, due to Kiddo considerations, we will not be attending that one. We ordinarily attend the 8:30 AM Mass, but that got cancelled this year, so we’re going to have to attend Mass at a different parish, either 7:30AM (ouch) or 7:30PM on Christmas Eve.

    I miss Midnight Mass. I miss it so much. :-(

  19. I’m planning to attend Midnight Mass – and it’s at midnight!

  20. APX says:

    I will be going to Midnight Mass at 11:00 at my parish, which is the Cathedral thus Mass will be celebrated by the bishop. Music in the style of 12 string folk guitar will be provided by our deacon and priest (what was that you said before about role confusion between the ordained and laity?). Given that this in the first Christmas Mass in the cathedral, I am hoping that it will be concelebrated and there will be no EMHCs.

  21. JohnE says:

    While our midnight Mass begins at midnight, it is preceded by Christmas music at 11pm. People i’ve never seen before are probably already there saving seats for their 10 relatives who will finally show up at 11:45pm and chat like they’re in a public restaurant, continuing in only a slightly subdued manner after Mass begins. It would be difficult for our young kids anyway.

    I used to love going to midnight Mass in the small parish I grew up in, but we will probably go 8:30am or 10:30am Christmas day.

  22. Tom says:

    Latin Mass at St Patrick’s Church, in South Bend….. at Midnight, shocker!!

  23. A short carol service at 21:00 followed by a Missa Cantata at 21:30 (with a professional choir in attendance). Then (hopefully) begging a lift from my Parish Priest to go down to the other church in the parish for another short carol service at 23:30 followed by Midnight Mass.

    It’s going to be beautiful.

  24. Seattle Slough says:

    Midnight Mass at midnight parish of North American Martyrs Seattle, WA. Deo gratias.

  25. mcma3985 says:

    Lectoring at my parish at Midnight mass at…[cough]…10 P.M.

  26. introibo says:

    Midnight in the EF at St. Mary’s in Norwalk, CT. Not our parish; our old inner city parish stopped Midnight Mass several years ago. By the way, I’ve never had problems bringing my kids of all ages to Midnight Mass…from babes in arms to older.

  27. HoyaGirl says:

    My Protestant husband wants to go to our parish’s 8 p.m. Vigil – which I have to admit is better than the 4 and 6 p.m. Vigils for the youngest members of our parish. My daughter and I would prefer to go to the Midnight Mass which starts at midnight and will have a half hour of carols beforehand. Our son wanted to go to the midnight service until he found out there will still be a choir during the Mass. He doesn’t like to sing for any Mass, so he is now opting for 8 p.m. instead even though it will have music too. Our usual 7 a.m. Sunday Mass has been canceled or that would have been our more likely choice. The other Masses on Sunday will be at 8:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 12:15 p.m. It doesn’t matter which one we go to – we’ll still have the awesome problem of not having enough seats. I really wish we had that problem every Sunday.

  28. Jayna says:

    Midnight Mass at 11:00 at my former parish (at home for the holidays). There’s a new pastor this year, so we shall see how it turns out. Last Sunday was…not encouraging.

  29. Mark Pavlak says:

    I’m fortunate enough to be a vimpa for Archbishop Nienstedt at the Cathedral of Saint Paul for Midnight Mass.
    Office of Readings begins at 10:55, followed by Mass at 12:00. Morten Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium” will be sung – how glorious!
    It will be a grace-filled Mass I’m sure!

  30. God willing, I will be offering Mass, at Midnight, at Saint Boniface Church in Piqua, Ohio. We will have some splendid music, as much incense as the servers can manage, and some Latin. And, I will wear my biretta!

  31. Capt. Morgan says:

    Going to Midnight Mass. Carrolling starts at 11:15 pm and as others have said, you have to get in the pew by 11:00 to get a seat.

  32. JohnNYC says:

    Serving at THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS here in New York City at MIDNIGHT!!! Hurray! Then some “festive refreshments” in the church basement right after Holy Mass with the wonderful people of our community here before heading home to my native Newport, Rhode Island. (The only TLM in the Ocean State is 40 miles north of my father’s house way up in Providence at the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus which is on Camp Street near Brown/RISD (the happy Catholics of the Providence area are blessed with Father Santos))

    https://wdtprs.com/2011/12/nyc-manhattan-midnight-extraordinary-form-mass-at-holy-innocents/

  33. servusmariaen says:

    The “midnight Mass” locally is at 930 pm………. I never heard of such thing.

  34. jilly4ski says:

    I am singing at the 10pm Mass, with music beforehand (husband is staying home while kids sleep). Then we are attending the 9:30am Christmas Day Mass with my parents. My parents are mifted, because this Church usually has a 8.30am and a 10.30am Mass on Sundays and they are shortening their schedule for a Christmas on a Sunday. But I like it because that way we can get to Mass with my parents without having to wake kids and leave at decent hour in the morning.

  35. Our Anglican Use parish of St. Athanasius will be celebrating Mass at 8 pm at the Church of St. Lawrence (route 9, Chestnut Hill, MA). But we will be using the midnight Mass propers, with the proclamation of Christmas from the martyrology beforehand.

  36. kab63 says:

    The Cathedral is offering a 2:30pm on Christmas Eve and I’m taking it. I have some shame over this, but mostly I’m grateful we found a Mass that met everyone’s (old and young) needs. Viewing Superhero Jesus, as my son calls the mural behind the altar, demands contemplation. Its crassness guarantees you will stare at it and, before you know it, you are delving into the mysteries of Christ Our Lord. I have hope that Mass there may move me beyond anything I anticipated for the crush that can be Christmas.

  37. Faith says:

    Midnight Mass is at Midnight at a Trappestine Abbey.

  38. Alex S. says:

    “Midnight” Mass in the Extraordinary Form at 9 p.m. followed by actual midnight Mass in the Ordinary Form.

  39. gviele says:

    I will be serving as an Alter Server at Midnight Mass (EF) in Morrice Michigan at St Mary;s church. Father Bosco Celebrant.

  40. yatzer says:

    I am not going to Mass anywhere near midnight. The grandchildren are to be in the procession behind baby Jesus at the 4pm. and I really want to see them.

  41. Laura R. says:

    Our parish is not having a Mass at midnight this year, which is evidently a change from former practice. Other Christmas Eve Masses are not called “Midnight Mass.”

    I am singing in the choir at the 8:00 p.m. Mass.

  42. StabatMater says:

    This will be our first Christmas Mass in the EF. Beautiful traditional music will begin at 11:30 pm. All say it is necessary to arrive by 11:00 pm. We cannot wait! My children have barely asked for a single material good these past few weeks with little to no mention of Santa just because they are so excited about Midnight Mass! This is also our first Midnight Mass with children who are very schedule-dependent sleepers, so prayers for parents, please. ;)

  43. Midnight Mass at Midnight with Archbishop Listecki at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist!

  44. Joanne says:

    My EF/OF is having a Midnight EF Mass, which I don’t plan on assisting in. I will probably go to the 4p, which isn’t the Mass I usually go to, but may make the most sense for me for the holy day.

  45. St. Louis IX says:

    I will be attending Midnight Mass (Midnight 12:00) A Traditional Latin Mass at St. Martha Catholic Church in Enfield Ct.

  46. Mary Bruno says:

    Midnight Mass at Midnight, Christmas Carols start at 11:30 p.m. before the Mass

  47. andrewnhan says:

    Midnight mass (at midnight) at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro, you may remember they had the EF a few years back, unfortunately it doesn’t occur anymore. Prelude music starting at 11:20 pm.

  48. 11:15pm Carols
    11:45pm Blessing of the Crib followed by Mass.
    St Anthony Catholic Church, Gwinn, MI

  49. Paulus says:

    Midnight EF Mass at St. Anne’s in San Diego. It’ll be my grandson’s first Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

  50. JohnMa says:

    Alex S.,

    Do you know if the 9 pm midnight Mass is going to be a Solemn High or a Missa Cantata?

    I will either do the exact thing Alex is doing or do the Midnight OF and 11 am EF.

  51. AnAmericanMother says:

    Midnight Mass at 12:01 a.m. at Holy Spirit, Atlanta.
    Music begins at 11:30 p.m. Chant “Puer Natus”, Hassler: “Dixit Maria”, Berlioz: “Shepherds’ Farewell to the Holy Family”, Costeley: “Allon Gay Bergeres” (if you’ve never heard this one, it is exceedingly cool), Victoria: “O Magnum Mysterium”, Palestrina: “Dies Sanctificatus”, Mathias: “A Babe is Born” (another real winner, even though contemporary. Check out the YouTube with Kings College choir), “Coventry Carol”, the Piae Cantiones: “Gaudete”.
    For Mass: the Mozart Spaurmesse (KV 258), Vivaldi’s “Gloria”, and two handbell settings:
    John Jacob Niles’s “I wonder as I wander” and “Carol of the Bells” combined with another Christmas carol that I can’t remember what it is.
    We are going to be busy little musicians. I sure hope to have time to pray!

  52. Former Altar Boy says:

    St. Anne’s (all-Latin, all-the-time) in San Diego for the 9 AM High Mass

  53. frjim4321 says:

    We are doing MIDNIGHT MASS as in MIDNIGHT, as in 12:00 AM EST or 0500 UTC or 0500 ZULU as we pilots say.

    These wimpy non-midnight midnight masses are really quite appalling.

    Choir concert at 11:15 EST.

    We are using the Christmas Day readings for all five masses so that I don’t have to prepare five difference homilies. The commentary in “Celebration” tracks with John 1 etc. and rather one good homily than five mediocre ones.

    Wishing a good Christmas to all.

    Jim Blue POR

  54. AnAmericanMother says:

    I wandered over to listen to it again – this is a superb, superb performance and well worth listening to:
    A Babe is Born All of a May
    The words date from the 15th century:

    A Babe is born, all of a may,
    To bring salvation unto us;
    To him we sing both night and day,
    Veni Creator Spiritus.

    At Bethlehem, that blessèd place,
    The Child of bliss now born He was;
    And him to serve, God give us grace,
    O Lux beata Trinitas.

    There came three kings out of the East,
    To worship the King that is so free;
    With gold and myrrh and frankincense,
    A solis ortus cardine.

    The angels came down with one cry,
    A fair song that night sung they,
    In worship of that Child,
    Gloria tibi Domine.

  55. Husband and boys urged that we attend BOTH the midnight Mass (@12AM) and the 11AM Mass on Christmas morning.
    And our 3 boys are serving at both Masses~
    All able to get to confession in the past 48 hours (oldest waited 1hr+40min!
    What a great gift!

  56. frjim4321 says:

    Sorry, it is secular, but this setting of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is so awesome:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S-_7RiQTE8&noredirect=1

    Hope you all have a great Christmas!

  57. frjim4321 says:

    Going to try to make Yorkshire Puddings tomorrow for the first time! Crossing my fingers!

  58. JayDeee says:

    Special music at 11:30 (Hassler, I think), with Mass at midnight. I’m planning to be there. (There are two earlier ones, 5 and 7:30. There is also a 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday).

  59. ejcmartin says:

    Midnight Mass at 7pm, which is fine by me with boys five and nine. EF Mass Christmas Day.

  60. Jordanes says:

    Our parish no longer has Midnight Mass on Christmas — for the past few years, so called Midnight Mass has been at 9 or 9:30 p.m.

    My son is an altar boy at the 9 p.m. “Midnight” Mass, but apart from his assistance at that Mass, as a family we’re all going to a 9:30 a.m. Christmas morning traditional Latin Mass in a neighboring parish. I would have preferred Midnight Mass, but, as I said, our parish doesn’t do Midnight Mass any more.

  61. CBM says:

    I will celebrate the 5pm and 10pm masses tomorrow. This year I have chosen to follow the example of the Holy Father and now my Archbishop to celebrate the Mass at Night at an hour other than Midnight.
    On Christmas Day I will offer the regular Sunday Mass schedule: 8:30; 10:30; 12:30 and 7:30.
    In my experience, 19 years ordained and in my second pastorate, masses on Christmas Day are very poorly attended. In the six parishes I have served, Midnight Mass has never been “standing room only”. In the past I have offered only the Mass at Midnight and a 10:30 in English and a 12:30 in Spanish to poor attendance. This poor attendance seems to be the norm in the three deaneries I have served. This year because of Christmas falling on Sunday I have decided for the sake of avoiding confusion to add the mass at 10pm to the regular schedule. I am pretty sure that our 1200 seat church will be fairly empty at all the masses. Very sad. I will be disappointed but not surprised.

    From a practical standpoint, I am a pastor after all, I beg you to give your a parish a substantial
    “gift” this year in ADDITION to your regular offertory sacrifice. The “problem” with a Sunday Chritmas and New Year is that the parish “loses” two collections (done ever fir get that the only income the parish has is what WE put in the basket. All the things we expect, like lights, AC and nativity scenes get paid from the collection). Support your parish!!!
    Merry Christmas!

  62. CBM says:

    St. Michael the Archangel
    Miami, Florida

  63. NDPhys says:

    My family and I plan to go to the only Midnight Mass in the area that is actually at Midnight. Experience shows that Mass might start a little late, however. The choir will be singing traditional Czech Christmas Carols beforehand.

    Knowing the pastor, we will not likely get the Roman Canon, so I will have to wait until sometime later in the octave to experience my first Proper Communicantes of the new translation, something I have been strongly looking forward to.

  64. Moonshadow says:

    My 11 year old wants to try Midnight Mass again. We left just before the service began last year because he was tired. Getting there so early to get a good seat might have had something to that with that!

    So, I’ll take the younger children to the 6:30 Christmas Eve service and take him to the Midnight service, at midnight. If he doesn’t last, we’ll be there on Sunday morning, either 9 or 11.

  65. Sandra_in_Severn says:

    On Post (Ft. George G. Meade) Midnight Mass starts at 22:00 (10 pm for civilians). Not sure if they are doing a carols singing thing first (usual for the parish) and then the actual Mass at Midnight, or really doing it at 10 pm. In fact, all the local parishes around us (Archdiocese of Baltimore) are doing Midnight Mass at 10 pm.

    It is well dark by 6 pm here by the way.

  66. Geoffrey says:

    10pm “Midnight” Mass, with a musical prelude beginning at 9:30pm. Solemn Mass (Ordinary Form), with some brass, the choir, and incense. The only Latin will probably the first verse of Adeste Fideles and the Gloria in excelsis Deo refrain in the Gloria. (Also will be going to Confession in the afternoon and setting my alarm for 3am for the Urbi et Orbi Blessing with Plenary Indulgence).

  67. frjim4321 says:

    Yes, CBM, the Christmas collection is very important; also it might have helped to remind people that the SUNDAY offertory is also important, and the 12/25 Sunday envelope is important as well!

    These are little details that we who are in pastoral ministry may be sensitive to .

  68. Elizabeth D says:

    I plan to attend Midnight Mass with Bishop Morlino, starting at midnight with half an hour of carols with the Diocesan Choir before. Then I am to be sacristan for 10am Novus Ordo Mass at another parish. In between there is an EF Mass at 7am which I want to attend but not sure how I would hold up. And I could not receive Communion at 3 Masses–though that need not prevent attending them.

  69. digdigby says:

    “Midnight Masses canceled in Iraq because of growing security concerns,” from the Catholic News Service, December 23
    LONDON (CNS) — Chaldean Catholic officials have canceled traditional Christmas Eve midnight Masses because of security risks.
    Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk in northern Iraq told the agency Aid to the Church in Need that Christians will spend Christmas in “great fear” because of the risk of new attacks. All services and Masses have been scheduled for daylight hours, he said in an interview with Rome-based AsiaNews. “Midnight Christmas Mass has been canceled in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk as a consequence of the never-ending assassinations of Christians,” he said, citing the Oct. 31, 2010, attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral that left 57 people dead in the Iraqi capital.

  70. Joseph-Mary says:

    There seem to be quite a few posters here with access to the EF. Sure wish I did! But until such time occurs, will attend midnight Mass at midnight at my good parish.

  71. Elizabeth D says:

    Also, I think Fr Jim should use the correct readings for the various Christmas Masses even if he gives approximately the same homily at all of them.

  72. kat says:

    Directing and singing midnight Mass (at midnight
    !) with my husband singing as well. Getting up and directing and singing again at the 9:30 AM Mass. Both EF.

  73. Mitchell NY says:

    Midnight Mass at Holy Innocents, Manhattan.

  74. RichR says:

    Since we have kids, we are banished to Christmas Early Eve Mass. I may slip out after the kids are down and go back for midnight Mass while the wife sleeps away at home. I might actually get to pray at Mass for once!

  75. Taylor says:

    I’ll be going to my FSSP parish here in Tulsa. Hymns/carols begin at 11:15PM and Mass begins at midnight. We only have one priest right now, but there will be another Fr. visiting and assisting, so Fr. said confessions will be heard through Mass from 11:15PM until Mass ends, around 1AM.

  76. UncleBlobb says:

    I am visiting my parents in the ineffable diocese, and have decided to break out of town for an EF Mass two hours away in Pittsburgh, since … well … let’s just say there won’t be one here. The Mass is at 9pm, but I assume that is because the O.F. Mass is at 12am.

  77. frjim4321 says:

    E.D. – – –

    Nice thought, but the homily should go with the readings and hard to imagine on anyone working in a parish this week would have time to prepare four different homilies.

    – – – Jim Blue POR

  78. friarpark says:

    Our Midnight Mass is at 11 PM Central, which is better than some previous years when midnight was at 8:30. Our other choice is in a small town nearby where Midnight Mass IS at midnight. So that is an option.

  79. chris1 says:

    Came in to the Catholic Church in 2003. I attended midnight Mass in 2002 and 2004…then along came our first child. I look forward to midnight Mass in 5-10 years (we currently have kids age 6, 3, and 3 months.) We’ll sure have EWTN streaming on the TV so we can watch midnight mass from Rome. For now it’s the 4pm evening Mass (with the kids’ pageant BEFORE Mass begins, praised be God) with yours truly as Lector…

    St. Mary’s, Rome, GA, USA, has midnight Mass at 11 pm, btw.

  80. Mike says:

    I’m going to be an altar server at my parent’s (my hometown) parish. The Mass begins at midnight but it will most certainly include one deacon with no dalmatic and a stole that matches the “altar scarves” laid on in the wooden “table” in the center of the round, slate sanctuary. Music will be played in the church-in-a-round. Some music will be accompanied on the beautiful – but rarely used – four division organ, the rest will no doubt include the piano, guitar, and a… wait for it… tambourine. There will probably only be three servers (and no rehearsal) and incense will only be used if I can convince the pastor to use it, even then we will be lucky if it’s used beyond the Gospel.

  81. Ben Yanke says:

    I’ll be assisting at Midnight Mass at midnight with Bishop Morlino.

  82. DetJohn says:

    Midnight Mass at St. Jude Maronite Rite, West Covina, Ca The liturgy will be said in Arabic and English with the consecration said in Aramaic (The language that Jesus spoke). Then 11:00am a Annunciation Melkite Rite, in Covina, Ca. Both in Arabic and English.

    “disco” needs to take note that the Roman Rite is not the only Rite of the Catholic Church. His comment ‘Midnight, in Latin. The way God intended’ could rile up many in the Eastern Catholic Rites.

    I love the TLM and attend whenever and wherever I can. For me Latin is the only way to go for the Roman Rite.

  83. patergary says:

    Midnight Mass at midnight @ St. Columba, Oxon Hill, MD
    11.45 Christmas carols

  84. Mamma B says:

    CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
    Saturday, Dec. 24th Royal Hours at 9:00 am
    Koliady (carols) at 9:00 pm
    Christmans Eve Vespers/Divine Liturgy at 9:30 pm
    Sunday, Dec. 25th Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am
    Monday, Dec. 26th Synaxis of the Mother of God, Divine Liturgy at 7:30 pm
    Tuesday, Dec. 27th Feast of St. Stephen, Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am

    Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church
    http://www.nativityukr.org

  85. Patti Day says:

    Mass at 9:00 AM. Other Masses are 5:30 PM Saturday, or 2:30 PM Sunday at the local ski resort.

  86. M. K. says:

    Midnight Mass (at 12 am, with carols from 11:30 pm onward) at St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Not the TLM (nearest one is over an hour away, sadly) but has a lot to recommend it: solemn and reverent OF, Roman Canon, some Latin, incense, altar boys in red cassocks, no EMs.

    The parish is worth a look for WDTRS readers who may find themselves in the area, either at Christmas or any other time: http://saintanthonynewbedford.com/

  87. TNCath says:

    We have 4:00 p.m. “Midnight Mass” so the older folks in our parish can get home before it gets too late. Our church is packed. If we were to have it any later, no one would come.

  88. APX says:

    Interesting. Our 11:00 midnight Mass has been changed to actually be at *gasp!* midnight, as in 0:00 hrs. Bizarre.

  89. Here at St. Luke the Evangelist in Morgantown, WV, “midnight” Mass is slated to be at 21:00 E.S.T. (9:00 p.m.). I guess it is a good thing that it’s actually advertised in the church announcements as a Christmas Eve Vigil Mass (and not as a midnight Mass), but we also have another Mass scheduled as a Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 17:30 E.S.T. (5:30 p.m.).

  90. Lucas says:

    Midnight Mass, assuming the 3 year old can handle it. Then I get to get up at 5AM to start cooking for the days dinner.

  91. Sword40 says:

    Our local OF parish, St Francis Xavier mission church, Toledo, WA, will be having a Midnight Mass. Carols will begin at 11:30 pm with Mass at Midnight. This is one of the better done OF Masses in the area. We had our TLM last week.

    Merry Christmas to All.

  92. moon1234 says:

    EF Midnight Mass at Midnight with 15 minute prelude. St. Norbert’s in Roxbury, WI (Diocese of Madison, WI). My two boys are serving and my daughter and I are singing.

    My wife is going with the little kids to the 11am EF on Christmas day. Boys might serve again. Will have to see if the server schedule is already full (It usually is).

  93. Stephen Matthew says:

    Midnight Mass will in fact be at midnight. Prelude music will begin at 11:15, so those wanting a good seat will probably file in about 11:00. For the first time I will be serving at midnight mass.

    (Midnight mass will be one of 5 ordinary form masses in English, and there will also be a bilingual Spanish/English mass; two masses in the evening on the eve, three on Christmas morning, and midnight. Interestingly we also have a midnight mass after a holy hour on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.)

  94. jesusthroughmary says:

    Sadly, the only traditional Midnight Mass will start at 11 pm, so I will attend the Novus Ordo Midnight Mass “at the stroke of midnight”, as our wonderful pastor puts it. Full choir and orchestra for the Mass as well as the service of carols beginning at 11:30 pm. Alas, no Christmas Proclamation.

  95. JoyfulMom7 says:

    Midnight Mass at . . . Midnight! in our Latin Mass Community.

  96. Emilio III says:

    My “regular” parish is having “Midnight Mass” at 10pm this year (until now it has been at the proper time) but I will be attending the EF Mass at midnight. They must think I’m a “twice a year Catholic” since it’s only this Mass and the Good Friday services that I can attend there. :-)

  97. Yes I will be attending Midnight Mass, and yes it will actually be at midnight. There will also be a choral recital at 11:30pm, and of course it will be necessary to arrive early to obtain a good seat.

    We also will have two evening Masses–a 5 pm and an 8 pm “family Mass” (whatever that might denote).

  98. trespinos says:

    Midnight Mass will be bilingual at midnight, preceded by masses at 4 PM, 6 PM, and 8 PM. I choose to attend the Christmas Day Mass at 8:45 AM, which will be followed by masses at 10:30 AM and 12:15 PM. This is my habit and is, I suspect, a holdover from my youth, when the Christmas Eve home party was the most glorious gathering of the year and never ended in time for us to get off to Midnight Mass.

  99. RobertK says:

    I’ll be going to 5:00pm Vigil Mass, cause God forbid if wasn’t home in time for Christmas Eve’s festivities starting at around 7:00PM . I’d be literally chastised. I’m the only traditional Catholic in our family. I also seem to run into this problem around Easter as well. The only EF Mass in my area is St Stephen of Hungary in Allentown. That will be at Midnight.
    http://www.czestochowa.us/

    Merry Christmas to Everyone Here.

  100. Lori says:

    St. Thomas Aquinas in Camas, WA has midnight Mass. We’ll be attending 9:30 am on Christmas Day; helps keep our little ones focused on Jesus (at least I hope!) and not just gifts. :)

  101. Will Elliott says:

    Visiting family in Austin, Texas, so thinking of heading to Midnight Mass at the Cathedral. If I’m a good boy, I’ll get there early enough for the the lessons and carols starting at 11.

  102. Mrs. Bear says:

    Our Midnight mass is at midnight.
    My son will be serving.
    My 13yr old daughter, my husband and myself are in the SATB choir.
    We sing at midnight – with an 11:30 carol sing. We sing again at the 11am mass.
    St. Timothy’s Church – Orangeville, Ontario, Canada

  103. alexandra88 says:

    Not this year. I actually have people staying at my house making merry so I need to be a good host rather than running off (they are not Catholic). However, I will be at the Dominican priory for 1030am Christmas Day mass. And yes, all my guests are invited.

  104. q7swallows says:

    12/24–10pm carols
    10:30pm Liturgy of St. Basil (so that the Consecration occurs at midnight). All our sons serving. Daughters in choir. Whole parish sings.
    12/25–10am Liturgy

    Thanks be to God for our pastor’s recent successful eye-brain-nasal cancer operation. He will be celebrating. Jubilate Deo and may God grant him many blessed years!

  105. thefeds says:

    We’ll be celebrating in the OF at Midnight! Really!

  106. akp1 says:

    All the Midnight Masses in our Diocese (and country! it’s all one) are at midnight, and we will be attending. Happy Christmas to you Fr. Z. and to all your readers, may God bless you all.

  107. ajdearmond says:

    Here at Blackfriars, Oxford, we begin Vigils at 11:30 with psalms, readings, and carols, then move into Mass at Midnight. We celebrate in the Ordinary Form and pull out all the stops (figuratively and literally).

  108. Supertradmum says:

    The Midnight Mass starts at 10. I would love to go, but as I walk everywhere and do not know anyone going with a car. I would have to walk home very late. So, I shall go in the morning. Happy Christmas, Fr. Z and to all here.

  109. jflare says:

    Let’s see:
    Choir dinner at 7, rehearsal at 9, followed by….
    A concert of sorts beginning at 10:30, much of it more traditional music; Mass begins at Midnight. We’ll likely be done by 3 AM or so, which means I’ll need to get home, sleep for awhile, then get up for a family dinner at Village Inn at noon. …And likely I”ll need to chauffer my folks, as they’re not precisely well acquainted with this area.
    If past experience holds again, likely the Church will be pretty dark until Mass. Mass itself, though in the Novus Ordo, will likely be celebrated ad orientem for the canon.
    Reminds me, I need to see if I can find a red light filter….it can be tough to read my music in the quarter light of the loft…..
    …I’ll need to take throat lozenges and orange juice too. I’m developing a cold/sore throat. I’m gonna give my voice quite the workout tomorrow night…..

  110. Simon_GNR says:

    Midnight Mass begins at the proper time of midnight at my local parish church, but I’m not going – I never do. I hate being hardly able to get a seat thanks to the church being packed to the rafters with “once-a-yearers” who like to think of themselves as Catholic but don’t want the commitment of weekly mass attendance!! (And, according to our paruish priest, some of them even have the gall to moan about the quality of the music or decorations or the content of the homily. ) If I were the priest or deacon giving the homily I think I might be tempted take the opportunity to remind everyone that there is no less of an obligation to attend mass every Sunday of the year than there is on Christmas Day!

    I prefer to go to the 8.00 a.m. Dawn Mass on Christmas morning, where the atmosphere is dignified, reverent and prayerful, and here at 53 degrees north, 1 degree west, dawn does actually break during the Mass.

  111. jeffreyquick says:

    I’ll be singing Midnight Mass, Ordinary Form, Mary Queen of Peace, Cleveland OH. Music at 11:15 (mostly strings and some carol concertati). Chant Introit and Communion, Hassler Gloria, Vermulst Unity Sanctus/Mem. Acc./Amen (but with strings and trumpet), chant Agnus, Victoria O magnum. Very Reform of the Reform, lots of Latin. My first Midnight in OF; I’m new at this. The digital organ had a hissy fit on Thurs. but all is well now.

  112. Daniel says:

    I am singing the Mass of the Shepherds for midnight Mass. This is the second year we have had a Missa Cantata TLM at midnight. Last year I was not able to go because of a car pooling mishap, but this year I am very excited for it.

  113. pogacnikr says:

    First mass at 18.00 today, called children`s midnight mass. Quite needless if you ask me. And than a solemn mass at midnight and third at 8.00 on Christmas day and another at 10.00.
    Let us pray for our Holy Father, he seems to be very busy these days.
    Venite adoremus Dominum!

  114. Miriam says:

    Schedule of Services

    Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
    24 December 2011 (Saturday)
    4:30PM Foresthill (Midnight Mass Setting)
    5:00PM Christmas Family Mass (Midnight Mass Setting)
    11:30PM Christmas Carols
    12:00AM Midnight Mass

    25 December 2011 (Sunday)
    8:00AM Mass 10:00AM Mass
    12:00 noon Mass (Spanish)

    I’m going to the 5 pm Mass since I have to work all day and I just can’t make it to Midnight anymore. Besides this way my non-Catholic brother and sister will go with me.

    I will probably go to the 8:00 AM Sunday Mass.

  115. SuzyQ says:

    OF Mass with my family, hopefully at 7pm this evening. Then Midnight Mass, at midnight, at Assumption Grotto in Detroit. Music will be the Perrone Mass provided by 40+ piece orchestra, 60+ voice choir and 4 soloists. What a beautiful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior!!

  116. vox borealis says:

    I’ve completely conceded defeat on Midnight mass at, well, Midnight. We have a couple of young kids, which makes it hard enough, but more importantly where I live there is no realistic option for mass at Midnight. So, it’s Christmas morning for us.

  117. emily13 says:

    Midnight Mass OF, (at midnight) at my parish, Ascension Church, in Pittsburgh…preceded by the Office of Readings and Carols at 11:15pm.

  118. mpolo says:

    I have to celebrate a “Midnight Mass” in a Parish at 18:00 – I’m planning on using the propers from the Vigil of Christmas, and taking the pastoral option to use the readings for the Midnight Mass. Then I will have a real Midnight Mass at midnight with my religious community.

  119. Andreas says:

    Mass at the Ulrichskirche here in Pinswang will begin at 2300. As Mass will last approximately one-hour, we will welcome the birth of Our Lord at midnight with the singing of Stille Nacht in a church lit only by candles. Wishing Father Z. and all of you, dear readers, a gesegnete Weihnachten!

  120. I have not yet decided what I shall do or where I shall go, except that I would not be caught dead anywhere near any 4 PM Mass today. My preference is for a big, beautiful, old, uncrowded church where I have never been to Mass before, but I would entertain variations on that theme. The only other consideration is that I need to assist my father with caring for my mother and my uncle, who are both home with us recovering from surgery, so it helps if I am home when my father is not.

  121. Tim says:

    Midnight Mass (OF) at my parish church in Brussels, Belgium — well not actually my parish but the closest church to me. The Mass begins at 24:00. There is probably an EF Midnight Mass at the ICRSP chapel but I can’t get there without a car. (Mass of the Day (EF) at our Chapelle de Sacré-Coeur de Lindthout with diocesan priests.) Joyeux Noël à tous les lecteurs!

  122. Warmiaczka says:

    I will be attending Midnight Mass at Midnight(called “Pasterka” in Polish, meaning “Shepherd’s Masss”) at my parish. In Ordinary Form because the only TLM in the whole archdiocese is (AFAIK) a SSPX-mass twice a month celebrated by visiting priest in a rented room, but luckily my parish is rather conservative, even for Poland.
    But I’m going to watch the Papal Midnight Mass broadcast live on TV too.

    Blessed Christmas to Father Z. and to all of you, dear fellow readers!

  123. MargaretC says:

    Midnight mass at the Cathedral will start at midnight, with the Archbishop celebrating. Choir and organ music beginning at 11:00. Parking is always problematic, so I’ll probably try to arrive a little after 10:00.

    I may spend some time before that driving around downtown — the local merchants association always puts on a spectacular light display.

    Dinner on Christmas Day with my parents. They’re in their 80s, but chugging right along, and insist on hosting Christmas dinner.

    Thanks in part to this blog, Father, I’ve spent Advent in a much more focused way. Have a blessed Christmas!

  124. Marysann says:

    We were fortunate enough to get tickets for 10:00 p.m. Mass at St. Peter’s celebrated by our Holy Father Pope Benedict. Since parking is impossible we will take public transportation to get there, but we will have to walk all the way across town to get home. The buses in Rome will stop running at 9:00, but will be worth the walk. Blessed Christmas to all.

  125. Long-Skirts says:

    THE
    CRIMSON
    CHRIST

    Red cassocks
    For the Altar boys
    At Mass on
    Christmas Eve.

    Red cassocks
    For the Altar boys
    For those who
    Don’t believe

    Yet creep into
    The church’s womb
    At Midnight Mass
    Each year,

    They crave the sight
    A drop of bright
    Bold red
    To stop their fear.

    And down the nave
    The torches click
    And clack the
    Opaque glass

    And that is so
    Their senses know
    To hear, smell, see
    The Mass

    And then the
    Elevation
    Transubstantiated
    Bread…

    Confessed-convert
    Scabbed souls with hurts
    Bleed white
    By Crimson’s red.

  126. i have to wait 13 days in order to celebrate the Great Feast. But to all of you may the Birth of the King of Glory be the source of abundant blessings as we honor His Mother who bore Him for our salvation, and also His Guardian and Protector, Blessed Joseph the Betrothed. Christ is Born! Glorify Him! Xristos Roszdaitszia! Slavite Yeho!

  127. Our parish has a “Family” Mass at 4:30 PM; an English-language “Midnight” Mass at 10:00 PM; a Spanish-language Midnight Mass — at midnight; and English-language Masses at 7:30 and 9:30 Christmas morning.

    Because of various responsibilities in the parish, different family members will attend different Masses — but we will be together as a family (Dad, Mom, 8 kids) at 7:30 on Christmas morning.

  128. poohbear says:

    My parish has Midnight Mass at midnight, but since I have to get up at 4:00am on Christmas to go to work, I am forced to attend the 6:00 pm Christmas Vigil mass. There are no evening Masses on Christmas Day, so I can’t go after work. Working on Christmas stinks, but being in the medical field, it comes with the territory, and hopefully I can bring some Christmas cheer to the patients who won’t be able to get to Mass at all.

  129. HyacinthClare says:

    Mater Misericordiae in Phoenix has a EF mass AT MIDNIGHT, of course!! We are planning on attending the 11:00 a.m. as we usually do, as we are “hauling” two C&Es with us (Christmas and Easter attenders), and they couldn’t possibly get up before 9:00 on Sunday… but they are GOING! Blessed Mother, please touch hearts, and keep my mouth shut. A glorious Christmas to you all!

  130. ChrisWhittle says:

    My parish has a Midnight Mass (EF), but will not go this year. Instead will go to 10:30 AM Mass (EF), but I don’t know if it will be low or high.

  131. Mass at midnight, God willing, at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory, in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, preceded by the singing of Christmas carols at 11:30 p.m., and including veneration of the relic of the holy Crèche. Music will include the Lux Arumque by Eric Whitacre, and Missa Brevis for Strings and Brass KV. 194 by Mozart.

  132. Ef-lover says:

    My local parish has 2 midnight masses one at 4:30pm and the other at 10:00pm. I normally attend (actual) midnight EF mass at St. Mary , Norwalk but will not this year– going to the 9:30am EF mass also at St. Mary’s in Norwalk

  133. Devin says:

    I will be attending Christmas Eve at 5:30PM at my parent’s parish and Christmas Day at 10AM at a neighboring parish. I am pretty sure that the 5:30 one will use the propers of Midnight, have no incense, Eucharistic Prayer #2, feel rushed and the universal opinion the congregation, a poor sermon, but the 10AM has in the past used either the texts from Dawn or During the Day, liberal use of incense, the Roman Cannon and a much better music selection and preaching. Though I am grateful just to be able to attend mass, since there are many who do not have such a grace.

  134. PostCatholic says:

    I won’t be going to Mass. We will have a candlelight service of Christmas carols at 8:30 and it’s been announced that the sermon title is “Sure On This Shining Night.” It will be interesting to see where that leads. We also usually have a short cookie reception afterwards, so I must put something in the oven shortly.

  135. digdigby says:

    Devin-
    Nothing can stops a beretta except a Roman cannon.

  136. Dave N. says:

    I will go at 10:00 pm to “midnight Mass”. Was saddened to learn today that even the Vatican’s “Midnight Mass” is at 10:00 pm. Oh well, it will still be great!

  137. Mr. P says:

    I have not decided between going to Mass at St Sebastian’s in Santa Paula, OLA Cathedral, the Norbertine Abbey or my local parish for midnight Mass. I would love to go to the EF at midnight if it were so available.

  138. robert l says:

    Midnight Mass
    Location: Our Lady of Mt Carmel Mission
    Stoneham, Massachusetts (North of Boston)
    It will be a Missa Cantata. Music starts at 11:40pm. Will be one of the servers.

  139. rollingrj says:

    Due to budget cuts, my parish’s Music Director was laid off and the choir was disbanded in mid-October. This “choir in exile” was invited to assist at the “Midnight Mass” (10:00 PM Saturday) at another parish by their Music Director (who is the son of my Music Director). While I am not sure if there will be a pre-Mass singing of carols, our contribution will be small. We will sing two pieces the group knows very well and can have ready in a 30 minute rehearsal an hour before Mass:

    “When Christ was born of Mary free”, by John Gardner.
    “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day”, arr. by Elizabeth Postor.

    The Mass will be in the Ordinary Form and prayed in the vernacular (English).

  140. tonesing says:

    My wife and I started dating over a decade ago, and we went to Midnight Mass at her (now our) home parish with her parents. Due to extended familial obligations, Midnight Mass has been (ironically) the most convenient for our family. Yes, we all go, and our children love it (even if they dose off in the pew). However, “Midnight Mass” was moved to 10:00p.m. last year.

    I had hoped to use that as an excuse to return to my favorite parish in a neighboring diocese, where the OF Midnight Mass features such “novelties” as incense, bells, Latin propers, the Christmas Proclamation(?!?), male altar servers, a thunderous pipe organ, strings, and gold vestments in a neo-Gothic church built in 1853. There is a EF Midnight Mass also in that diocese, but I figured that was a fight for another day…

    We have, however, settled on my mother and grandmother’s parish– which at least is in an older Church with incense and pretty realistic sounding electronic organ. Everyone says, “Christmas is about family.” I wish more realized it is actually about Christ and Mass…

  141. Jael says:

    11:30 p.m. carol service, then midnight Mass begins at midnight, Novus Ordo, usually preceded by blessing of the creche (but we have new priests this year, so we’ll see). Since it’s NO, and the parish is in a bad part of town, and one must drive there over icy hilly roads with drunks abroad, I’ll be going to the Usus Antiquior Missa Cantata at 11:00 a.m. on Christmas Day.

  142. Samthe44 says:

    At my wonderful parish, we will have a 5:15 p.m., an 8:00 p.m., and a 12:00 midnight Mass tonight. On Christmas Day, we will have a 9:00 a.m. and an 11:00 a.m. Mass. All O.F., all very standard/solemn, with incense at Midnight Mass. Except the 5:15 which has a children’s Nativity Play. I am serving at the 8:00 p.m., so that is when I am going.

  143. meippoliti says:

    Our parish in the Last Frontier will have Mass at 6PM, 9PM, and Midnight. New to the area, but was told that each Mass is full. The church can hold over a thousand people. May be getting there a little bit early (11PM) with all the kiddos (5.5, 4, 2, and 8 months pregnant) to find a pew. Now only if everyone would sleep in on Christmas morning…perhaps.

  144. oblomov says:

    Midnight Mass started at midnight and finished at 1:30. The new Pastor gave a rousing Christmas sermon, which included a spirited explanation of the Real Presence. A first for me, but oh how we could use it. A fine celebration of the Lord’s nativity.

  145. CarismaTeaCo says:

    English NO Mass was at 6. The choir was, as usual, to the left of the altar in the Sanctuary (facing the Tabernacle). My first time as altar server. I felt very blessed.
    The posada was at 7 and we were singing in the parking lot to be let inside The church for posada. We ate pozole and tamales w ponche and champurrado. The kids broke both pinatas.

    Spanish NO Mass was at 830. Our Indian priest invited a transitional deacon from his society to give homily in Spanish. It was about the incarnation. Which was really good! Our choir director had a new high school choir. Which sounded good.
    I sat w them in the loft!

    The altar for both Masses was Adorned w a Nativity scene in front. Two huge Christmas trees on either side decorated (nicely). And two smaller trees w only lights on either side of the main altar.

    A friend snuck in a Crucifix on the altar.

    Tomarrow we do it all over again x 3.
    Merry Christmas!

    P.S. As i was driving I saw A local Protestant church’s weekly message had ‘Christmas eve service: 4, Christmas day: no service’

    Here’s hoping they have a MAIN ‘campus’ service.

    :)

  146. Ben Yanke says:

    We had a very nice sung Midnight Mass with Bp. Morlino, one of our transitional deacons, and several of the seminarians. It was quite nice. And yes, Fr. Z, he wore the maniple, as he usually does :P

  147. Centristian says:

    I attended Christmas Midnight Mass (at midnight) at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo, New York, where the principal celebrant was to have been the outgoing bishop, Edward Kmiec. The bishop was, anticipated, expected, and named as celebrant in the program. We were all dumbfounded, therefore, when the rector of the cathedral ascended the altar as the celebrant of the Mass, with no bishop in sight.

    At the homily it was explained that Hizzexellency was struck with the flu, thus the last minute substitution. Monsignor held his own and it was a beautiful Mass with a wonderful choir and brass ensemble, but not the same, of course, without the bishop, whom I hope will be well soon.

  148. Martial Artist says:

    Went to the 11:00pm Lessons (2) and Carols (all by the choir with the congregation joining for several) followed, at midnight, by Mass. A wonderful celebration of our Lord’s nativity.

    Pax et bonum,
    Keith Töpfer

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