The Cathedral of St. John the Divine celebrates the season with festive holiday services on Saturday, December 24 at 3:45 and 10 pm and Sunday, December 25 at 10:30 am at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue (at 112th Street).
This year’s cherished holiday festivities at the Cathedral begin with a service of Lessons and Carols at 3:45 pm. A recent but now classical element of Anglican liturgy, Lessons and Carols wa first instituted for Christmas Eve 1880 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro, and has been a beloved part of the Cathedral’s Christmas Eve offerings for many years. Featuring classic Christmas music performed by the Cathedral Choir, the service is a spirited entry to the night of the Nativity. The service will be held in person, and available to livestream on the Cathedral’s website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel.
The Cathedral’s Christmas Eve Festal Eucharist, offered at 10 pm, is a joyous celebration of the birth of the Light. The Right Reverend Andrew ML Dietche, Bishop of New York, and The Very Reverend Patrick Malloy, Dean of the Cathedral, will welcome congregants from near and far in the spirit of the Christmas season. This service will be held in-person only.
Christmas Day is celebrated with a 10:30 am Holy Eucharist service in the Cathedral. At the culmination of the holiday, the Cathedral Choir will sing and the Dean preside as the Cathedral rejoices in the birth of the Christ Child. The service will be held in person and available to livestream on the Cathedral’s online platforms.
After two years of online-only Christmas celebrations due to the COVID pandemic, the Cathedral is glad to welcome the community back in person for the joy of the holiday season. For more information on Christmas services at the Cathedral, visit the Cathedral’s website.
About The Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is chartered as a house of prayer for all people and a unifying center of intellectual light and leadership.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cathedral has responded to changing needs in the local community and across the city and state. People from many faiths and communities worship together in daily services held online and in person; the soup kitchen serves roughly 50,000 meals annually; social service outreach has an increasingly varied roster of programs to safely provide resources and aid to the hardest-hit New Yorkers; the distinguished Cathedral School prepares young students to be future leaders; Advancing the Community of Tomorrow, the renowned preschool, afterschool and summer program, offers diverse educational and nurturing experiences; the outstanding Textile Conservation Lab preserves world treasures; concerts, exhibitions, performances and civic gatherings allow conversation, celebration, reflection and remembrance—such is the joyfully busy life of this beloved and venerated Cathedral.