UPDATED: Bishop joins Hightstown community for Christmas Eve Mass
December 24, 2023 at 10:56 p.m.
“Merry Christmas, everyone” said an exuberant Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., at the start of the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Vigil Mass he celebrated in St. Anthony of Padua Church, Hightstown.
“My sisters and brothers, we join together on this great feast as we celebrate the Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, our Savior born for us, the promised Savior, the king of kings, the lord of lords.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Bishop's Christmas Eve Mass in Hightstown church.
The Hightstown church, which was filled with faithful, was the first Mass the Bishop celebrated for the 2023 Christmas season.
Before Mass, the handbell choir and several choir members, under the direction of Dr. Quentin Marty, presented a choral prelude of Christmas hymns. Joanne and John Tyne, parish children’s liturgy coordinators, then asked all young children in attendance to come forward and take a seat on the floor in front of the sanctuary and hear a story about the shepherds in the Christmas story. As the Gospel story was narrated, John Tyne led a puppet presentation.
During the entrance procession, as all joined in the singing of “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” the Bishop carried an image of the Christ Child which was placed in the Nativity scene set up in front of the altar table.
In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reflected on his Christmas message to the people of the Diocese in which he wrote about how “the whole world becomes different at Christmas.” Developing his point by referencing the Mass Readings, the Bishop noted that the First Reading speaks of how “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,” and how “light makes the dark world look different” and enables people to see. And what it is that we see is a child born for us, a son is given us. Upon his shoulders dominion rests.”
The Second Reading and the Gospel, the Bishop continued, speak of the Divine Light.
“That is why the whole world becomes different at Christmas, because of Christmas,” Bishop O’Connell said. “God has appeared in the grace of a Child, a Son. He has appeared to us, for us ... to you, for you.
“The whole world becomes different at Christmas but truly, deeply, profoundly only if we allow Christmas to touch and move our hearts,” he said.
As he watched Bishop O’Connell greeting parishioners after Mass, congregant Wayne Friday reflected on how meaningful it was for him and his wife, Pat, to spend Christmas with family members in New Jersey.
“Pat and I came all the way up from Florida,” he said, noting that his wife considers the Hightstown area her home and that their son lives near the parish “which we enjoyed visiting tonight on Christmas Eve.”
For the youngsters at Mass, children's liturgy coordinators, Joanne and John Tyne did a brief puppet presentation on the meaning of shepherds in the Christmas story. Hal Brown photo
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“Merry Christmas, everyone” said an exuberant Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., at the start of the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Vigil Mass he celebrated in St. Anthony of Padua Church, Hightstown.
“My sisters and brothers, we join together on this great feast as we celebrate the Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, our Savior born for us, the promised Savior, the king of kings, the lord of lords.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Bishop's Christmas Eve Mass in Hightstown church.
The Hightstown church, which was filled with faithful, was the first Mass the Bishop celebrated for the 2023 Christmas season.
Before Mass, the handbell choir and several choir members, under the direction of Dr. Quentin Marty, presented a choral prelude of Christmas hymns. Joanne and John Tyne, parish children’s liturgy coordinators, then asked all young children in attendance to come forward and take a seat on the floor in front of the sanctuary and hear a story about the shepherds in the Christmas story. As the Gospel story was narrated, John Tyne led a puppet presentation.
During the entrance procession, as all joined in the singing of “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” the Bishop carried an image of the Christ Child which was placed in the Nativity scene set up in front of the altar table.
In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reflected on his Christmas message to the people of the Diocese in which he wrote about how “the whole world becomes different at Christmas.” Developing his point by referencing the Mass Readings, the Bishop noted that the First Reading speaks of how “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light,” and how “light makes the dark world look different” and enables people to see. And what it is that we see is a child born for us, a son is given us. Upon his shoulders dominion rests.”
The Second Reading and the Gospel, the Bishop continued, speak of the Divine Light.
“That is why the whole world becomes different at Christmas, because of Christmas,” Bishop O’Connell said. “God has appeared in the grace of a Child, a Son. He has appeared to us, for us ... to you, for you.
“The whole world becomes different at Christmas but truly, deeply, profoundly only if we allow Christmas to touch and move our hearts,” he said.
As he watched Bishop O’Connell greeting parishioners after Mass, congregant Wayne Friday reflected on how meaningful it was for him and his wife, Pat, to spend Christmas with family members in New Jersey.
“Pat and I came all the way up from Florida,” he said, noting that his wife considers the Hightstown area her home and that their son lives near the parish “which we enjoyed visiting tonight on Christmas Eve.”
For the youngsters at Mass, children's liturgy coordinators, Joanne and John Tyne did a brief puppet presentation on the meaning of shepherds in the Christmas story. Hal Brown photo