Even in the Archdiocese of Toronto’s oldest parish, the spirit of Christmas brings a renewed spirit to family and strangers alike each year, thanks in large part to music remaining the soul of holiday worship over more than two centuries. 

It’s there, at St. Paul’s Basilica in Toronto’s Corktown neighbourhood, that the oldest Roman Catholic congregation in the city reminds the faithful of its history and prominence each December as Christmas celebrations bridge the old and the new. 

For Joseph Angelo, the music director at St. Paul’s for the last two decades, the experience provided by the atmosphere only available at the historic parish is one that shines brightest during the Christmas season. 

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“ One of the memories I carry is that of the combination of an organ as majestic as the one at St. Paul's, coupled with the church’s natural acoustics, which are some of the best in the city,” he said. “Those really shine brightest during this time of the year when people are dialled in to celebrating and worshipping through music.” 

St. Paul's was established as the archdiocese’s mother church in 1822, and as the diocese grew, so did St. Paul's congregation, which meant a new, bigger church was needed. The cornerstone of the new church on Power Street at Queen Street East was blessed in 1887 and the first Mass was celebrated just before Christmas of 1889, giving St. Paul’s a special connection to the holiday, and over 135 Christmas Mass celebrations over the years. Some relate the timing as symbolizing the parish's role in holiday gatherings amid late-19th-century immigration waves and Irish famine survivors, a historical anchor for today’s modern celebrations in Toronto's oldest Catholic parish.

The organ Angelo refers to is a special, all-wood organ that was installed in 1898 by R.S. Williams & Son of Toronto. To this day, it is the only one of its kind in all of North America, and accompanies the parish’s unique, locally run choir each week. 

“Being from St. Michael's Choir School, I'd also been accustomed to a certain sound in church, but at St. Paul's, it has always been a community choir of volunteers. That unique sound and the musical preference of those singers have always been quite different from what one might hear traditionally, but nonetheless beautiful.” 

Angelo shared the choir's folk-oriented approach, each year often seeing a blend of classic Christmas carols, such as "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Joy to the World" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," with less traditional ones like "The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy," a Caribbean carol the parish performs annually.

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This year, classic carols will be sung by the choir and parishioners ahead of the 4:30 p.m. family Mass on Christmas Eve, a tradition Angelo says has been “growing tremendously” since his arrival as director in 2001. 

“ The historical aspects of the parish really lend themselves to our music ministry. All of the Masses at Christmas feature that organ, and we'll have a trumpet as well. I myself, even after more than 20 years of doing it, really find that experience magical. It all lends itself to the wish to pray, praise God and welcome Jesus into the world,” Angelo said. 

Angelo isn’t alone either — he attests to the energy around the parish, the renewed excitement that the Christmas season brings, that can be felt by parishioners. 

“It’s always wonderful to see the families who make it a point to come every Sunday, but on Christmas Eve, there's something in their smiles, something about Christmas Mass that just makes us all see the church in a new light, even if it's more than 200 years old,” he said. 

“Fr. Bob O'Brien does a fabulous job ensuring decorations like Christmas trees and the lights add to the visual, and the musical atmosphere go hand in hand with those coming together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

He also noted the rise of unfamiliar faces in the parish around the Christmas season, perhaps those visiting the area from out of town or those looking to celebrate Mass in a parish as historic as St. Paul’s.   

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“We see (those crowds) each year, and they always seem to enjoy it as much as those who have been coming for years. Oftentimes, they'll come at Christmas, and then they'll keep coming, which has always been gratifying.” 

This year, those historic music-driven celebrations will continue, with Christmas Carols beginning at 4 p.m., followed by Mass at 4:30 p.m. and additional Masses at 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day Masses of 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.