The Celebration of Christmas 2025 for Dover

The Celebration of Christmas 2025 for Dover

Dover is well known for its White Cliffs and the Castle above the cliffs, with the Roman Pharos and Church of St Mary close to the Keep. The 2025 Celebration was held at St Mary-in-Castro at 3.00pm on Sunday 14^th December.  As in the previous two years, this popular event was organised by Coordinating Chaplain Reverend Peter Sherred and his wife Mary, who were supported by the Rotary Club of South Foreland, where Peter is currently President.

On a chilly afternoon which soon descended into darkness, many people arrived and the church was soon full, with additional chairs needed.  Guests included the Bishop of Dover, several local Mayors or their deputies, and a number of Rotarians from local clubs. In his Introduction Peter welcomed everyone and hoped that they would enjoy this great festival of Christmas in such an historic setting.

.  The programme included a mixture of secular and religious readings, songs and music.  The readers were from the Rotary Club of South Foreland and church members, with the scripture readings telling the story of the Nativity with its message of love and peace to mankind.  John Betjamin’s ‘Christmas’ poem was also read, with its contrast between the secular aspects of the festival and the single truth

‘That God was man in Palestine                                                                               And lives today in Bread and Wine.’

The music was provided by our well-known local organist, Stephen Yarrow, and the talented Pharos Chamber Choir.  Traditional carols and Choral music were interspersed between the readings.  The opening carol, ‘it Came upon the Midnight Clear’ was sung with great enthusiasm and set the tone for the other carols including ‘See Amid the Winter’s Snow,’ While Shepherds Watched their flocks by night’ and ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’.  The Choral pieces, ‘A Tender Shoot’, ‘Angelus ad Virginem’, ‘In the Stillness’ and ‘Hodie Christus natus est’ were striking and beautifully sung.

The finale of the celebration was the rousing singing of the traditional Christmas songs, ‘Deck the Hall’, Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer’ and ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas.

The ‘Prayer of Fellowship and Service’ reminded us of our responsibility to give service to our community, our country and all people as we try to make a better world for all.  To that end, the retiring collection raised £300 which will go to the Dover Outreach Centre, a local charity with the aim of helping people out of homelessness.  (The Centre produced a realistic, non-judgemental presentation on homelessness for World Homelessness Day in October 2025. See their website).

Thanks to all those who made this enjoyable and memorable celebration possible: Peter and Mary Sherred, Stephen Yarrow and the Pharos Choir, and members of the Rotary Club of South Foreland.