So this is Christmas. The service on 20 December was advertised as a short communion service at 5 PM, finishing at 5.45PM then clearing the best seats for the visitors to the carol service at 6 PM. Unfortunately Simon omitted to tell the punters that there would not be any of the usual dreary choruses so at 5PM very few of the faithful were present as most appear to take a pass on the optional choruses. At 5.15PM Simon bit the bullet and started the service with the account of the birth of Christ from the Gospel of St Mathew. Then he quoted from the Catholic Encyclopaedia of 1916 which said the (One Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic) Church did not celebrate the birth of Christ until the second century. Presumably this supports the present practice of RCI not doing so. He endorsed the usual all denominational criticism of Christmas now being a secular holiday, said that the shepherds were bad guys at that time and people tended to lock up their daughters when they came into town. He said that they had just over 600 visitors to the Follow the Star and would be happy if just six of those stayed and were baptised. Due to the late start some of the invitees for the carol concert were arriving at 5.50PM while the ecstatic utterances were taking place and seemed suitably confused. The carols concert was as usual well rehearsed and presented by a group of talented musicians and singers. The supper was excellent but the Mole did hear one of the guests ask an RCI spruiker what time the service would be on Christmas Day. There was a rather unconvincing response about everybody being away at camp which the Mole doubts as he is sure that nobody would want to head off to camp on Christmas day and not share the turkey etc with their nearest and dearest.