One of the best Christmas traditions in Savannah is attending Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.Nothing says, ""Gloria in excelsis Deo" like taking in this Mass and the sumptuous music as Christmas Eve gives in to Christmas Day.
But fair warning: It's not for the weak of knees, or for the traditional crowd of Savannah late-comers, as this beautiful, cavernous church of God quickly fills up well before midnight and soon becomes a standing-room-only event for later arrivals.
Fortunately for those who are physically challenged, can't keep deadline or appointments or don't have the stamina to stay up this late, the Catholic Diocese of Savannah is livestreaming this evening's Midnight Mass, beginning at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, on its website, http://livestream.com/diosav/ChristmasMidnightMass
And no, watching it on a computer doesn't count the same as attending Christmas Mass, diocese spokeswoman Barbara King said.
Still, it's a fine way for Catholics, and non-Catholics, to get a holiday peek inside the cathedral and watch the holy goings-on without the hassle of dressing up, driving downtown to hunt for an elusive parking space close to Abercorn and Harris streets, then trying to find an even more elusive spot in one of the pews, possibly followed by standing in the back for more than an hour. But hey: Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like sore feet and screaming knees, followed by a nightcap up the street later at Pinkie Master's for medicinal purposes. So why not let your laptop or desktop do the walkingand standing? Unfortunately, no one has figured out a way to distribute communion from afar -- but with the advent of drones, who knows what the future holds? Communion wafers delivered in the front yard from on high?Talk about heavenly hosts!
The Diocese of Savannah was formed in 1850. It once comprised all of Georgia and a large part of Florida. Today, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, dedicated in 1876, is the seat of the Diocese of Savannah, which includes 90 counties in south Georgia, which is home to 77,287 Catholics.
