Midnight Mass At St. Rose Of Lima

Christmastime holds special meaning to the Catholic church, far beyond the simple consumer-mad occasion the holiday has turned into in recent years.

It is a time of joyous celebration, marking the birth of the church's savior, Jesus Christ, and his message of peace on Earth and good will towards all men and women.

To mark the most holy of holy days on the Catholic calendar, St. Rose of Lima church in Massapequa holds a sacred midnight mass every year, drawing a standing room only crowd of faithful worshipers.

Before the evening's mass began, a choir and instrumentalists played holiday hymns for the congregation's enjoyment, creating a magical atmosphere.

Father Ken Zach, who conducted the midnight mass, said that this is a time-honored Catholic custom that has been passed down throughout the ages.

"The tradition from the Middle Ages is that Christ was born at Midnight," he said. "Tradition has carried over of having the mass at that time, when Christ came down to Earth. It's been a tradition to mark it with mass over the centuries."

Father Ken said that there's yet another important custom that St. Rose of Lima follows each year.

"The biggest tradition is the carrying of the statue of baby Jesus into the church at the midnight mass, to be placed in the manger we have set up." he said.

During the mass, Father Ken made an amusing admission to the audience.

"I've been a priest for 29 years, and the thing that worries me the most is if I'm going to drop the baby Jesus each year," he said, drawing laughs.

The mass itself ran about an hour in length. It was broken up into three distinct parts: the Opening Rites, which is the precession and the acknowledgement of a need for repentance; the readings from Scripture; and then the Liturgy Of The Eucharist.

Each part of the mass was broken up with soulful hymns and songs, all beautifully performed by the church's choir and orchestra.

Father Ken said that there's more to St. Rose of Lima's holiday celebration than just a midnight mass.

"Around this time of year we also sponsor a full, one-hour Christmas concert," he said. "This year it'll be the day after New Years, January 2nd, in the church, at 3pm."

Performing will be both the adult and children's choir, the bell choir, and instrumentalists, all of whom will be playing both traditional and non-traditional hymns.

Joanne DiFalco was among the attendees of the mass at St. Rose of Lima's.

"I haven't been to a midnight mass in years," she said. "This really brought me back to my childhood, when I'd go together with my parents, after being allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve."

Robert Altman and his family were also in attendance, something they do each and every year.

"It's just become a beautiful part of our family Christmas tradition," he said. "The little ones used to have trouble staying awake for the mass, but now that they're old enough to understand the whole Santa thing, it's impossible to get them to go to sleep."

Father Ken said that the Christmas season is one that brings together the community of St. Rose of Lima in a bond not unlike that of a closely-knit family.

"This time of year is certainly a time for us to remember that we're all brothers and sisters in Christ," he said. "In that familiar relationship, we gather to praise and worship the person who makes us one."