What time is Midnight Mass?

Many years ago, my parish priest told me that people would call the rectory starting the week before Christmas and ask: "What time is Christmas Midnight Mass?"

Well, if you are in the Archdiocese of Washington, and you ask this question, the answer may be more like 10pm Christmas Eve.

A reader alerted me to a growing trend that seems to be spreading across the Archdiocese -- fewer and fewer Christmas Midnight Masses.

The Shrine will not have one, nor is St. Matthew's, as well as a number of parishes.

I am not certain if there is a reason behind it -- a drop over the last few years, people scared to go out, etc. -- but it seems odd that the tradition of Christmas Midnight Mass is slowly disappearing.

Do you have any thoughts as to why?