Midnight mass still making its mark

One of the most common questions asked of Google, the online search engine, on the subject of the Christmas tradition of midnight mass is “what time does it start at?” While it might seem like the answer is in the question, Eric Vaillancourt, the Priest of the Saint Michel Basilica Cathedral in Sherbrooke, explained that over the years, the question has actually become a fair one to ask. “It has changed a lot in the last forty years and it is changing still,” Vaillancourt said, explaining that although the practice of celebrating Christmas the moment the day arrives goes back in the Roman Catholic Church to at least the middle ages, a rule change in the 1960s means that many parishes no longer celebrate the iconic mass at the stroke of 12. See full story in the Monday, Dec. 24 edition of The Record.