Pact, the Prison Advice and Care Trust, is returning to The Church of the Immaculate Conception – also known as Farm Street Church – in Mayfair, London, for its Christmas carol service this year on 9 December.
Last year’s didn’t happen because of Covid, and other organisations faced a similar problem or moved online. Attending the service this year will be Bishop Richard Moth, prisons bishop for the Catholic Church; Bishop Rachel Treweek, prisons bishop for the Church of England and Lynn Cooper, the High Sheriff of Greater London.
The evening will provide the chance to sing traditional Christmas carols live, hear festive readings and learn more about Pact’s work with prisoners and their families. Singing will be led by the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School Sixth Form Choir, directed by Scott Price.
Two days earlier the Friends of the Holy Land Carol Service will take place at the Parish of Our Lady of Victories in Kensington. It is the first face to face event arranged for supporters and around 200 have expressed interest.
The hope is that those in the South East area will attend in person however the event will be livestreamed so others can join virtually. Timothy Macklin, Director of Music and Organist, has arranged the programme, and singing will be directed by the Choir of Our Lady of Victories.
The ecumenical carol service will be led by the Church of England Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, a member of the Holy Land Coordination, an international delegation that, in non-Covid times, makes an annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land to support the region's local Christian communities and to promote dialogue and peace. The Friends of the Holy Land support vulnerable Christians with medical costs and school fees, projects providing education and therapy for children with special needs, and a day centre for elderly women.
The same evening, the HCPT Carol Service returns to Westminster Cathedral, led by Archbishop Leo Cushley of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, President of HCPT. It follows an online one in 2020.
Around the country live Advent and Carol services are back in such places as Belmont Abbey, Guildford and Bradford Anglican Cathedrals, St Mary’s in Bury St Edmund’s and Bolton Parish Church.
However, creative international services online during Advent continue to be popular. Cafod is asking partners overseas and supporters in England and Wales to sing Silent Night or a favourite carol, record it for Cafod and share on social media.
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