Churches fully booked for return of Christmas masses

It’s been two years since Christmas mass was celebrated in person.

All services were held virtually in Windsor-Essex a year ago due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Had a great turnout of people who had their families gathered in their living room and joining us for the Christmas celebrations,” says Father Patrick Beneteau, pastor of Windsor Lake St. Clair Catholic Family of Parishes.

But those families can now sit in the pews.

“That first mass would sometimes have upwards of 900 people or so.”

The gathering won’t be that large, however, in 2021. “We can get just over 100 people here at St. Anne’s,” says Beneteau.

That’s because parishioners will have to maintain social distancing.

“We have everybody kind of safely distanced and gathered and able to pray and worship in person and to hear those beautiful Christmas carols that we long for.”

St. Anne’s Parish in Tecumseh will have five masses on Christmas Eve.

“So we begin at 4 p.m. Christmas Eve and we end at midnight. Every two hours and then Christmas Day, three masses here.”

Beneteau says registration to attend in person services filled up quickly, “Most of our seats at all of these masses, the eight masses here at St. Anne’s and elsewhere, were filled up.”

“Christmas is a very holy time of year for Catholics. So to be able to attend a Christmas celebration in person really does matter a lot,” says Matthew Clarke, director of communications with the Diocese of London.

Last year, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit moved the area into grey-lockdown two weeks before the holidays, suspending public masses.

“It is great to be open despite the fact that we’re not at full capacity,” says Clarke.

Still a livestream will once again be made available online for those who prefer to stay home.

“Regardless of where we’re at in our walk of faith, if we’re believers, if we’re non-believers, we just need something to celebrate,” Beneteau tells CTV News Windsor.