( A video courtesy of Joe Giardina and Una Voce Westchester)

Some photographs of the Christmas Midnight mass of St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, CT. Fr. Richard Cipolla was the celebrant. (Above) The church was filled near to capacity for the occasion.

Praying the rosary before the creche led by Fr. Cipolla.

Fr. Jeffrey Keyes chanted the proclamation of the birth of Christ.

(Above and Below) The procession with the image of the Christ Child.

(Above and below) Mr. David Hughes led the assembled musical forces. For a description of the music performed on this night see our post HERE.

From last year’s midnight Mass

If you haven’t been to Christmas Solemn Midnight Mass at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, this might be the time to start going. Plans are in the works for the St. Mary Schola Cantorum to sing Mozart’s Mass in C Major (K. 258, “Piccolomini”). The choir, under the direction of David Hughes will be joined by a string orchestra. Elizabeth Weaver will sing the Laudate Dominum from Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339.

There will also be a Solemn Mass for Christmas Day at 9:30 am featuring Victoria’s Missa O Magnum Mysterium.

There is plenty of parking in the church lot behind the church and in a large bank lot across the street.

Here is a full schedule:

Christmas Eve:
11 pm Rosary by the creche
11:20 pm Orchestral Prelude: Christmas Concerto (Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8) (Arcangelo Corelli, 1683-1713)
11:30 pm Christmas Carols
Carol: What Child Is This (Greensleves)
Carol: O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël)
Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem (St. Louis)
Carol: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Carol: Tu scendi dalle stelle (St. Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori, 1696-1787)
Carol: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (Es is ein’ Ros’ entsprungen)
Carol: De Virgine Maria (Carl Rütti, b.1949)
Carol: Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
Prelude: Desseins éternels (from La Nativité du Seigneur) (Olivier Messiaen, 1908-1992)
The Solemn Proclamation of Christmas
Hymn at the Procession: Adeste Fideles (John Francis Wade, arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)
Hymn at the Procession: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Mendelssohn, arr. Willcocks)
12:00 Solemn Midnight Mass
Mass in C Major (K. 258, “Piccolomini”) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791)
Gregorian Mass of Christmas Midnight: Dominus dixit
Motet at the Offertory: Laudate Dominum (from Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339) (Mozart)
Motet at the Communion: Verbum caro factum est (John Sheppard, c.1515-1558)
Postlude: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Postlude: Fugue in A Major (BWV 536/2) (Bach)
Christmas Day, 9:30 am, Solemn Mass
Prelude: Puer natus in Bethlehem (BWV 603) (Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Hymn at the Procession: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles, arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)
Missa O magnum mysterium (Tomás Luis de Victoria, 1548-1611)
Gregorian Mass of Christmas Day: Puer natus est
Gradual: Viderunt omnes (Pérotin, fl. c. 1200)
Motet at the Offertory: Verbum caro factum est (John Sheppard, c.1515-1558)
Motet at the Communion: O magnum mysterium (Victoria)
Postlude: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Postlude: Fugue in A Major (BWV 536/2) (Bach)

It was almost deserted on Greenwich Avenue at 6:30  this morning, but the lights were on in many of the stores as employees readied things for a busy Christmas  shopping day.  Inside St. Mary’s  a different kind of preparation was taking place, where many people knelt in the quiet, candlelit church waiting for the Rorate Mass to begin.  Father Cyprian La Pastina was the celebrant of this solemn Mass.  A large group of young men assisted as acolytes.  The propers and ordinaries were sung in Gregorian chant.  As the mass progressed the light of dawn began to show through the windows.

From the parish website:  “This is a special Mass celebrated in honor of Our Lady on Saturdays in Advent. The title comes from the Introit (Entrance) of the Mass which translated means, “Drop down ye heavens from above” reminding us that the Lord came down from heaven and was born of the Virgin. What makes this Mass so unusual is that it is celebrated in the early morning by candlelight. The celebration is timed so that the sun begins to rise by the time of the consecration of the bread and wine to remind us of the constant coming of Christ into this world each time Holy Mass is celebrated.”

A traditional sung Mass will be offered at Sacred Heart Parish, 145 Randolph Ave, Clifton, NJ on Sunday December 27,  at 2:00PM. This monthly mass is sponsored by   Passaic County Latin Mass.

The following churches will offer Traditional Masses for the Christmas season. If you know of any that are not listed here, please let us know.

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT
Christmas Eve:

11 pm Rosary by the creche

11:20 pm Orchestral Prelude: Christmas Concerto (Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8) (Arcangelo Corelli, 1683-1713)

11:30 pm Christmas Carols
Carol: What Child Is This (Greensleves)
Carol: O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël)
Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem (St. Louis)
Carol: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Carol: Tu scendi dalle stelle (St. Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori, 1696-1787)
Carol: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (Es is ein’ Ros’ entsprungen)
Carol: De Virgine Maria (Carl Rütti, b.1949)
Carol: Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
Prelude: Desseins éternels (from La Nativité du Seigneur) (Olivier Messiaen, 1908-1992)
The Solemn Proclamation of Christmas
Hymn at the Procession: Adeste Fideles (John Francis Wade, arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)
Hymn at the Procession: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Mendelssohn, arr. Willcocks)

12:00 Solemn Midnight Mass
Mass in C Major (K. 258, “Piccolomini”) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791)
Gregorian Mass of Christmas Midnight: Dominus dixit
Motet at the Offertory: Laudate Dominum (from Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339) (Mozart)
Motet at the Communion: Verbum caro factum est (John Sheppard, c.1515-1558)
Postlude: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Postlude: Fugue in A Major (BWV 536/2) (Bach)

Christmas Day, 9:30 am, Solemn Mass
Prelude: Puer natus in Bethlehem (BWV 603) (Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Hymn at the Procession: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles, arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)
Missa O magnum mysterium (Tomás Luis de Victoria, 1548-1611)
Gregorian Mass of Christmas Day: Puer natus est
Gradual: Viderunt omnes (Pérotin, fl. c. 1200)
Motet at the Offertory: Verbum caro factum est (John Sheppard, c.1515-1558)
Motet at the Communion: O magnum mysterium (Victoria)
Postlude: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Postlude: Fugue in A Major (BWV 536/2) (Bach)

Sunday Dec. 27, 9:30 am, Solemn Mass followed by festive Christmas coffee hour
Jan. 1, Octave Day of Christmas, 5:30 pm, Solemn Mass

St Martha’s Church, Enfield, CT

Christmas Day, 12 noon, High Mass

St. Stanislaus, New Haven, CT
Christmas Day, 2 pm, sung Mass
Jan. 1, 2 pm, low Mass

Church of St. Anthony, 1496 Commonwealth Avenue, Bronx, NY

Christmas Day, 8:30 AM,Low Mass

Church of the Holy Innocents, New York, NY
Christmas Eve, 1 pm, Vigil Mass of the Nativity; 11:30 pm, program of sacred Christmas music; 12:01 am, Midnight Solemn Mass, followed by a festive reception in the parish hall
Christmas Day, Mass, 10:30 am
Sunday, Dec. 27, Mass at 10:30 am, Sunday Vespers and Benediction at 2:30 pm
Monday, Dec. 28,  Solemn Mass at 6 pm
Jan. 1, Octave of Nativity, Mass 1 pm

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 448 East 116th St., New York, NY
Christmas Day, 10:30 am, sung Mass
Jan. 1, Octave Day of Christmas, 10:30 am, sung Mass
Wed. Jan. 6, Epiphany, 7 pm, Solemn Mass and distribution of blessed Epiphany water, chalk and frankincense

St. Agnes Church, 143 East 43rd St., New York, NY
Christmas Day, 11:15 am, sung Mass

Our Lady of Peace, 522 Carroll St., Brooklyn, NY
Christmas Day, 9:30am

Immaculate Conception Church, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Christmas Day, 3PM Sung Mass
December 27th – 3PM Low Mass
Friday, January 1 – 3PM Low Mass
Sunday, January 3 – 3PM Low Mass Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, followed by Christmas pageant and special dinner, convivium

St. Matthew’s Church, 35 North Service Road, Dix Hills, NY 
Christmas Day, 12:30 pm High Mass (in the Parish Center Chapel)

St. Ladislaus, Hempstead, NY
Christmas Day, 9:00 am, sung Mass

St. Patrick’s Church, 55 Grand Street, Newburgh,  NY
Christmas Day 3 pm

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 259 Oliver Street, Newark, NJ
Christmas Eve: Solemn Midnight Mass. There will be a prelude of Christmas Carols at 11:30pm.

Our Lady of Victories Church, 150 Harriot Avenue, Harrington Park, NJ
Christmas Eve, 9:00 pm Sung High Latin Mass

St. Anthony of Padua, Jersey City, NJ
Christmas Eve, 9 pm
Jan. 1, 9 am
Wed. Jan. 6, Epiphany, Sung Mass, 7 pm

St. Catherine Laboure, 110 Bray Avenue, Middletown, NJ
Christmas Day, Solemn Mass, 8:45 am

Our Lady of Fatima Chapel, 32 West Franklin Avenue, Pequannock, NJ
Christmas Eve, 11:00 pm Christmas carols, 12:00 Midnight Mass

Christmas Day, 7:00 am  Mass at Dawn
9:00 am  Mass of Christmas Day
11:00 am  Mass of Christmas Day

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, West Orange, NJ
Christmas Eve,
9:30 pm Confessions
10:30 pm Traditional Christmas Carols
11:00 pm Solemn High Midnight Mass (First Mass of Christmas)
Christmas Day,
7:30 am Low Mass (Second Mass of Christmas)
9:00 am Low Mass (Second Mass of Christmas)
11:00 am High Mass (Third Mass of Christmas)

The stained glass window is in St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Manhattan, a church that was closed recently by mandate of the Archdiocese.

Last Thursday evening, a Missa Cantata was celebrated in the chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz (the Filipino Apostolate of New York). The Reverend Dr. Joseph G. Mugabe (Director of the Filipino apostolate of he Archdiocese of New York) was celebrant and homilist. Mr. Lorenzo Tinio was the Master of Ceremonies. They were assisted by the community of San Lorenzo Chapel and volunteers. I’d like to add that the Society of St Hugh of Cluny was sponsor of this liturgy…

The Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz on Broome Street – originally the Church of the Most Holy Crucifix, it was built for an Italian congregation in 1925-26.  No more than a small chapel, it supposedly seats only 250 – even fitting in that number would seem to me a great stretch! Reminders of the original Italian congregation are the polychrome statues displayed around the chapel. The parish of Most Holy Crucifix closed in 2005 and the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese moved there in that year. 1)   Such a  strange quirk of fate: this exceedingly modest chapel has survived while so many New York parishes so much more significant for their history and art have closed…..

(Above and below) Statues presumably inherited from the original parish church are joined by new works related to the Filipino apostolate – including statues of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, above.

The modest but enthusiastic congregation posed afterwards. We hope this will be only the first of many masses in the extraordinary form!

1) Wikipedia entry on the chapel

FIRST FRIDAY ALL-NIGHT VIGIL at Church of Holy Innocents in Manhattan: On Friday, December 4th, the All-Night Vigil will begin with the Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart at 6 PM and will conclude at 5:00 AM with the Votive Mass, Rorate Cœli.

On Saturday, December 5th, at 5:00 AM, Holy Innocents will have its first annual Rorate Coeli Mass on the first Saturday in December as part of the conclusion of the All Night Vigil.  The Mass will be celebrated before dawn and will be entirely in candlelight.

St Mary Church in Greenwich, Ct, will offer a votive Mass in Honor of Our Lady, a “Rorate Mass” according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman
Rite on Saturday, December 19th at 6:30 in the morning.

There are many different customs linked to the celebration of Advent. One of these is
the “Rorate Mass” a special Mass celebrated in honor of Our Lady on Saturdays in
Advent. The title comes from the Introit (Entrance) of the Mass which translated means,
” Drop down ye heavens from above” reminding us that the Lord came down from heaven
and was born of the Virgin. What makes this Mass so unusual is that it is celebrated in
the early morning by candlelight. The celebration should be timed so that the sun
begins to rise by the time of the consecration of the bread and wine to remind us of the
constant coming of Christ into this world each time Holy Mass is celebrated.

Image of Our Lady in the Church of Our Saviour, Manhattan