I am a poor excuse for a catholic these days, but my family were good Catholics and we lived 3 doors away from the church. It was a big part of my family's social life and my parents were very kind and sociable people. The house was frequently hosting people from breakfast time on as they popped in after Mass and throughout the day. For Midnight Mass, we usually had friends or relatives staying over and people going to Midnight Mass would congregate at my parents house for drinks and nibbles from about 10pm. We would all go off to church just before 11pm and there would be carols for an hour before Mass. The atmosphere was magical and it felt as if we were all part of one big family. After Mass there would be a few people who came back for either tea, whisky or sherry and sandwiches and mince pies. We would probably get to bed by 2am. My father always attended the morning masses as well to greet people at the door and to help them find seats as the services were usually crowded. He was delightful and people loved him. After 11am Mass a great friend of his always came back and had a large glass of whisky before going home to his wife and children for lunch. He did this the Christmas after my father dies as a sign of respect. My mother ( Who never cried) cried as she was making the gravy. I silently vowed that she would never have to do this again. Sadly the vow was upheld. She died suddenly 5 months later. So both parents dead in their mid- fifties. I didn't go to Midnight Mass again after that. We had two small children and my granny had come to live with me when my parents died. We lived out in the country with the nearest church was eight miles away. I didn't drive at that time. It was a wonderful childhood. We brought our children up as Catholics , although my husband isn't a Catholic. We did all the right things and they had a happy childhood. Then when they were grown up we became aware of scandals and abuse within the wider Catholic religion, thankfully it had never been part of our lives. Our children stopped going to church and so did I. I felt I could not subscribe to any organization where abuse took place. I feel robbed of my religion , The kindness, the unchanging rituals throughout each year that made people feel safe. Midnight Mass was a big part of that. Now I am too old to be going out at that time of night . But I have such happy memories of it.
