IAM very sorry In say that radio
listeners are having no kind of Catholic service on Christmas Day or Eve. That is a great pity, and the only consolation I can offor is that it is usually fairly easy to pick is High Mass from France or Holland before midnight—don't forget that Continental time is an hour different.
The B.B.C. are televising Midnight Mass from Eisenstadt in Austria this year and that, too, is to start at 11. We are joining Europe on the Eurovision link, so it is rather wonderful to think that those who will be watching that Mass will be doing so in company with so many others.
France, Austria, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monte Carlo, and Italy will all be united in watching this particular celebration of the Mass. Fr. Patrick McEnroe will be doing the commentary for Great Britain.
PERE DUVAL
INDEPENT:PENT Television are
not broadcasting Mass either at Christmastime, but Fr. Duval is giving one of his song recitals on the Sunday after Christmas (December 27) at seven in the evening. He will be over in England at the time, so it will be a live broadcast.
I was very glad to learn, too, that those excellent AssociatedRediffusion schools programmes are to include a Nativity play on December 7 and 8 as part of the children's preparation for Christmas.
So very often, the worldly and materialistic television lays too much stress on the present-giving aspect of Christmas, and its holy origins are forgotten. Up to now there has been no kind of religion introduced into either B.B.C. or I.T.V. schools television lessons, so that a Nativity play is doubly welcome.
I have been getting more letters from parents who are worried about suitable programmes for their young to watch and hear. I would be glad to have the views of even more parents in order to get a good picture of what you do or do not let your children sec and hear—so please write and let me know these views.
JOAN NEWTON