Christmas at Saint Thomas Church

The Christmas Collect in the Book of Common Prayer says it all: Almighty God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Please join us on Christmas Eve at 11pm or Christmas Morning at 11am. Please be aware that the church will likely be full to capacity for both services (see below). In both cases, there are processions with incense, singing by the full Saint Thomas Choir of Men & Boys, and an opportunity to make your Holy Communion. And both services, as well as all the choral services throughout the season, will be webcast live, and available on demand for many weeks following. So whether you are with us in person, or via webcast, you are most welcome to take part. O come, let us adore him.

About Christmas Eve Seating

More than ten years ago, Saint Thomas Church instituted a policy of distributing tickets (two in number) for the Christmas Eve 11pm Eucharist to members making pledges in support of the Every Member Canvass. Those members of record who have made pledges in good faith to the 2015 canvass will receive a pair of Christmas Eve tickets for the 2014 11pm Solemn Eucharist of the Nativity. These tickets are given in gratitude to our yearly supporters who help to make worship at Saint Thomas Church possible 365 days a year. This is the only service of the year for which tickets are issued.

However, even if you don’t have tickets, you can still attend on Christmas Eve at 11pm if you are willing to stand in line. Those who do not have tickets line up at the Fifth Avenue entrance to the church. The Fifth Avenue doors open at 10pm, and there is always room for many hundreds of people from this line. We hope that everyone who wants to worship with us will come. If you are concerned about the long lines on Christmas Eve, which in past years have begun to form around 9:30pm, we invite you to come on Christmas Day. Like the 11pm Christmas Eve service, the Christmas Day 11am service is sung by the full Choir of Men and Boys, and the service is glorious. As another alternative, you might consider the Service of Lessons & Carols and the Blessing of the Crèche at 4pm on Christmas Eve, especially if you have young children.

Other Advent and Christmas Resources on this Website