Ringing in the Christmas spirit

Smiley Heather rings in the arrival of Christmas morning at the historic Arorangi Cook Islands Christian Church on Sunday. Residents and visitors alike flocked to churches all over the island for special Christmas Day services, with St Mary’s Catholic Church in Arorangi filled to overflowing.

In the spirit of Christmas, those who attended the service at St Mary’s which was conducted by Catechist Eddy Wichman, were treated to free ice creams, with sweets for all the excited children.

The ice creams went down particularly well on a scorching summer’s day and the smiles on the faces of the youngsters who helped distribute the treats, showed that it is indeed better to give than receive. The church was packed with St Mary’s regulars as well as visitors from the outer islands,
New Zealand and Australia who are holidaying in Rarotonga.