Emmanuel Episcopal Church Announces Christmas Service Schedule

Emmanuel Episcopal Church welcomes the Christmas season and the celebration of Jesus’ nativity with special services to which the wider community is invited.

On Sunday, December 24, Emmanuel Church will hold a 9:00 a.m. service of Matins (Morning Prayer) for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Using the traditional language of the Book of Common Prayer, this service is among the treasures of the Anglican liturgical tradition, combining scriptural readings, psalms, prayers, and music, including both Advent and Christmas carols. It offers a reflective opportunity to prepare for the Christmas observances to come.

The church will celebrate Christmas Eve with a lively Festival Choral Eucharist at 5:00 p.m., with musical preludes beginning at 4:45 p.m. Emmanuel’s Rector, the Rev. Dr. Matthew P. Cadwell, will officiate and offer a Christmas Eve sermon. Dr. Cadwell and the whole Emmanuel congregation extend a welcome to all looking for an inclusive community in which to celebrate a joyous and meaningful Christmas. Children will be invited to help in the display of the crèche.

Christmas Eve music, under the expert direction of Michael Salvatore, will be drawn from the French and English traditions. The opening preludes include instrumental arrangements of French Noëls, played by Dr. Caroline Lieber and Christine Binzel on violin, and Maeve Haldeman on viola. A full complement of Christmas carols will be sung by the choir and congregation throughout the service, including “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “Joy to the World.” Choral anthems include “Dost thou in a manger lie” by the French composer Jean Marburn, “Noël We Sing” by Louis-Claude Daquin, and “Unto us is born a son,” arranged by Sir David Willcocks of King’s College in Cambridge. Following Holy Communion, the congregation will sing “Silent Night” by candlelight, accompanied by strings.

On Christmas morning, Monday, December 25, Emmanuel Church will offer Holy Communion with carols at 8:00 a.m. This intimate worship service provides an opportunity for quiet reflection in the midst of busy Christmas celebrations. Dr. Cadwell will offer a Christmas morning meditation.

Sunday, December 31, Emmanuel Church will hold a 9:00 a.m. service of Holy Eucharist. The Rev. Marie Swayze, the parish’s affiliated priest, will preach and officiate.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church is located at 5 Bryant Street (corner of Main and Bryant Streets), adjacent to the Veterans’ Memorial Common. For more information contact the church office at 781-245-1374 or visit the church website at www.emmanuelwakefield.org.