The tradition of midnight mass is disappearing in Quebec. The time when citizens went to the village church, which was often only a stone’s throw from the house, to vibrate to the sound midnight christ is over now.
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In just a few decades, Quebec has gone from 500 midnight masses to just 50 this year.
The actors contacted explain this sharp decline with the aging of the priests and the lack of volunteers. However, this celebration remains “the favorite of the Catholic Church in Quebec,” confirms Alain Pronkin, a columnist specializing in religious news.
“I remember in the 1960s all small parishes had their midnight mass. In Côte-des-Neiges there were two midnight masses in the same church. Upstairs you reserved by paying your ticket and you had a free mass in the basement,” he says.
A compilation of the Journal shows that several dioceses in the region, such as Gaspé (1), Rimouski (1), Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière (1), Chicoutimi (2), Rouyn-Noranda (2) and Amos (2) Provides only one or two midnight masses for an area that may have up to 70 churches.
“It’s a tragedy, we mustn’t hide it. How are you going to fill a church if you don’t have a priest anymore,” responds Alain Pronkin. He even believes that lay people will one day be entitled to celebrate Masses in certain regions.
Dioceses stand out
Despite the significant drop in attendance over the years, dioceses stand out and small communities continue to celebrate the traditional midnight mass in their parish.
Thus, no fewer than 16 midnight masses are celebrated in the territory of the diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe, which is the pride of Vicar General Claude Lamoureux.
“We have a real desire to continue this tradition. Parishioners try to find volunteers and priests are generous with their time,” he says.
Canon Lamoureux is once again noting a great enthusiasm for holding midnight masses this year after two years of the pandemic.
Estrie is also a region that puts a lot of effort into observing its midnight masses. Sherbrooke Diocese confirms that nine celebrations will be presented in their churches. The fair in the small community of Racine is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Quebec.
With the celebration of several Masses, the evening of December 24 becomes a real marathon for the priests. The workload is even more grueling in regions where a pastor can visit several parishes in a few hours.
five in one night
On the territory of Amos, the priest Crescent Mboninyibuka will begin his working evening at 4 p.m. with a mass to finish after midnight.
He will then have celebrated five Masses in Roquemaure (4pm), Duparquet (6pm), Sainte-Germaine-Boulé (8pm), Palmarolle (9.30pm) and Gallichan (11pm) while covering approximately 150 kilometers of the way . Return.
“We don’t know, but it’s standard to do four fairs. In the regions there are sometimes distances of 50-60 kilometers between the villages. Imagine there is a snowstorm,” concludes Alain Pronkin.
- Midnight Masses could be added by December 24th.
- The dioceses of Longueuil, Saint-Jérôme and Valleyfield could not submit their schedule. The Diocese of Montreal was still awaiting confirmation from a few churches to complete their list.
Source: Compilation of information from Quebec dioceses
A community in Estrie mobilizes to save their celebration
Photo provided by Brigitte Bombardier
For the past 10 years, midnight mass in Racine has started with the Festival of Lights, when mulled wine is served in front of the church.
The citizens of Racine, a small community of 1,300 souls in Estrie, stand vigil to preserve one of Quebec’s oldest traditional midnight masses.
Despite best efforts, the event could be held in its final edition this year if the congregation does not find a new celebrant in 2023.
“Yes, we are afraid of losing midnight mass. We don’t know what’s hanging above us,” says Brigitte Bombardier, coordinator of the event, which according to several interlocutors has been in existence for 100 years.
This year too, the challenge of maintaining this tradition was great. Fortunately, collaborating priest George Harkins has extended his mandate by a year, allowing him to celebrate mass at midnight.
The manager still has to work hard to find volunteers. At the end of November she had to search the media for volunteers. According to the current status, she still has six places to fill, which does not endanger the holding of the fair, she specifies.
Without interruption
Even the pandemic did not prevent the organizers from presenting midnight mass in Racine. “No, we didn’t have any. [année] says Brigitte Bombardier proudly.
“We were able to sing Mass in a family bubble and all other health regulations were observed,” explains the one, who was able to continue with her spouse Bertrand Cloutier and three of their children.
For 10 years, the organizers have added an activity to the event, to the delight of parishioners. From 11 p.m., on Christmas Eve, the citizens are expected in front of the church for mulled wine or hot chocolate.
Herds and small huts are built there. At 11:30 p.m., people are invited to the church for a mini-concert by the choir, the Chœur de Racine. Exactly at midnight, Bertrand Cloutier sings the moving Minuit Chrétien, sung from father to son in Racine. His father, Paul-Émile Cloutier, delighted audiences for many years.
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