Greenies Celebrate Christmas Season with 89th Annual Candlelight Service

Keeping with tradition, nine lessons were read aloud Sunday night with musical interludes in between.

Almost everything else about the 89th Candlelight Service made the annual celebration of Christmas richer and more moving an experience as it has ever been for the Christ School community.

Head of School Dr. Sean Jenkins was the evening’s final reader before the glow from more than 300 candles lit up an otherwise darkened St. Joseph’s Chapel. Carols and hymns were sung by two choirs – one made up of students and another of faculty. There was accompaniment from 10 instrumentalists, a group sprinkled with students and parents.

Father Charles Boynton introduced the Candlelight Service to Christ School in 1933. He adapted it from the “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols,” a Christmas Eve event that has taken place at King’s College in Cambridge since 1918.

No war or world crisis, nor any unexpected blast of winter weather has ever cancelled the Candlelight Service.

Even when the boys were attending Chapel virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Candlelight Service was recorded in a mostly-empty St. Joseph’s Chapel.

More photos from Sunday's service can be viewed at this link. 

89th ANNUAL CANDLELIGHT SERVICE

Officant: Rev. John Roberts

Assistant Chaplain: Peter Hartwig

Music Director: James Cassarino

Organist & Accompanist: Vance Reese

In the Procession

Crucifer: George Robbins ‘24

Torch Bearer: Noah Hunt ‘24

Torch Bearer: Davis Mohorn ‘24

Verger: Sebastian Knight ‘23

Sacristan: Henry Lytle

Readers

Christ School Choir

Faculty Choir

Accompanists