Babies born today in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin will have a starring role in the Midnight Mass to be broadcast on television tonight.
RT╔ 1 will broadcast the Mass live from the Rotunda from 10.15 p.m. in the first television broadcast from the historic hospital chapel. The Mass will be celebrated by the hospital chaplain, Father Kit Sheridan, who is inviting mothers of babies born today to take part in the service with their infants.
The ceremony is one of several special religious services being televised over Christmas.
Christmas Day Mass is a Europe-wide broadcast to be shown on RT╔ 1 at 10 a.m. from Bruges Cathedral in Belgium. RT╔'s head of religious programmes, Father Dermot McCarthy, will provide the commentary for Irish viewers. Mass is followed by the traditional Urbi et Orbi Christmas address by Pope John Paul II from St Peter's Square in Rome.
The Primates of Ireland, Archbishop Sean Brady and Archbishop Robin Eames, will deliver their Christmas Day messages from Dr Eames's residence in Armagh at 2.20 p.m., also on RT╔ 1.
Mass in Irish will be broadcast from Lettermore in Connemara at 11 a.m. on TG4.
There will be an ecumenical celebration by the students, staff and clergy of Trinity College Dublin at 11.35 a.m. on RT╔ 1.
Christmas celebrations in the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin begin at 9 p.m. tonight with Christmas carols sung by the Palestrina Choir. Christmas Night Mass follows at 10 p.m. when the principal celebrant will be Cardinal Desmond Connell. Cardinal Connell will be the principal celebrant tomorrow at Christmas Day Mass at 11 a.m.
Archbishop Sean Brady, will celebrate Midnight Mass in St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh, tonight before travelling to St Patrick's Cathedral in Dundalk for 11 a.m. Mass tomorrow.
The Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dr Dermot Clifford, celebrates Mass tonight at 9 p.m. in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles and at midnight at B≤thar na Naomh, Thurles. He will also be chief celebrant at Christmas Day Mass at 10 a.m. in the Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles.
The Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Michael Neary, will celebrate masses in Tuam Cathedral at 10 p.m. tonight and 8.30 a.m. tomorrow. He will also preside and preach at 7.30 p.m. Mass tonight and at 10 a.m., 11.15 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. tomorrow.
Church of Ireland Christmas services include the traditional carol service in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin at 4 p.m. this afternoon. The Festival of Nine Lessons and carols will be broadcast on RT╔ Radio 1.
Midnight Eucharist takes place in Christ Church in Dublin tonight when the celebrant will be the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey.
Details of Christmas services in Catholic dioceses are available on the Internet at www.catholiccommunications.ie and for Church of Ireland congregations at www.dublin.anglican.org
Information on services at Presbyterian churches can be found at www.presbyterianireland.org and details for Methodists are at www.irishmethodist.org