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Thanks to today's technology and Catholic broadcast networks such as EWTN, the sick, elderly, and others who can't get to church, can watch Christmas Eve mass on television. Perhaps the first person to watch mass from afar was St. Clare, a nun who died 700 years before television was invented.
Legend holds that one Christmas Eve, St. Clare was to ill to leave her convent so the Holy Spirit projected the mass from the local church on the wall of her sick room. When other nuns returned home after the liturgy, St. Clare said that she had been able to see the entire mass.
In 1957, when modern television broadcasts began, Pope Pius XII proclaimed St. Clare as the Patron Saint of Television. EWTN, the world's largest religious media network, has honored St. Clare at their Alabama headquarters by naming their dining hall in her honor. Visitors to EWTN's broadcast center and those watching their Catholic television programs at home, know that St. Clare is blessing their efforts.
Gathering in church on Christmas Eve is a joyful event. Those who can't come in-person, can join St. Clare in watching mass on TV.
To learn more about Catholic tradiitons, read Helen Hoffner's books, Catholic Traditions and Treasures: An Illustrated Encyclopedia , Catholicism Everywhere: From Hail Mary Passes to Cappuccinos: How the Catholic Faith Is Infused in Culture, The Rosary Collector's Guide, and The Cross: A Universal Symbol available at the EWTN Religious Catalog, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other book sellers.
Helen Hoffner, Ed.D. is a professor at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the author of four books for Catholic audiences: The Cross: A Universal Symbol ( Marian Press, 2024), Catholicism Everywhere ( Sophia Institute Press, 2024), Catholic Traditions and Treasures ( Sophia Institute Press, 2018), and The Rosary Collector's Guide ( Schiffer Publishing, 2013). She has also written four books for teachers: The Elementary Teacher's Digital Toolbox ( Prentice Hall, 2006), Literacy Lessons K-8 ( Corwin Press, 2010), Reading and Writing Mysteries in Grades 4-8 ( Teacher Created Materials, 2006), and A Look at Realistic Fiction ( Teacher Created Materials, 2003). Dr. Hoffner has been invited to discuss her books on television programs of EWTN and the Catholic Faith Network as well as on radio stations across the United States and Canada.
