Toowoomba churches welcome large Christmas Day crowds
CHRISTIAN churches across Toowoomba welcomed larger- than-usual crowds to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
St Luke's Anglican Church's husband and wife team of Rev Penny Jones and Rev Dr Jonathan Inkpin started celebrations early with a 4.30pm Children's Service on Christmas Eve.
"We had a wonderful Children's Service where we rang the bells for the good news," Rev Jones said.
"We had a beautiful Midnight service and two here this morning (Christmas Day).
"It's nice to see so many smiling faces."
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba Bishop Robert McGuckin led three of the five Christmas masses at St
Patrick's Cathedral which also had the size of its normal congregation swelled by large numbers.
Each year the Toowoomba diocese divides its Christmas collection between the local St Vincent de Paul Society and another charity.
This year half the money collected at Christmas services across the diocese will go to support the Daughters of Our
Lady of the Sacred Heart Youth Drop-In Centre in the Tiwi Islands.
