This page is from 2012. Many of the times may be similar for subsequent years (for instance in 2014 as I write this, I know the Cathedral Parish, St Paul’s and Our Lady Queen of Peace have exactly the same Mass times this year as they did for Christmas 2012), you will need to check by following the link to the parish website and find out this year’s Christmas Mass times.
If you are a Catholic who has been away from Sunday Mass attendance for a while, welcome home! Do not let this opportunity slip by. Please let Christmas Mass be an occasion of grace to love Jesus more and follow him more eagerly and more closely, a new beginning to return to the practice of your Catholic faith including Confession and weekly Sunday Mass. God loves you and offers mercy for your happiness and wholeness in union with Him in His Body the the Church in this life and in eternity.
I have tried to make a page of all the 2012 Christmas Masses at Madison’s Catholic parishes. Christmas is indeed a Holy Day of Obligation and any of these Masses will fulfill the obligation. If you’re seeking the normal (non holiday) Mass schedules, confession times and other info for Madison parishes, see my page of Madison, WI Mass Times.
A warm welcome and blessings to you!
Cathedral Parish
(608)257-5000
In the middle of downtown Madison. Consists of two churches: St Patrick’s @ 404 E Main (click for Google Map), and Holy Redeemer on W Johnson half a block north of State Street (click for Google Map).
Christmas Eve: 5pm at Holy Redeemer
Christmas Eve: 8pm at Holy Redeemer en espanol
Christmas Eve: Midnight Mass at St Patrick’s with Bishop Morlino
Christmas Day: 9am at Holy Redeemer
Christmas Day: 11am at St Patrick’s
Christmas Day: 11am at Holy Redeemer en espanol
St Paul’s University Catholic Center
(608)258-3140
@ State & Lake Streets on Library Mall, on the UW Campus (click for Google map)
Christmas Day, Dec. 25 – 10am
Good Shepherd Parish
(608)268-9930
South side of downtown area, This merged parish consists of two churches, St James @ 1128 St James Court near Meriter Hospital (click for Google Map), and St Joseph @ 1905 W Beltline Highway (click for Google Map). Good Shepherd Parish consists of St James Church and St Joseph Church.
Monday, Dec. 24: 5:15 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph site
Monday, Dec. 24: 7:00 p.m. Misa en español at St. Joseph site
Monday, Dec. 24: 12 Midnight Mass at St. James site (Music Prelude beginning at 11:30pm)
Tuesday, Dec. 25: 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. James site
Tuesday, Dec. 25: 10:45 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph site
Tuesday, Dec. 25: 7:00 p.m. Misa en español at St. Joseph site
Blessed Sacrament Parish
(608)238-3471
West side of downtown/campus area, @ 2116 Hollister Avenue (click for Google Map).
Christmas Eve Mass times – Monday, December 24th 4:00, 6:00 and 10:00 PM
Christmas Day Mass times – Tuesday, December 25th 9:00 and 11:00 AM
Saint Bernard on Atwood Avenue
(608)249-9526
East side of Madison @ Atwood Avenue (click for google map)
Christmas Eve: 4pm, 6pm, 9pm
Christmas Day: 8am, 10am
(608) 231-4600
On Madison’s suburban West side on Mineral Point Road, @ 401 South Owen Drive. (click for Google map)
Monday, December 24 – Christmas Eve
4:00 pm Mass with Children’s Choir and Pageant
6:00 pm Mass with Mass Band
9:00 pm Mass with Adult ChoirTuesday, December 25 – Christmas Day
9:30 am Mass with Adult Choir
11:15 am Mass with Cantor & Harp
Saint Thomas Aquinas
(608)833-2600
In suburban West Madison kind of near James Madison Memorial High School, @ 602 Everglade Drive (click here for Google Map)
Christmas Eve Masses: 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM
Christmas Day Masses: 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM
Saint Maria Goretti
(608)271-7421
On Madison’s south west side, @ 5313 Flad Ave (click for Google Map)
Dec 24th Children’s Christmas Vigil Mass at 4:30 preceded by Children’s Pageant at 4pm.
Dec 24th 7pm Christmas Vigil Mass with incense. Choir Christmas Carols at 9pm.
Dec 24th 10pm “Christmas Night Mass” with incense.Dec 25 Christmas Mass at 7, 9, and 11 am. 11am Mass will have incense.
Saint Dennis
(608) 246-5124
On Madison’s East side near Stoughton Road, @ 413 Dempsey Road (click for Google Map)
Christmas Eve 4pm (with children), 6pm (with children) and 9pm
Christmas Day 12:00 am Midnight Mass, 7:30 am, 9:00 am and 10:30 am
Saint Peter
(608) 249-6651
On Madison’s far North side, @ 5001 N. Sherman Ave (click for Google Map)
Dec 24 4pm Youth Mass with Pageant
Dec 24 6pm Mass with Vocal Quartet
Dec 24 9pm Mass with Adult Choir and Bell ChoirDec 25 9am Mass with Christmas Ensemble
Dec 25 11am Mass with Cantor
St Patrick in Cottage Grove
(608) 839-3969
Just a little southeast of Madison, @ 434 North Main Street in Cottage Grove (click for Google Map)
Christmas Eve Mass at 6 PM and 11 PM
Christmas Day Masses at 8 AM and 10 AM
Saint Bernard in Middleton
(608) 831-6531
@ 2015 Parmenter Street in Middleton, WI (click here for Google Map)
Dec 24 4pm with Children’s Choir (musical prelude to begin half hour before Mass)
Dec 24 6pm with Youth Choir(musical prelude to begin half hour before Mass)
Dec 24 9pm with Adult Choir(musical prelude to begin half hour before Mass)Dec 25 8:30 and 10:30
St Mary of Pine Bluff
(608) 798-2111
West of Madison among the farm fields @ 3673 County Road P, Cross Plains WI (click for Google Map) St Mary’s shares its dynamic pastor Fr Rick Heilman with two other parishes, so please note which church. Note that St Mary’s has no Mass in English on Christmas Day, but Traditional Latin Mass with Fr Isaac Mary Relyea.
Christmas Eve 6:00 pm St. Mary Pine Bluff
Christmas Eve 10:00 pm St. Mary Pine Bluff
Christmas Midnight Mass 12 am Midnight St Mary Pine Bluff (Traditional Latin Mass)
Christmas Day Mass Mass 8 am St Mary Pine Bluff (Traditional Latin Mass)
Christmas Day Mass 9 am St Mary Pine Bluff (Traditional Latin Mass)Christmas Eve 4:00 pm at St. Ignatius in Mount Horeb
Christmas Day 10:00 am at St. Ignatius in Mount HorebChristmas Eve 8:00 pm Holy Redeemer Perry
Traditional Latin Masses
There is no Traditional Latin Mass downtown for Christmas Day. This list of Traditional Latin Masses in our diocese is courtesy of the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison. Yes, St Mary’s of Pine Bluff really does have 3 Christmas TLMs. Fr Isaac Mary Relyea will be celebrating them.
St Norbert in Roxbury (google map) Midnight High Mass preceded by a prelude of Christmas music at 11:25 and followed by a light reception in the hall
St Mary of Pine Bluff (google map) Midnight High Mass
St Mary of Pine Bluff 8am Christmas morning Low Mass
St Mary of Pine Bluff 9am Christmas morning Low Mass
St Mary’s Platteville (google map) Midnight (Low?) Mass
Tips for Mass
To receive Holy Communion at Mass, you must be Catholic, and you must have sacramentally confessed and been absolved of every grave sin of which you are aware. For deeper understanding of what Catholics believe about that please click here. If you are not properly disposed to receive Communion, stay in the pew at Communion time, even if ushers or other congregants are trying to cue you to go. Then do what all the Saints did when they were unable to receive Communion: make a spiritual Communion, expressing to God in prayer your faith in His presence, and loving desire to be united with Him and with fellow Christians. The corollary of this is, it is wrong to either pressure or judge anyone abstaining from Holy Communion.
Keep in mind what the Holy Mass actually is, the re-presentation of the once-for-all saving sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. He is truly present, as at His Nativity, as at the Last Supper, as at the Crucifixion, as at His Resurrection!
Those who will receive Jesus in Holy Communion must observe a minimum fast of 1 hour prior to Communion. Anything other than water or medicine breaks the fast. Candy, gum, or beverages do not belong at Mass.
There are such things as very, very low gluten (“gluten-free”) Communion hosts for people with gluten intolerance. Some parishes may have them in the sacristy and will be happy to accommodate your need if you ask before Mass. In some other cases you must obtain them yourself (taking care to get the right kind–rice ones are NOT valid). Info here.
Your little children may make some noise or fidget and this is not a disaster. Relax, parents, we love you and your kids. Do not give them snacks, headphones or electronic games during Mass. Do what you can to help them understand Mass even when they are tiny, and be a model to them of prayerful attentiveness.
Modest dignity in dress is respectful of yourself, others, and the Holy Mass.
Needs such as going to the bathroom or for a drink of water should be attended to before Mass unless it’s because of a medical condition. Silence or turn off your cellphone; never answer or make calls in church, even texting is generally not appropriate.
No one will judge you for not putting something in the collection. If you are Catholic you should be giving to the Church somehow even if you have only a “widow’s mite”, whatever the case may be, be generous.
Do not leave Mass early. The first person to do so was Judas, at the Last Supper, the first Mass.
Do have a happy and holy Christmas! God love you!
I prayed for everyone who will read this page!
Nice of you to post all of this good information.
This sentence is not clear: “Those who are not Catholics who have sacramentally confessed every grave sin of which they are aware (for deeper understanding of what Catholics believe about that please click here), remain in the pew at Communion time”
Non-Catholics do not go to Confession. It would read better if you had said, “Those who ARE Catholics and who have NOT sacramentally confessed every grave sin of which they are aware (for deeper understanding of what Catholics believe about that please click here), should remain in the pew at Communion time. AND non-Catholics should not receive communion.”
I also think you should have said the same in your opening remarks especially where you said, “If you are a Catholic and have not been regularly fulfilling your Sunday Mass obligation, but the season has motivated you to want to come home, a warm welcome and blessings to you, and please keep coming back, Jesus loves you and we love you. ” Catholics who have not been “regularly fulfilling” their Sunday obligation are welcome BUT should NOT receive Holy Communion unless they have made a good Confession.
Merry Christmas.
PermalinkThanks Andy, I tried to make it a little clearer. First of all people must be welcomed, even knowing some may make mistakes, even serious ones. I tried to provide the information to help people to participate in a way by which they will truly spiritually benefit. But it’s up to people’s good will to choose to do what is right.
PermalinkReads much better now after your edits. And thanks for all you do to promote the faith.
PermalinkThanks for all the information and Mass tips 😀 I hope you had a blessed Christmas! Once the kids are a bit older we’ll have to try one of the TLMs (we love St. Norberts!).
I totally agree with you about not giving kids snacks and games during Mass, but I think it is acceptable to breastfeed (or bottlefeed) nursing babies and toddlers 🙂
PermalinkMerry Christmas Lisamarie!! I also strongly think breastfeeding (or a bottle) is okay in church but would think if it can be before or after Mass a mother might prefer that, and run less risk of distracting others. But baby crying because hungry would also distract. In no way would I think there was something wrong. I am glad for the presence of the babies.
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