By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Father Perry Cherubini, the pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, smiled and warmly welcomed the parishioners who were attending Christmas Day Mass.
“Merry Christmas, everyone,” he said.
“Merry Christmas, father,” they responded.
Father Cherubini immediately spoke of the significance of the holiday by noting it is the day “we celebrate the great gift” of the birth of Christ.
“The Savior of the world, born this day,” he said during his sermon.
He spoke from an altar festively decorated with red, pink and white poinsettia plants, wreaths and three Christmas trees trimmed in white lights. A large manger in the middle of the altar depicted the Nativity.
“The good news we celebrate today is our God, the creator of the heavens and the Earth, has become one like us in all things but sin. God has come to reveal himself to us, to tell us about himself and bring us salvation and forgiveness for our sins,” Father Cherubini said during the sermon.
“God has come to Earth and has shown us his glory. He has conquered death so that we might have eternal life. He has conquered the darkness so we may live in the light and brightness,” he continued.
Christmas hymns filled the Sea Isle City church by singer Colleen Pond and pianist Conor Ancharski. The service began with the singing of “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
Among the parishioners sitting in the sanctuary were Tom Buono Jr. and his wife, Kathleen. They have made attending Christmas Mass at St. Joseph Church a family tradition for nearly 40 years, about the same amount of time they have been married.
“It’s important to get out of the house and practice religion,” Tom Buono said. “Socially, it’s important because I’m part of a community that accepted me with open arms and without question. Religiously, it’s important to be part of such a big day.”
Tom and Kathleen Buono hoped to find some solace during the Christmas Mass following the deaths of their mothers in 2022. Kathleen’s mother, Mary Stearne, passed away on June 10 and Tom’s mother, Joan, died on Dec. 2.
“We know they’re in a better place now,” Kathleen said.
Tom Buono has lived in Sea Isle City since 1979. His father, Tom Buono Sr., owned the former Buono’s Restaurant in Sea Isle. Kathleen Buono is a member of Sea Isle’s well-known Stearne family, which traces its local roots back to the 1940s.
The Christmas Mass also attracted churchgoers from outside Sea Isle. Dennisville resident Larry Hendel and his girlfriend, Diane Curtis, sat in the front row of pews.
“I like being up front,” Curtis said of being able to watch the Christmas Mass unfold while sitting just a few feet from the altar.
Hendel noted that he has made attending Christmas Mass a tradition for about 12 years, although he has been a worshipper at St. Joseph’s for much longer.
“I’ve been coming here on and off for about 30 years,” he said.
Christmas services this year represented a dramatic contrast from the somberness created by the raging coronavirus pandemic in December 2020. Although the pandemic continues to a lesser degree, the mandatory safety protocols that were observed in 2020 were not in place this year.
In 2020, every other church pew was closed to create extra space for social distancing between the worshippers. Everyone was required to wear protective masks. But this Christmas, pews were not closed. Masks were optional.
However, steps were still taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Bottles of hand sanitizer were placed throughout the church. During Holy Communion, Father Cherubini placed the wafer in the hands of worshippers instead of in their mouths as a precaution against COVID-19.
