Historic church in Philadelphia celebrates Christmas Eve with touching traditions

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia's historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas celebrated the birth of Christ with a beautiful candlelight vigil on Sunday night.

It's a traditional Christmas Eve mass service that is celebrated yearly.

"Christmas Eve is a wonderful celebration. We have dance, we have songs, we have spirit," said Edita Gauthney, a longtime member of St. Thomas.

This year, the congregation prayed for everyone who was suffering in the Middle East amid the ongoing war.

"In the midst of our celebration, we are reminded, and pray for many of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East who are in the midst of chaos and instability," said Father Shaw.

Many who attended said it was especially meaningful to observe the holiday there.

Inside, they prayed and sang hymns and took in the true meaning of Christmas together.

It's a long-standing tradition of the church, the first black Episcopal Church in the nation, founded in 1792, and the oldest African American Church in Philadelphia.

"Jesus is the reason for the season. We want to also make sure our children know that the whole reason that we celebrate Christmas is around the birth of Jesus. So it's important for us to be here for ourselves and also for our children," said Ashley Quetant of Overbrook.

"It's powerful, of course, congregating, celebrating, like she mentioned, the reason for the season. It's a tradition we always had," said Kevin Quetant.

While at St. Thomas it's all about old traditions, at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in West Oak Lane, it's about the start of new Christmas traditions.

For the first time, the church hosted a large-scale production titled 'Not Your Ordinary Nativity.'

It's a modern spin and retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ.

"We looked at, what if that happened today? What if that happened in 2023? What if your cousins, nieces, and daughters said, 'Hey, I'm going to have a baby and he's going to save the world!' How would people respond to that?" said Eryka Waller, director of arts at Enon.

While the presentation may be different, something the two churches share is the message.

"In our polarized society, there are certain things that can help us all come closer to the middle and I believe Jesus Christ is one of those things," said Senior of Enon, Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller.

"Love, that's what this world desperately needs. Love, and blessings," said Gauthney. "Merry Christmas everyone, be safe, and spread love."