Recommend church for children's Christmas Eve mass

[Anonymous]

We are not practicing Catholics, but I love the Christmas message and like to bring my family to church on Christmas Eve. We've been schlepping to the Basilica in DC, but it's always super crowded and we can never get the right seats to properly see the procession and children's nativity scene.

Where else do you recommend we go? It doesn't actually need to be a Catholic church, although I am more comfortable with that.
We live in Bethesda.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

All Saints Chevy Chase has a nice family service at 3 pm. with nativity. Higher liturgy at 5 and 8 (full choir) on Christmas Eve; you'll see families at all 3 services.

[Anonymous]

5 pm at ..

St. Bernadette's http://silverspringcatholic.com/mass-times/

Our Lady of Lourdes http://www.bethesdalourdes.org/

St. Bartholomew http://www.stbartholomew.org/administration/news_events#news_events_253

And 4 pm at Little Flower http://www.lfparish.org/news/index.aspx?pageaction=ViewPublic&ModuleID=64

[Anonymous]

I think every children's/family liturgy you try to attend on Christmas Eve will be mobbed. We needed to get to ours over an hour early for a seat.

[Anonymous]

Cedar Lane UU Church in Bethesda at 4 or 6 pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cedar Lane UU Church in Bethesda at 4 or 6 pm.

Any UU service is a far cry from what you'd see at a Catholic Christmas eve service. If you're into completely Christian ceremony and music, go with Episcopal or Lutheran if you can't do Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think every children's/family liturgy you try to attend on Christmas Eve will be mobbed. We needed to get to ours over an hour early for a seat.

This. Glad to know you are attending (and welcome!), but note that Christmas and Easter are the two days of the year that everyone like you who doesn't normally go to church shows up at church so they are incredibly crowded. At least this has been my experience at every Catholic church I've attended since childhood. We head to Mass an hour early and then quietly chat or bring books for the kids.

[Anonymous]

St janes on old Georgetown has children's mass at 4 pm. If you can get in the church, they have kids act out the Christmas story and then sit around the alter while the priest talks to them.
Overflow is in the gym.

[Anonymous]

St. Charles Borromeo in Clarendon. 5:00 PM Mass. Be sure the kids behave. Warn them that the lights will be dimmed to almost darkness until the Celebrant enters, at which point the lights will be raised and all may pray collectively to commemorate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Charles Borromeo in Clarendon. 5:00 PM Mass. Be sure the kids behave. Warn them that the lights will be dimmed to almost darkness until the Celebrant enters, at which point the lights will be raised and all may pray collectively to commemorate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

but don't say it that way or the kids may not understand

[Anonymous]

Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

Try to welcome them. If they have young kids or are older, give them your seat. If they are kids/grandkids coming for their yearly Mass obligation with the grandparents, smile, welcome them and make room.

Christmas and Easter are both wonderful times to welcome the lost lambs back into the fold. Celebrate the fact that your church is standing room only. It shouod be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11. See those crowded pews as a time of joy and celebration, and make those folks feel welcome so that they might feel a connection and return to church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

Try to welcome them. If they have young kids or are older, give them your seat. If they are kids/grandkids coming for their yearly Mass obligation with the grandparents, smile, welcome them and make room.

Christmas and Easter are both wonderful times to welcome the lost lambs back into the fold. Celebrate the fact that your church is standing room only. It shouod be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11. See those crowded pews as a time of joy and celebration, and make those folks feel welcome so that they might feel a connection and return to church.

You had me until this: "It should be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11." Why should church be packed if there nothing compelling enough for people to come? It's like saying the Kennedy Center should be packed every night even when the performances are average - or below par. Or that restaurants should be packed even if people aren't hungry or the food isn't good. Please consider that not all special occasion churchgoers are lost lambs. They may be just people coming for a good show and you should be nice to them no matter why they are there.

[Anonymous]

We call them seat takers, all the people who attend and give to our church end up not being able to sit during the children's pageant or get parking etc because of people like the OP at least take that into consideration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

Try to welcome them. If they have young kids or are older, give them your seat. If they are kids/grandkids coming for their yearly Mass obligation with the grandparents, smile, welcome them and make room.

Christmas and Easter are both wonderful times to welcome the lost lambs back into the fold. Celebrate the fact that your church is standing room only. It shouod be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11. See those crowded pews as a time of joy and celebration, and make those folks feel welcome so that they might feel a connection and return to church.

You had me until this: "It should be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11." Why should church be packed if there nothing compelling enough for people to come? It's like saying the Kennedy Center should be packed every night even when the performances are average - or below par. Or that restaurants should be packed even if people aren't hungry or the food isn't good. Please consider that not all special occasion churchgoers are lost lambs. They may be just people coming for a good show and you should be nice to them no matter why they are there.

Please don't take my seat or my kid's seat "for a good show." Please go to the Kennedy Center for that. If you are interested in making a connection with God, please come and we'll all make room. If you're coming just for "the show," then please at least put enough money in the basket to cover what you would pay for a show at the Kennedy Center.