Long Island churches draw faithful to Christmas services
This story was reported and written by David Olson, Rachel Weiss and Dandan Zou.
As many Long Islanders were opening presents Christmas morning, others were flocking to churches across the region to celebrate the birth of Jesus with songs and prayers.
"Christmas" means "Christ’s Mass," and between morning Masses at the Church of St. Patrick in Huntington, Ginny Porto, of Huntington, said coming to the church on Christmas Day is "very important — it’s what the season is about."
Soaring voices and the sound of a triumphant organ echoed off the walls during the 8:45 a.m. Mass, as parishioners joined voices to sing "The First Noel," "Come All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night."
More than 20 miles away in Freeport, Dana Gathers and her mother, Barbara Gathers, joined about two dozen congregants at Greater Second Baptist Church in raising their arms and swaying to the choir singing "Emmanuel" on a stage decorated with pots of poinsettia.
Gathers typically spends Christmas morning at church, and after the service led by the Rev. Eric C. Mallette Wednesday, she said she views it as a time to be grateful for the people she has in her life.
"We look around and we see that from one time to another ... the people that you know may not necessarily be around," said Gathers, who lives in Suffolk County but travels to Freeport for church because she's attended Greater Second Baptist since she was 8. "When you're able to go from one Christmas to the next and you're here, and the people who are close to you are here, that makes it a great Christmas."
For Renaire Frierson, of Freeport, Christmas is when members of her extended family travel across the country, from as far as San Francisco, to spend time together. They all return to New York because "Freeport is our roots," she said.
"It's family time. It's fellowship time," Frierson said. "It's a lot of fun. A lot of merriment. But Jesus is always the center of the celebration."
Shirley Matthews, of Queens, said the season of gifting goes beyond exchanging presents. It also means gifting others with kindness, she said.
"You can give through words," she said. "You can give through consideration. Just a smile sometimes is helpful. On this Christmas Day, there are people who need just a smile or a hug."
Before arriving at the Church of St. Patrick Wednesday morning, Whitney McBride’s daughters, Raelyn, 3, and Holly, 6, had opened presents. They brought a couple of them to the service: Two squishy gumdrop toys.
The family has been coming to the Church of St. Patrick since moving to the area four years ago, McBride said.
"We come every Sunday," she said. "It’s a feeling of togetherness and family and tradition, and it makes you feel good for the rest of the day."
There were five services taking place at St. Patrick Christmas Day, and thousands had gathered for Christmas Eve Masses, said Monsignor Steven Camp, the church’s pastor.
Churchgoers dressed in festive colors and wished each another a merry Christmas. On the sunny but cold morning, bright light glowed through the colorful stained-glass windows of the church, which was decorated with wreaths tied in red bows and about a dozen Christmas trees adorned with bright yellow lights.
"It’s a joyous day," Camp said after the Mass. "It’s fun to look at the kids, but it's also a great day of faith."
Services later Wednesday were to include choral performances.
"Music brings a lot out of us, and adds to a lot to the energy of the day and the joy of the day," Camp said.
Porto and her husband, Bob Porto, were celebrating Christmas with Ginny Porto’s sister and their family. The family has a "strong connection" to the church, Ginny Porto said. They’ve been attending services there for 45 years. Their children were christened there, and one son was married there.
Kenneth and Mary Ligotti, of Huntington, have been attending services at the church since moving to the area 22 years ago. They planned on celebrating Christmas with friends in Stony Brook later in the day.
Kenneth Ligotti said, "The beauty of the church" is one reason they enjoy attending services.
"And Monsignor is a great guy," he said. "He takes care of his parish."
In a deeply divided nation, and with members of some families holding sharply different political views, Camp encouraged churchgoers not to bring up politics while celebrating with loved ones today.
"There's time to give it a rest," he said. "It’s always good when you’re with your family and friends to avoid the topics that are going to cause tension."
He added: "Don't ruin the day. Keep politics out of it."
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