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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1958)
Christmas Celebrations Appraised by Clergymen By LOUIS CASSELS United Press International For several years, churches have been imploring Ameri cans to "keep Christ in Christ mas." Many Christian families are ready, even eager, to cooper ate. But how? What can one family do to rescue the birth day of Christ from commer cialization ... to make its real significance clear to children. United Press International put the question to 10 of the nation's leading clergymen. Their answers, as could be ex pected, varied widely. But there were several common themes. Virtually all of them em phasized the importance of worship not only attendance at church services, but wor ship in the home, with the whole family taking part. "Read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve," counselled the very Rev. Francis B. Sayre, dean of Washington Cathedral. Explain Meaning of Christmas' "Let the father of the family explain to the children in simple words the meaning of Christmas," said the Rt. Rev. James A. Pike, Episco pal bishop of California. Catholic Archbishop Joseph F. Rummel of New Orleans recommended "the recitation of the Rosary every evening in the family circle, and the preparation of a beautiful crib to be unveiled in every home on Christmas Eve." Methodist Bishop G. Brom ley Oxnam of Washington said Christmas should be treated as "a day of thought" as well as a day of merriment. "Begin the day with the fami ly singing a Christmas carol . . . then let each individual meditate upon the signifi cance of the first Christmas gift, which was God's gift of his Son." Most of the clergymen agreed that exchanging gifts is an appropriate Christmas custom if it is done in the right spirit. But they deplored the giving of expensive gifts for business reasons, for pure ly social motives, or for show. "It would be better to stop the custom altogether than to let Christmas giving so de generate," said Dr. Eugene Carson Blake, stated clerk of the United Presbyterian church. The Rev. E. C. Scott, stated clerk of the Southern Pres byterian Church, said the best antidote for a "selfish" ap proach to Christmas is to "center our thoughts and gifts on those from whom we can expect nothing in return." And he emphasized: "Not merely gifts of money, but of time and companionship." Bishop Christopher J. Wel don of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Mass., offered this suggestion about gifts: "Let those to whom you are giving gifts know that these gifts are being given to honor the birthday of the Christ child, and to imitate his ex ample of opening the heart to others." Asks True Significance The Rt. Rev. Thomas K. Gorman, Catholic bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth, said care should be taken that Christ- Masses Told By Roman Catholics Here mas cards, as weu as guts, have "true Christian signifi cance." Greeting cards that have no religious theme - and especially the so-called "com ic" cards that has shown up in recent years - are entirely in appropriate, he said. Several ministers urged! that Santa Calus be de-empha-! sized. The Rev. John T. Tavlarides of the Greek Orthodox Cathe dral of St. Sophia, Washing ton, said Santa Claus has been so thoroughly "identified with commercialism" that his sym bolic value has been lost. Msgr. Irving A. Deblanc, director of the Family Life Bureau of the National Catho lic Welfare Conference, sug gested Santa Claus be quietly replaced by the real-life Saint Nicholas whose name, pro nounced "sinter klaas" by early Dutch immigrants to America, gradually evolved into the modern Santa Claus." Saint Nicholas was a Chris tian bishop who lived in Asia minor during the fourth cen tury A.D. He distributed gifts to children, and to the poor, at ' Christmas. His gifts, al ways anonymous, were intend ed as birthday gifts to the Christ child who, when he be came a man, said "inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these my brethren, ye do it unto me." The first masses of Christ mas will be offered at mid night Christmas eve at Sa cred Heart Catholic church and St. Mary's gymnasium in Medford; St. Joseph's church in Jacksonville; and in Our Lady of Fatima church in Shady Cove. All will be high masses. At Sacred Heart church the mass will be preceded by the blessing of the Infant Jes us after His image is car ried from the sacristy, in pro cession, and placed in the sanctuary manger. The men's choir, directed by Bruno Pellegrini, will sing the "Missa Brevis," with the credo from Carnevali's Missa "Sancta Maria." "Adeste Fi delis" has been selected as the offertory hymn and oth er familiar carols will be sung before the mass. Celebrant of the mass will be the pastor, the Very Rev. Carl Mai. Student Mass The Marian choir of St. Mary's High school will sing ''Mass in Honor of St. Fran cis" at the students' mid night mass in the school gym. 'Laetentur Caeli," is their of fertory selection, and the Gregorian Proper will be chanted by the Boys Glee club. A visiting Benedictine priest from Mt. Angel will be the mass celebrant. At 11:30 a.m. the Marian choir will repeat this music at the final high mass of Christmas day in. the church, using the Rossini Proper. There will be Christmas car olling preceding both ser vices. Toni Adams and Mary Rob inson are the organists for the Marian choir. Low Masses Low masses will be offered in Sacred Heart cfyurch on Christmas day, following the regular Sunday schedule, at 6, 7. 8:30 and 10 a.m. Groups of St. Mary's students from the sixth, seventh and eighth grades will sing carols before and during the 7 and 8:30 a.m. masses. Confessions will be heard in the church on Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 10 p.m. At Jacksonville the high mass at midnight, sung by the Rev. William McLeod and a local choir, will be followed by two low masses in succes sion; the first beginning at 9 a.m. The only Christmas mass at Shady Cove will be the high mass at midnight, with the Rev. John Ilg as cele brant. Confessions Confessions in these mis sion churches will be heard immediately preceding the masses. On New Years day, a holy day of obligation for all Ro man Catholics, all masses in the three churches will fol low the regular Sunday schedule. STORY IN FILM Sams Valley-Gilbert Mack will narrate a showing of col ored slides telling the Christ mas story at 10 a.m. Sunday at Sams Valley Community church. Included in the pro gram for Christmas will be recitations and songs by Sun day school students directed by Mrs. Edgard Pleasant. Cantata Planned By Local Friends The Christmas cantata, "Night in Judean Hills," will be presented at the Friends church Sunday at 7:30 p.m. by the combined choirs, directed by Mrs. Claude Lewis. Mrs. Kenneth Boshears will be or ganist. Solo parts will be sung by Mrs. Lewis, Dr. Lewis, Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Roberts, Mrs. Clynton Crisman, Deane Rob erts, Miss Janet Johnson, and Bill Houston. In the 9:45 and 11 a.m. wor ship services the choirs will sing "Christmas Jubilate," and the pastor's message will be, "This Is A Wonderful Christmas!" An offering, "birthday gifts for the King," will be received to be applied toward the building fund for the new sanctuary. Members of the congregation are invit- MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Oregon, Friday, December 19, 1938 SA ed to place a signed Christmas card on the large decorated poster in the foyer as their greeting to others in the church. Sunday school will be held at 9:45 a.m. for adults and children, and at 11 a.m. for junior high through college age. Christian Endeavor groups will meet at 6:30 p.m. "Quaker Hour" will be broad cast over station KDOV at 9 a.m. Wa Give 5Vl GREEN STAMPS CENTRAL REXALL DRUG Main ami Central A candlelight service will be held Sunday at The Aquari an Hall of Truth at 8 p.m. during the regular service' for the Christmas worship service. A Tip From Santa... JUST WHAT HE WANTS 100 Wool Chippewa SHIRTS JACKETS Hand Washable $1 C50 $11100 and 10 up Good Selection Optn Thursday Til 9 P.M. CHRIS the TAILOR 36 North Bartlett Phone SP 2-8473 Methodists to Give Christmas Pageant The Christmas pageant, the Light of the World, will be given in song and story by the boys and girls of First Methodist church, Medford, at 7:30 p.m., Sunday Children dressed in the cos tumes of English carollers and American Indians and repre- SOBBING SIMS SAYS: Here Are Some Last Minute 5 Gift Suggestions 4gf FOR THE BOY HOBBYIST RADIO AND CRYSTAL SETS ELECTRONIC SETS CHEMISTRY SETS MICROSCOPES (Up to 1000 power) TELESCOPES MODEL PLANES - CARS - SHIPS STEAM ENGINES - FOR THE GIRL HOBBYIST LABORATORY TECHNICIAN SET JEWEL BOX FOR PAINTING SCRAP BOOK TO PAINT ZIPPER BINDER TO PAINT RECORD RACK TO PAINT SHELL CRAFT o o o H-0 GAUGE TRAIN SETS From BALL BEARING PEDAL CARS Schwinn Bikes ?3995 From -9 4. BIKE ACCESSORIES OF ALL KINDS SIMS 4ft o o o o o o senting Germany, Japan, Swe- en, Africa, America and Italy, will bring their special contribution to Christmas -while the altar choir, under the direction of Mrs. Milton Snow, sings a carol of that country. When the. Nativity scene is presented, an angel ensemble, directed by Ray Lewis, includ ing Rosemary Doolen, Karen Paschke, Sharon Smith, Su zann Van Sickle, Roberta Wil lett, Marsha Minshall, Jill Filatreau, and Denna Taylor, will sing Christmas hymns. Mary will be portrayed by Carol McVay; Joseph 1 by Wayne Thompson; the Shep herds by Jay Taylor, Allen Cone, Brooks Baumer, and Richard Minshall and the Wise Men, Pat McLaughlin, Boyd Oakes, and Clark Barker. Narrators for the program will be Glen Kaye and Jean nine James. Mrs. Leslie Board- man will be at the organ, and Ray Lewis and Mrs. Robert Baccus at the piano. Part of the program will be presented on KBES-TV Satur day afternoon at 4 p.m. At that time, Jerry Igo will be one of the narrators. At the Sunday services Dr. George G. Roseberry will speak on' "Jesus Came With a Purpose." The youth choir will sing "Our Pure Virgin" and "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" at the 9:30 ajn. service. The chancel choir will sing "Christmas Snows of Sweden" and "On This Good Christmas Morn" at the latter service. Memorial poinsettias and Christmas candles will decor ate the altar at the services. The Christmas offering, "March to the Manger," will be aplied to the church's share of pension for retired ministers. Ashland Lutherans Tell Plans for Week Ashland - "Who Is Coming to Your House?" will be the sermon subject at 11 ajn. Sunday at Grace Lutheran church by the Rev. E. Paul Riedel, pastor. Holy commun ion will be included in the service. At 2:30 p.m. the Walther League Christmas tree trim party will be held followed by chili supper and caroling.. Wednesday at 7 p.m. the Christmas eve service will be held and Christmas day at ,10:30 a.m. a service with holy communion is planned. The sermon will be "God Sent His Only Begotten Son Into the World." CYCLE Cr HOBBY SHOP ? 23 N. Fir . Phone SP 2-2472 to all our friends in the Rogue Valley with an extra "THANK YOU" for your wonderful pa tronage during 1958. SOUTHERN OREGON BOX COMPANY Earl W. and Geraldine M. Etrers, Owners 4529 S. Pae. Hiway, Phoenix KE 5-1472 M ake it Maple KsORB mm During our Big "Thcairalk You" Christmcis Our Aim is to give you the BEST for Christmas at the LOWEST prices. Our Hope is that you avail yourself of this opportunity and enjoy a MERRY CHRISTMAS for years to come! - OCCASIONAL CHAIR MERRY CHRISTMAS for years to come! -r5 ff OCCASIONAL I tyecMPwJuue.' J. CHAIR Wu COFFEE fr l Sfe w jj Expertly designed with conven- SnHjt I IJfL', I ient storage drawers at each - T QTrWn1 '! VI ElSHLr II l ndtom 1 r, jfll SSI 3 t SfeS MAGAZINE J'L. ClW I IS- lllcllliiu;'5! 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