CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

(INCORPORATING THE CATHOLIC PRESS & INFORMATION OFFICE)


Christmas 2003

Broadcast of Religious Programmes


 
Radio

MASS from St. Andrew’s Church, Westland Row, Dublin
Celebrant:   Fr. Arthur O’Neill
The Parish Choir directed by Jean Monahan, Organist:  David Burke
RTÉ Radio 1, MW only, Sunday 21 December, 10am 

MORNING PRAYER (Sung Matins) 
From the Book of Common Prayer conducted by the Reverend Tom Gordon
RTÉ Radio 1, MW only, Sunday 21 December, 10.45am 

MARIAN FINUCANE - CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT
The ESB Christmas Carol Concert from All Hallows College, Dublin
Producer:    Anne Farrell, Tara Campbell, Yvonne Judge
RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday 23 December, 9.03am

A MAYNOOTH CHRISTMAS
Memories of Christmas carols , accompanied by the choirs and soloists 
of NUI Maynooth and St. Patrick's College Maynooth
Presented and produced by Colm Keane
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Eve, 1.45pm

FESTIVAL SERVICE OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS 
From St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Introduced by the Dean's Vicar, The Reverend Charles Mullen
The annual Christmas Eve Carol Service concludes with the Blessing by His Grace, 
the Archbishop of Dublin the Most Reverend John Neill
Organist and Master of the Choristers:  Peter Barley
Assistant organist:  David Leigh
Brass fanfare directed by George Bannister
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Eve, 3.59pm

FIRST MASS OF CHRISTMAS
The First Mass of Christmas will be broadcast at 9.00pm on
South East Radio (96.5FM) from St Aidan's Cathedral, Enniscorthy.
Celebrant - Bishop Eamonn Walsh, Apostolic Administrator of the
Diocese of Ferns
South East Radio, Christmas Eve, 9.00pm

STATIONS OF THE CRIB
On walkabout in the Nativity Narratives
Author Aidan Mathews, a wallfallen mid-lifer and a protesting Roman Catholic, 
mulls over the reports of the birth of Jesus/Yeshua in the gospels of the Greek 
Luke and the Jew Matthew. How can we read these works in the late Enlightenment 
when truth is verifiable and not visionary? How can such images and emblems speak 
to our ordinary unhappiness in the 21st century? What, in short, is Christ's mass 
good for?
Mathews attempts to consider how these Christian texts and the Christmas calendar 
itself have shone their darkness and their daylight on personal experiences in 
labour wards, at death beds, in a psychiatric hospital, and in the solstice 
clarity of everyday existence.
Written and produced by Aidan Mathews
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Eve, 9.02pm

MIDNIGHT MASS from The Mater Private Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin
Celebrant:  Father Damian O’Reilly
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Eve, 12 midnight

CHRISTMAS MESSAGES FROM CHURCH LEADERS IN COUNTY WEXFORD
will be broadcast at 9.00 am on South East Radio (96.5FM)
at 9.50am. (Bishop Eamonn Walsh, Bishop Peter Barrett and 
Rev Sam Anketell)
South East Radio, Christmas Day, 9.50am

MASS from The Mater Private Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin
Celebrant:  Father Damian O’Reilly
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Day, 10.02am

SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION from St. Andrew’s Church, Lucan, Co. Dublin
Celebrant:  The Reverend Scott Peoples
Preacher:  Reverend Sandra Hales
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Day, 10.45am

A TIME FOR CHRISTMAS
A time for Christmas is about why and how we celebrate Christmas at this time of 
the year. We are familiar with the great Christian tradition of how Mary and 
Joseph travelled to Bethlehem and how Jesus was born there but there is no reason 
to suppose that it was at this particular time of the year.  
Different Christian traditions put an emphasis on different times of the Christmas 
season. The Orthodox tradition celebrates Christmas as the coming of the Three 
Wisemen on January 6th and in many continental European countries the festive 
occasion is Christmas Eve not Christmas Day. 
This programme looks at all of this and features Fr. George Zavershiniskiy of 
the Russian Orthodox Parish of St. Peter and St. Paul's Harold Cross, Fr. Pat 
O'Donoghue of the Pro Cathedral, Padraigín Clancy an expert on Celtic spirituality, 
Tom Ray of the Institute of Advanced Studies and people from continental countries 
talking about their traditions.
Producer:  Peter Mooney
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Day, 4.02pm

LIAM O'FLYNN AND CATHERINE ENNIS at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh
Music played on uilleann pipes and organ.
Recorded during the William Kennedy Festival of Piping held in Armagh in November.
Producer:  Peter Browne
RTÉ Radio 1, Christmas Day, 7.02pm

MASS - OUTSIDE BROADCAST FROM NEW ROSS, CO WEXFORD
South East Radio will broadcast Mass from St Brigid's Church,
Terrerath, New Ross, Co Wexford, at 10.30am on Sunday 28th
December. Celebrant: Monsignor Donald Kenny CC
South East Radio (96.5FM), Sunday 28th December, 10.30am

Television
RING OUT THE BELLS
Roger Whittaker, Brendan Bowyer, Eleanor Shanley, Jack L,  and Simon 
Casey are among the star line-up in RING OUT THE BELLS , a programme 
of Christmas carols, songs and readings from  beautiful Christ Church 
Cathedral in Dublin.  They join harpist Cliona Doris, Cór na nÓg, the 
choir of Christ Church Cathedral, and the Pro-Cathedral's Palestrina 
Choir, who celebrate their centenary this year. The RTE Concert Orchestra 
will be under the baton of Gareth Hudson. This hour-long  programme 
will be guaranteed to bring you into the true spirit of Christmas as, 
all over Ireland, turkeys are stuffed and last minute presents are 
wrapped.   
RTE 1, Christmas Eve, 6.25pm

INTER-ACTIVE MIDNIGHT MASS
Later on that evening, at 11.15pm, the annual Christmas Midnight Mass will 
come from the exquisite St. Teresa's Carmelite Church in Clarendon St, the 
very popular church in the heart of Dublin. The choir, directed by Grainne 
Gormley,  includes many semi-professional singers who study at or have 
graduated from the nearby College of Music, so worshippers at Clarendon St 
are accustomed to a high standard of church music there every Sunday. The 
celebrant on Christmas Eve will be Fr James Noonan, Prior of St. Teresa's.  
Information about all the activities at St. Teresa's can be found on their 
new website -  www.clarendonstreet.net  Requests for intentions for this Midnight 
Mass are invited from members of the public, a selection of which will be 
included in the televised Mass. The email address of the Prior is jnoonan@ocd.ie
RTE 1, Christmas Eve, 11.15pm
 
CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE OF COMMUNION
On Christmas Day, religious programmes begin with a Service of Communion 
for Christmas with members of Killiney Church of Ireland Parish, led by the 
Rev. Ian Poulton at 10.15am. 
RTE 1, Christmas Day, 10.15am

URBI ET ORBI - FROM THE CITY TO THE WORLD
Then, at 11am, Pope John Paul once again gives his Christmas Greetings and 
Blessing to the world from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  The commentator will 
be Fr. Tom McCarthy OP
RTE 1, Christmas Day, 11.00am

MASS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY
Mass for Christmas Day comes from St. Patrick's Church, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. 
The celebrant will be Fr Enda Lloyd, who spent many years working with the 
Columban Fathers in Santiago, Chile. So there will be a distinct South American 
influence in the Christmas liturgy! 
RTE 1, Christmas Day, 11.35am

MESSAGES FROM THE ARCHBISHOPS OF ARMAGH
The two Archbishops of Armagh, Dr. Sean Brady and Dr. Robin Eames, will present 
their Christmas messages at 2.45pm on Christmas Day.   
RTE 1, Christmas Day, 2.45pm

Ends
December 2003

The Catholic Communications Office is an Agency of the Irish Bishops' Conference
Email us at bishops@eircom.net