In the lead up to the Nativity of the Lord, parishes across Sydney got into the Christmas spirit by hosting carols for their community.
Crowds packed Holy Family Catholic Church in Maroubra for the parish’s 22nd annual Christmas Carols with Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP and civic leaders on 14 December.
They were treated to powerful performances by accomplished vocalists including leading tenor for Opera Australia, Diego Torre, and a soundtrack of traditional carols performed by the World Youth Day Orchestra.
Over in Sydney’s west, hundreds of families braved the rain to take part in a Christmas carols concert held at St Christopher’s Church in Holsworthy on 13 December.
The parish was transformed for the event as the grounds hosted an array of food stalls from different parts of the world, Christmas merchandise and novelties as well as a petting zoo which included a camel, two donkeys and three sheep.
Throughout the night, a number of choirs from the Somascan community entertained the crowds with traditional and modern carols, from a number of different cultures, bringing about the Christmas Spirit.
Holsworthy parishioner Betty Andrews, whose been attending the carols each year, brought over a dozen of her close family and friends.
“It was a lovely evening of beautiful carols, delicious food and great company,” Betty said.
“The musical talent showcased was so diverse in age groups, genres, and styles.
‘Mooreworthy’ parish is truly blessed!
“The live nativity was a huge hit and thankfully, the rain held off long enough for us to enjoy the Christmas spirit that carols bring.”
Carols organiser and MC Kevin Francis was thrilled at how the night turned out and said that it was a “truly rewarding experience”.
“Seeing every aspect of the night perfectly fall into place over the past month, from the choirs to the food and live nativity, it felt like it was truly God driven,” said Kevin, who ran the night with fellow parishioner Vincent Haber.
“It was also a miracle that the ‘meant to be’ rainy day held out until we were wrapping up the evening, thanks to the intercessory prayers of our parishioners and volunteers to the Blessed Mother.
“For the 400 or so to brave the weather that evening is a testament to the loving support of our Somascan community, anchored by our faith and fostered by our priests.
“It was a wonderful time to celebrate and reflect on the Nativity of our Lord in song and play, and we can’t overstate the immense contributions of all those who made this night possible, and we hope to continue to grow this event in the upcoming years.”
After the final hymn was sung, the MC’s recited the gospel account of the Nativity as young couple Renato and Jacinta Kristo processed through the crowd, dressed as Mary and Joseph, holding their newborn baby alongside a donkey and sheep to a manger that was prepared near the front of the stage.
The live enactment of the first Christmas was a fitting end to a night of fun, food and family that left the community with the joy of Christmas.
