Christmas is always a busy time for Christian clergy, but this year will be especially harried for Catholic priests. Christmas falls on a Tuesday, so most priests will celebrate Mass four days in a row, starting Saturday, Dec. 22, and ending Christmas Day.
The Rev. David Fitzgerald's schedule is typical.
He'll celebrate one Mass on Dec. 22, four Dec. 23, midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and then two Masses on Christmas morning. He'll also attend two other Christmas Eve Masses.
But Fitzgerald, pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in San Bernardino, said he will enjoy every minute of it. "When we focus on the peace of the season, the joy of the season, the message of good will toward all people, that takes away from it being hectic," Fitzgerald said. "God gives us extra strength to do it, and do it well." Few if any non-Catholic Inland Christian churches have worship services all four days. Most Catholic priests celebrate Mass on Saturday and Sunday each week, so the crunch affects them more than others. The Rev. Eliseo Lucas, of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mecca, said the joy of parishioners during the Christmas season rubs off on him. "Mass is the focus of my life," Lucas said. "So to be around people brings me energy and enthusiasm. I feel tired, but when they come, that takes away my tiredness." Lucas said he is already reading the Bible to get ideas for his Christmas homily, which he always connects to the lives of the poor farmworkers in his parish. The Rev. Paul Granillo, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church in Redlands, said the schedule is "exhausting. But it's a great challenge. We have to show people what a faith-filled community we are." Granillo said he realizes that some people attend Mass only on holidays such as Christmas. He views that as an opportunity to show them what they're missing the rest of the year. "We look at Christmas and Easter as a great time to evangelize and to make people feel welcome," he said. "We want to do the best liturgy we can, the best music, and give them the best experience of prayer that they can have." The Rev. Bruce Cecil, pastor of Our Lady of Soledad Church in Coachella, said he will be less swamped this year than last, when Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday. After regular Sunday Masses on Dec. 24 last year, Cecil and church volunteers had to scramble to take down Advent decorations and prepare for Christmas Eve Mass by putting up Christmas lights, a Christmas tree and a Nativity scene. Advent wreaths, candles and other symbols do not come down until after the last Advent Sunday Mass, he said. Advent is the church's four-week preparatory period leading up to Christmas. Even though the Christmas season is always busy, Cecil said it is one of his favorite times. "I love Christmas," he said. "Christmas is the birth of Jesus and spiritually one of the high points of the year. And it's the happiest season of the year for families.
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