Youngest and oldest churches celebrate Christmas Eve in Shreveport
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: December 25, 2010
Youngest and oldest churches celebrate Christmas Eve
Candlelight, Carols and Communion marked the holiest of nights, as churches throughout the community celebrated the eve of the birth of Jesus.
At Shreveport’s newest church, the Church for the Highlands, the Rev. John Henson read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, and followed by making comparisons with modern-day life.
Across town, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, the world’s oldest Christian denomination, the Rev. Karl Daigle read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Matthew, and also drew comparisons with modern-day life.
At Church of the Highlands, the service began with the congregation singing “Joy to the World”; at St. Joseph’s, the service ended with the congregation singing “Joy to the World.”
A children’s choir sang at St. Joseph’s, while Church of the Highlands’ accompaniment included a keyboard, guitar, trumpets and a Baby Grand piano.
Church of the Highlands, having only been formed in August by Rev. Henson and a few core followers, was celebrating its first Christmas Eve candlelight service and communion. St. Joseph’s, founded more than 60 years ago by Monsignor Joe Gremillion, was celebrating its denomination’s 2,000th or so Christmas Eve service.
Two churches - one in its infancy, the other elderly – celebrating that time in history when all bets were off and everything changed.
