Festivities are set to begin at 11:15 p.m. at Ss. Peter and Paul, 508 Cherry Street, with a choir and music ministry concert, with midnight mass to follow at 12 a.m. on Christmas morning. Another Holy Apostles Parish church, St. Johns Church, 270 Newton Avenue has a traditional 4 p.m. mass for children that includes a children’s choir performance as well.

Holy Apostles Parish member, choir member and Cantor, Tony Dolce said last year’s midnight mass saw significant attendance.

“425 people attended last year,” Dolce said. “We’re looking forward to another crowd and encourage everyone to come. I believe we are the only church in the area with a midnight mass.

“It’s a huge tradition that’s gone on for probably close to a century, for both parishioners and the community.”

Holy Apostles Parish will be holding its annual Christmas Midnight Mass service this year. 425 people are pictured in attendance last year. Submitted photo

Dolce’s wife and Director of Music Ministries and the choir Anne Dolce, said the concert beginning at 11:15 p.m. will involve a full choir with 30 members, along with a brass quartet. Songs sung during both the concert and during mass — set to be just like a regular mass with the music centered on the Christmas Liturgy, — include; “O Holy Night” sung by soloist Alex Scalise with the choir, “Christmas Lullaby” by John Rutter, and “Christmas Fanfare/O Come All Ye Faithful”. Donna Gatz, church organist, will be accompanying the choir.

Special music is also planned for the Sunday after Christmas on Dec. 28, with the choir and the Holy Apostles Festival Handbell choir presenting music at the 11 a.m. mass. The handbell choir will play the prelude music prior to mass and at Communion, featuring songs “Mary Did You Know?”, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “In the Bleak Winter” and “Still, Still, Still”.

“People in the community are very supportive of Holy Apostles/Saints Peter and Paul, and our thriving music ministry,” Anne Dolce said. “Midnight Mass is an opportunity for people to come together as we are the only midnight mass in the area and celebrate the birth of Christ in our beautiful church. This is a very special tradition that we don’t take for granted.”

Parish Administrator, Father Paul Cygan, said he looks forward to being able to continue the midnight mass tradition this year at Ss. Peter and Paul and for many years to come.

“The Christmas midnight mass is a long standing and beautiful tradition of our Catholic faith,” Cygan said. “I look forward to celebrating this mass at Ss. Peter and Paul this Christmas and in years to come. I invite everyone to come to the midnight mass or one of our other Christmas Eve or Christmas Day masses, to keep Christ and mass in Christmas.”