The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-01-02
CHRISTMAS AT
ST. JOHNS
CHURCH CROWDED FOR MIDNIGHT MASS
WESTMINSTER HOMES PRAISED
BY FATHER DOYLE.

BY FATHER DOYLE.
Christmas time began at st. Johns
on December 23rd with a splendid en-
tertainment given by the school chill
dren in the Parish Hall. There was,
of course, a huge Christmas tree
which attracted the eyes of the BOYS
and girls until the great moment ar
rived and brought Santa from the
chimney. There were presents for
every one of the two hundred and
more children and as Santa climbed
back into his sleigh and cracked his
whip over the reindeer, he complain
ed that his arm was tired from CIV
ing out so many nice things to the
school children of st. Johns.
But they deserved them, Santa,
didn't they?" someone asked and the
cheerful old man tugged at his long
Whiskers, grinned and shouted*** "Of
course they did" and with another
crack of his whip he was off to
Greenland.
Father McGuigan saw a small boy
crying: "W- W will b h - he c.
c. come b b. back, Father?'' the
boy blubbered. eff you are a good
boy and mind your parents and the
Sisters yes," and the boy smiled
''Oh I'll be good, you bet!" Y
Tableau and Christmas Carols,
The tableau of the Nativity was
beautiful. The children gathered
around the representation of the cave
OF Bethlehem and sang the dear old
Christmas songs inseparable from
childhood and the great feast of our
Lords birth. The parents and many
friends of the school who filled the
nall, showed their appreciation of the
chIldren's entertainment and of the
Sisters self sacrificing work, by gen
erous applause. The program was a
credit to the work of the Sisters of
Notre Dame in st. Johns parish.
Midnight Mass.
Father McGuigan sang the Solemn
High Mass at midnight and expressed
his heartfelt Christmas wishes to a
congregation that crowded every inch
OF space in the church. The altar
was beautifully decorated with cedars
and flowers and lighted candles and
the crib, with it's statues, served to
bring Vividly before the mind, the
scene in the cave Of Bethlehem. Faith
er Doyle and Father Colligan of Wood
stock College, assisted the pastor at
the Mass.
! The senior choir rendered the mu-
sic Of the Mass very appropriately
and the sanctuary choir sang the pro-
cessional, the offertory and the re-
cessional. 1t was a special pleasure
to hear Father Edward Reilly's we'll
trained choir sing the old Christmas
hymns.
Westminster Homes Praised.
Father Francis x. Doyle, S. j.,
preached the sermon. He dwelt on the
fact that the Cave Bethlehem is the
One thing that cannot he left out of
reconstruction since it is the founda-
tfon of the home. Christmas, he said,
is family feast and there is no JOY
like Christmas joy because there is
no joy like the joy of home He pro-
ceeded by saying that the home is the
foundation of great country and that
the Cave of Bethlehem is the founda-
ton of holy home, since there we
find purity, obedience to authority,
and simplicity. With great earnest
ness, the Father praised the home
spirit of the people of Westminster
and said he felt sure such homes had
been built on the Cave of Bethlehem
and were, therefore, the foundation of
a great country in this vital period of
reconstruction.
Crowds Receive Holy Communion.
Three priests were required to ad-
minister Holy Communion, so great
was the multitude that approached the
Holy Table. The Mass ended with the
children repeating their hymns and
more than half the congregation re-
mained for the second Mass.
+ School Choir Sings.
The school choir had been specially
trained by Sister Placidia, an expert
musician, and sang superbly the mu-
sic at the 10 o'clock Mass. Miss
Catherine Ford, of the school music
class, accompanied the hymns on the
violin. The Westminster Christmas
spirit was shown at this Mass, for
though most of the people had al
ready been present at Midnight Mass
and the one Immediately following.
still they returned in large numbers
for the last service Of the day.
Santa at RectOry.
before Santa Claus had gone Off in
his sleigh to Greenland, he had stop
ped at the rectory and squeezed
through the chimney and set up a
Christmas tree in Father McGuigan's
reception room, and here the altar
boys, the sanctuary choir, the school
choir and the senior choir gathered
to wish the pastor Merry Christmas
and to sing for him in his own home.
Santa had left presents for all and
when Father McGuigan handed them
out, the rectory rang with childish
daughter.
PafrOnaI Feast. at st. Johns.
The feast of ST.. John, the Evanse-
list, Patron of the Catholic Churcn at
Westminster, was celebrated on Sum /
day, December 28th, with Solemn High {
Mass sung by Father Thomas E. Nc
Gu1gan, assisted by Rev. Richavd
washington as Deacon and Rev. John
VI. Colhgan, S. j., as sub deacon.
The Christmas music was repeated
oy the senior choir and the sanctuary
choir and the sermon was preached
1y Father Colligan. He dweit on the
OF st. John, the Be-,
owed Disciple, and drew two lessons
rom the life Of this great Apostle.