Local churches and houses of worship have announced their slate of services and other events in observance of the holiday season.
St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Parish
St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Parish has several services and events throughout the month of December.
The Diocese of Camden will be livestreaming a Man Up Holy Hour on December 16 from St. Anthony of Padua Church’s hall, located at 285 Route 206.
The parish will hold several Masses on Christmas Eve.
There will be 4 p.m. Vigil Masses at St. Joseph Church, St. Anthony of Padua Church and St. Joseph Elementary School gym; 6 p.m. Vigil Masses at St. Joseph Church and St. Anthony of Padua Church; and 8 p.m. Vigil Masses in Spanish at St. Joseph Church and St. Joseph Elementary School gym.
There will then be a Midnight Mass at St. Joseph Church.
On December 25, there will be an 8 a.m. Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church, a 10 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Church and noon Mass in Spanish at St. Joseph Church. There will be no evening Mass on Christmas Day.
On December 31, the parish will hold two Masses to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The first will be an 8 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Church, and the second will be a 5 p.m. Vigil Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church.
On January 1, 2021, there will be a 10 a.m. Mass and a noon Mass in Spanish at St. Joseph Church for New Year’s Day, a Holy Day of Obligation.
Tickets are required for all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. They are available through Eventbrite, and a link to them can be found at www.smmcp.net/home0488042f. Tickets are also available at the Parish Center. Call them at (609) 704-5945 or contact Susan at (609) 774-0119.
Their services are also livestreamed via Facebook Live, viewable at facebook.com/smmcp/.
Hammonton First Assembly of God
Right near St. Anthony of Padua Church is Hammonton First Assembly of God, located at 272 Route 206.
The church began the season on December 6 with its Christmas message series, “A Weary World Rejoices,” which will continue every Sunday morning through December 27. The church meets in-person at 10 a.m. and simultaneously livestreams on its Facebook page at facebook.com/Hammontonag/.
They will be having three online Christmas services: December 23 at 7 p.m., December 24 at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Links to these may also be found on their Facebook page.
Hammonton First Assembly of God is also offering Christmas at Home kits for families to complement these services. They may be picked up on December 20 during the 10 a.m. service or on December 22 between noon and 4 p.m. Requests for the kids may be made by messaging them on Facebook or emailing office@hammontonag.church.
First United Methodist Church of Hammonton
Nearer to the downtown is the First United Methodist Church of Hammonton, located at 398 Bellevue Ave.
On December 21, a Blue Christmas Service—a time for prayer and meditation for those whom this time of year is difficult—will be held at 7 p.m. via Zoom and Facebook Live, found by visiting their Facebook page at facebook.com/hammontonumc.
On December 24, the church will have three services to celebrate Christmas Eve. The first, at 5 p.m., will be held outside and livestreamed. The 7 p.m. worship service will be online only. The 11 p.m. service will also be livestreamed and in-person, but registration is required for in-person attendance.
There will be no services on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
All services are subject to change; for up-to-date information, visit their Facebook page or their website at hammontonumc.org.
Presbyterian Church at Hammonton
Down the street from the First United Methodist Church of Hammonton is the Presbyterian Church at Hammonton, located at 326 Bellevue Ave.
Currently, all of the church’s worship services are online via Facebook Live and are viewable by visiting their Facebook page at facebook.com/hammontonpres.org.
Their weekly worship services are held at 11 a.m. on Sundays.
A Blue Christmas Services is tentatively scheduled to be held online at 7 p.m. on December 16.
The church will also have a virtual Christmas Eve service on December 24 that is scheduled to be recorded that morning so that it may be viewed anytime during that day.
There are no services on Christmas Day.
Hammonton Baptist Church
Just around the corner from the Presbyterian Church at Hammonton is Hammonton Baptist Church, which can be found at 19 S. Third St.
The church will be holding a Christmas Service on December 20 at 10 a.m.
On Christmas Eve, Hammonton Baptist Church will hold its Candlelight Service at 6 p.m.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols will be in place for these services.
There are no services on December 25.
SS. Peter and Paul Traditional Catholic Parish
Down the street from Hammonton Baptist Church is SS. Peter and Paul Traditional Catholic Parish, Society of St. Alphonsus Marie de Liguori, located at 300 Peach St.
Through the month of December, Sunday Masses will be held at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Weekday Masses are celebrated at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday.
For the Christmas season, a Solemn Midnight Mass (the Vigil of the Nativity) will be celebrated on December 24 at 10 p.m.
On December 25, there will be a Mass at 10 a.m. to celebrate Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord, a Holy Day of Obligation.
On January 1, 2021, in observance of the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord, a Holy Day of Obligation, there will be a Mass at 10 a.m.
There will also be a Mass at 6 p.m. on January 6, 2021 for the Feast of the Epiphany.
All of SS. Peter and Paul Traditional Catholic Parish’s Masses and Devotionals, throughout the month of December, may be viewed online by visiting YouTube and searching for the Society of Saint Alphonsus Traditional Catholics.
Calvary Chapel of Hammonton
Located at 660 S. Egg Harbor Rd., Calvary Chapel of Hammonton has several events on its calendar for the season.
The church will be focusing on the story of Jesus Christ’s birth during each Sunday service—held at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.—throughout December. In addition, the Rev. Vince Lombardo will be recording “fireside chats” for the holidays, viewable through their YouTube.
Calvary Chapel of Hammonton will be holding a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7 p.m.
There are no services for Christmas Day nor for either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
In years past, the church has combined its two Sunday services in the week before and after Christmas Day. This year, however, those Sunday services will continue to be held at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to help maintain social distancing. All services are viewable through their YouTube channel.
Victory Bible Church
Just down the road from Calvary Chapel is Victory Bible Church, located at 816 S. Egg Harbor Rd., who began the holiday season with their Drive-Thru Nativity, which was held on December 4 and 5.
A Drive-In Service is planned for December 24 at 6 p.m. An indoor service may be added at 8 p.m., but plans have not yet been finalized. Up-to-date information, as well as links to livestreaming, can be found by visiting their website at vbchammonton.org.
Sunday services will continue to be held at 8:30 a.m. in the church parking lot and indoors at 11 a.m.
St. James Lutheran Church
Situated in Folsom is St. James Lutheran Church, located at 1341 Mays Landing Rd.
All services are currently online only, and can be viewed by visiting the church’s Facebook page at facebook.com/stjamesfolsom.
Each Sunday during Advent, St. James Lutheran Church is holding services at 10 a.m.
On December 24, the church will hold its Christmas Eve service at 11 p.m.
There are no services on Christmas Day.