LEWISTON — By the time the carolers from Grace Community Church kicked off “Go Tell it on the Mountain” Sunday, Amy Dulac had left.

She didn’t go far.

Instead of singing with the other parishioners, she walked to the rear of the Montello Manor common room, where the nursing home residents sang along, sipped coffee and clapped. She preferred to stand behind a pair of elderly ladies who sang with increasing gusto.

“I feel for people who might not have people with them on Christmas,” Dulac, who lives in Greene, said. “It’s not a day to be alone.”

She left her children, ages 18, 21 and 25, at home sleeping to join the folks from the Auburn church at 9:45 a.m.

The Christmas morning event capped weeks of work to help the people who live at the Lewiston nursing home. The church purchased a present for each resident, getting a list of suggested gifts from the nursing home staff and making runs to local stores.

The presents were delivered on Christmas Eve and were waiting for the roughly 80 residents as they woke. 

For some, the church gifts were their only presents this Christmas, Dave Bochtler, Grace Community’s pastor, said.

Sunday’s singing lasted about 45 minutes. Between songs Bochtler joked with the residents, directing them to their songbooks in just-learned French phrases and encouraging them to sing out.

“We can do better,” he told a group of ladies with their songbooks in their hands. “We can be louder.”

For the preacher, it would be his only Sunday service. The congregation chose to cancel its regular Sunday morning fellowship to gather at the nursing home.

“We had a Christmas Eve service, and we decided this was a better way to celebrate Christmas Day,” he said.

Daryle and Kelly Weiss interrupted their holiday morning at home in Turner with the visit, taking along their children, Abagail, 7, and Marshall, 13. 

“We thought it was important to see other people who may not be as fortunate,” Daryle Weiss said. “It’s nice to visit the people.”

As the group sang, Caroline Bochtler, the pastor’s daughter, found her way to the side of Marion Drapeau, 94.

Bochtler held the songbook for the lady, running her finger along the verses of the familiar songs.

Drapeau described her feelings simply.

“It’s my favorite word,” she said. “Grateful.”

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