Dec 25, 20214 min read

Raymond Pierce’s “Our first Record Player and Presto Logs”

Updated: May 25, 2023

The Christmas that followed our move to 19 Cedar St. in 1955, was the time when Norman, Glen, Kenny, Mary, David, Joanne and I received a red portable RCA Victor record player that played 45 RPM records.

On the inside of the lid was the RCA Victor symbol of the little white dog, his nose poked into the old gramophone speaker, with the inscription, "His Master's Voice" written beneath.

We also received one red record. On side one was Gene Autry singing “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and on side two was Gene Autry singing “Frosty the Snowman.” We were so excited to have that record player and the music we loved. We played that record over, and over, and over again. We couldn’t hear it often enough!

When our Aunt Francis Comeau and our cousin Carol dropped in during Christmas week, we all danced together to the music. We were probably driving the adults crazy but they knew we were having great fun.

Fr. William Wyllie who was the pastor of our St. Peter’s Redemptorist Parish often said: “Every parent should be canonized a Saint.”

Christmas Day was a family day so no one was allowed to visit relatives or friends, although we did go out to play in the snow to build a snowman or snow fort.

Boxing Day was our first opportunity to visit relatives, to see their tree and the gifts they received. We always went to Uncle Hubert and Aunt Alice's home first where we were always happy to be treated to some homemade Christmas cookies.

In 1958, when we moved to 45 Metcalf St. our new flat had a working fireplace with a mantelpiece where we hung our long winter stockings on Christmas Eve. Dad bought presto logs to burn in the fireplace. Presto logs were made of compressed sawdust held together with paraffin and they burned for two to three hours. I remember how beautiful our fireplace looked as we sat around enjoying the leaping flames and crackling fire.

I remember a Christmas Day when we went to St Peter's Church for mass. At that time my brother Glen was five years old. After mass we went up to the sanctuary to get a closer look at the Christmas crib. St Peter's church always had a beautiful Christmas crib. The magnificent camel, with it's golden saddle was four feet high. Glen was really intrigued by that and he asked mom all kinds of questions about it. Finally, he asked mom if he became an altar boy would they let him ride the camel.

I think Glen’s question about being an altar boy must have planted the idea in Mom’s mind because years later Mom told Fr. Leo Rolles she wanted us to serve as altar boys. She said it would be good for us and Mom was right. I loved it.

Elderly Brother Joe Duffy patiently taught us the Latin prayers we had to memorize so we could respond to the priest at mass. Later Brother Aloysius, who was in charge of the altar boys, taught us how to serve at mass.

Soon I got to serve at my first midnight mass. I can vividly remember that Christmas Eve as we walked to St Peter's Church on a clear crisp winter night with snow crunching under our boots.

Brother Aloysius organized us into a straight line in pairs because the mass was to start with a solemn procession around the church to bring the Baby Jesus to the crib.

The church was packed as the midnight mass began. 60 altar boys and six priests each carried a lit candle and walked slowly up and down the aisles of the church as the men’s choir sang, “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel.”

There was incense in the air. The Tradition of using fragrant incense in a worship service is traced to the Old Testament where it was believed that incense would carry our prayers to God in heaven.”

After the procession some altar boys sat in the pews in the sanctuary and the rest of us sat in chairs along the front. The men’s choir sang Latin and English Christmas carols. I had never heard the men’s choir before and it was a very moving experience for me.

That year Fr. Wyllie gave each altar boy a Christmas gift: a beautiful large plastic crucifix that Mom hung in our living room. I was so happy with this gift.

One December, years later, when I was about 16, I had just finished serving the 7 a.m. weekday mass to find Fr. Wyllie in the sacristy. He said, “Raymond, would you help me carry some heavy shopping bags I want to deliver?”

Of course I said, “Sure I will Father.”

He had four large paper shopping bags with handles. Each bag was full of food. We each carried two. I remember in one bag there was a smoked ham with the bone-in among the other food items.

I followed Fr. Wyllie as we began our walk through the falling snow. We passed the Sisters of Charity's Convent on Clarendon St. and walked to the bottom of the street. The snow was getting more intense and we turned right on Harvey St. then turned left on Main St. where we crossed in front of the Saint John Forum to Albert St.

Then we went up Albert St. and turned left on Metcalf St. To my surprise we arrived at the front door of 45 Metcalf St. where I lived. I followed Fr. Wyllie inside. My mom was so surprised and so happy with his gift of food. This was welcomed support from a generous man for our family.

“Angels Walk among us, sometimes the only thing we may not see are the wings upon their backs.” Molly Friedenfeld