Celebrating Christmas Mass

Christmas is, next to the Easter Triddum, the most important Mass celebration in the Catholic Church. Parishes traditionally prepare for several different Masses for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and each celebration will have a unique character defined by the time of day when it is to take place.

I recently found a small program for Christmas Mass Times at St. Michael's Cathedral from 1934. I was instantly drawn to the illustration on the cover and thought it would be appropriate to share ahead of the Christmas holidays.


"Jesus, sweetest Child born in Bethlehem of Mary ever Virgin, swathed in rags, laid in the manger, announced by angels, visited by shepherds, have mercy upon us.

Jesus, sweetest child, made known to the three Magi by a star, adored in the arms of thy Mother, presented with the mystic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; have mercy upon us. -- From 'the Raccolta'"

Christmas Mass times, 1934. St. Michael's Parish Files. Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto.
 



Christmas Mass times, 1934. St. Michael's Parish Files. Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto

 

If you are interested in celebrating this Christmas at the Cathedral, here are this year's Christmas and New Year's Mass times.

 

You can also read more about the history and traditions of celebrating Christmas Mass on the website of the CCCB here.

Writing in the New Year

It is hard to believe we are already several days into 2018!

To mark the beginning of a new calendar year, our blog post this week looks back to one man's start to a new year in Toronto 120 years ago.

Matthew O'Connor Daily Journal, 1898
DC Item #53
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

ARCAT holds almost 30 years worth of personal diaries of Matthew O'Connor, a prominent Catholic layman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Ireland in 1825, Matthew O'Conner moved to Toronto in 1840, making a name for himself as a plate glass manufacturer and also an artist. He was a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes and was an active member of many church organizations. 

He was also an avid diarist, writing entries every day.

By his accounts, 1898 was off to a bitterly cold start (something we can certainly relate to in January of 2018.)  By Wednesday, the opportunity to sleigh was nearly gone but fine winter days continued all week.

On January 1st O'Connor attended mass at Our Lady of Lourdes and wrote: "Very Very Cold ... Frost Causes Pipes to Burst at 106!!"

Matthew O'Connor Daily Journal, 1898
DC Item #53
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

O'Conner notes how John Shaw won the municipal election on January 3rd.

Matthew O'Connor Daily Journal, 1898
DC Item #53
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

So there you have it, a look into how one Torontonian started his new year one hundred and twenty years ago. Let's hope we can be as organized as Mr. O'Conner as we plan for the year ahead of us!

Happy New Year!

It is hard to believe that another year is almost over. Though people have been exchanging new year's wishes for centuries, it has become increasingly more common for people to do so on social media than in actual writing. This week, we are featuring new year's wishes to four archbishops and a cardinal in printed or handwritten formats, all from long before Facebook and Twitter were even thought to be possible. This selection even includes some items from before the word computer meant "calculating machine" as opposed to simply "one who calculates."

Bishop Farrell, the Bishop of Hamilton, wishes Archbishop Lynch "health, happiness and every grace for the new year":

Letter from the Bishop of Hamilton to Abp. Lynch,
December 31, 1872

L AD02.36
Archbishop Lynch fonds

An unknown bishop sent this tiny card (measuring just 2 x 3-¾ in or 5 x 9-½ cm) of new year's greetings to Archbishop McEvay:

ME AA02.01
Archbishop McEvay fonds

R. A. O'Connor, Bishop of Peterborough, offers Archbishop O'Connor "hearty good wishes for a blessed and happy New Year":

Letter from the Bishop of Peterborough to Abp. O'Connor,
December 29, 1900

O AB02.15
Archbishop O'Connor fonds

First and last pages of a letter to Archbishop McNeil from his niece, Sister St. Marie Beatrice, C.N.D., in which she mentions her new year's greetings to him for the year 1932:

Letter from Sr. St. Marie Beatrice, C.N.D., to Abp. McNeil,
January 8, 1932

MN AA03.216
Archbishop McNeil fonds

New year's greeting card from Bishop Charles L. Nelligan of Pembroke, Ontario, with a photograph of the Canadian Overseas Chaplains:

Greeting card from Bp. Charles L. Nelligan,
January 20, 1941
Card. McGuigan's signature is on the left.

PH09W/07P
Cardinal McGuigan fonds

The staff at ARCAT would like to take this (social media) opportunity to wish you a very happy new year and all the best for a healthy and joyous 2017!