Many Christmas church services go on despite winter weather

Members of the All Saints Catholic parish in Cedar Rapids worked Tuesday to get their new church decorated for Christmas Eve Mass even as pastors across the area were starting to worry whether a possible ice storm would cancel their holiday services.

Forecasts for Wednesday through Christmas Day call for rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow - which could all add up to one big headache for those wanting to attend Christmas Eve services Thursday.

No matter what the weather, Mass will go on at All Saints Church, 720 29th St. SE, said the church's pastor, the Rev. David O'Connor.

“The only way it would be canceled is if I could not make it to church, and that's not happened in eight years,” he said.

The Mass will be the first in the sanctuary since a building addition was started right after Easter, O'Connor said.

The congregation at Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City will have a similar welcome-back Christmas Eve service, regardless of the weather.

“We have a long-standing practice at Trinity: those who can show up, do,” said the Rev. Mel Schlachter, pastor of Trinity Episcopal, 320 E. College St., in Iowa City.

That congregation, too, has been meeting elsewhere while additions have been made on the sanctuary and other parts of the church. The Christmas Eve service will be the first one in the new sanctuary.

“We've never canceled a Christmas service or any other service,” Schlachter said.

The Rev. Paul Amlin, associate pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, 155 Boyson Rd., in Marion, said church leaders there are keeping an eye on the weather but aren't making any decisions about canceling services just yet.

“I think we would look very closely at what the road conditions are like, what the authorities are saying about travel,” he said. “We don't want anyone to run into problems as they come in to worship.”