Spend Christmas Eve with the Church of the Holy Cross

The Church of the Holy Cross is celebrating Christmas Eve service with a program of “Lessons of Carols and Readings” at 7 p.m. Monday (Dec. 24).

Special music will include the combined voices of Na Leo Ni‘o Lani, the church’s chancel choir, plus the IYAA choir and the choir from the Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa, which will sing “Joy to the World” in English, Hawaiian, Chuukese and Samoan.

Tenor Kaweo Kanoho will offer his rendition of “O Holy Night.” The Bell Choir will play “Angels from the Realms of Glory” and pianist Kanako Okita and cellist Kelly Stuart will play “Six Studies in English Folk Songs, Nos. 3,4,6.”

The church is decorated with Christmas wreaths and boughs, two Christmas trees and flags from all the countries represented by the four other congregations who meet on the campus. One of the trees is a “Giving Tree,” encouraging worshipers to bring toiletries for charity and canned goods for the Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s food bank.

This also is the final year that the paper-cut flying angels with their horns and the Star of Bethlehem with 36 detailed cutouts will be on display.

The Church of the Holy Cross is located at 440 W. Lanikaula St. in Hilo.

Call the church office at 935-1283 for more information.