Anyone interested, should book, and arrive before 9am to pick up their free ticket. Note that it is 252 steep stair steps to reach the Cathedral Chamber. Once inside, worshippers can sit, relax, hear the Christmas message and (after catching their breath) sing well-known carols and enjoy a beautiful solo in the acoustically perfect chamber. The cave is a constant 16 degrees Celsius. So, although it might be hot above ground, worshipers should bring warm clothes for the one-hour service.
Guest speaker will be Lindsay Croll. Lindsay has pastored a number of Baptist churches in New South Wales, including two years as Pastor of Bathurst Baptist Church. Lindsay has a very practical twist to his ministry, preferring to work alongside of those he teaches and serves. He has been the Director of IT at NSW Police and Telecommunications Manager at Essential Energy. Lindsay said, "Both my wife, Gwenda, and I have visited Jenolan caves several times and look forward to the opportunity to be involved in this exciting occasion."
Although Jenolan Caves hosts many underground weddings, it holds church services twice a year only - at Easter and Christmas - organised by a group of dedicated Christians on Jenolan's staff. The Christmas service is timed to take place the morning after the spectacular, Carols in the Caves (Dec. 10) which raises money for The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
Like any other Australian rural community, for most of its 173 year history, the residents of Jenolan Caves attended church. Until the late 1960s, underground church services were held weekly. In the 1870s, the services were Methodist. But over the years, the Cathedral Chamber was used by other denominations. Amazingly, in the 1960s, services were broadcast regularly from the Cathedral Chamber and aired live on Sydney radio station, 2GB! In 2008, World Youth Day saw the Cathedral Chamber used for Catholic Mass, approximately 50 times, over 8 days - each Mass accommodating a full busload of pilgrims!
As Jenolan's early cave explorers mapped their way through unfamiliar passages and caverns, they named a multitude of formations after familiar stories from the Bible. Jenolan's Cathedral Chamber was named not only because of its huge dimensions (54 metres high), but because its massive formations reminded explorers of church features - the 'baptismal font', the 'pulpit', 'the organ', 'the belfry', 'the organ pipes' and 'the cathedral windows'.
For more information, visit www.jenolancaves.org.au