A Nativity scene isn’t a requirement for Christmas, but most parishes have at least one.
A Nativity scene takes its inspiration from the accounts of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Luke’s narrative describes an angel announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds who visit the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus is found lying in a trough for cattle feed.
Matthew tells of wise men, or Magi, who follow a star to the house in Bethlehem where Jesus was living (not the stable, despite what most Nativity scenes show). The Magi probably found Jesus less than two years after his birth, rather than on the day He was born.
Matthew’s account does not mention angels or shepherds, while Luke’s narrative is silent on the Magi and the star. The Magi and the angels usually are displayed in a Nativity scene with the Holy Family and the shepherds.
The earliest Nativity scene has been found in the early Christian catacomb of St. Valentine. It traces to the year 380. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first live Nativity scene in 1223 at Greccio in central Italy in an attempt to place the emphasis of Christmas upon the worship of Christ rather than upon material things.
The scene’s popularity inspired much imitation in Christian nations, with many versions in various sizes made of various materials.
One of three Nativity displays at Columbus St. Timothy Church is set up in the parish gathering space. Photo courtesy St. Timothy Church
Columbus St. Timothy Church has three Nativity scenes it uses every year.
The oldest is a 20-foot, hand-carved wooden Jesus, Mary and Joseph that was purchased by the founders of the parish in the early 1960s. It originally was in front of the altar in the church sanctuary and now is displayed in front of a temporary altar set up in the parish center for one of two 4 p.m. vigil Masses celebrated simultaneously on Christmas Eve.
Ceramic sculptures signed by Italian artist Eugenio Pattarino are displayed next to the sanctuary. They were purchased for and displayed in the business windows of the Thomas W. Ruff and Co. office furniture business and were donated to the church several years ago by the Ruff family.
The third set is also complete with all the characters and animals, including a camel, but is smaller and has a more rustic design than the other two. It was donated about six years ago by the parish’s former pastor, Father Timothy Hayes, whose brother Kevin discovered it as part of the contents of a storage unit he purchased. It is displayed in the parish gathering space.
Father Joseph Trapp, pastor of Plain City St. Joseph Church, purchased a hand-carved Nativity scene for the parish activity center to replace one with broken and missing pieces. The set comes from the Joseph Albl studio in Oberammergau, Germany. The parish has started a fund to purchase more statues for the scene. Parishioner Jim Schwope built a new manger to house the display.
The history of the Nativity scene at Washington Court House St. Colman of Cloyne Church goes back to about 1950, when it was purchased by Father Otto Guenther, who was pastor at the time. His successor as pastor decided not to use it, but it was acquired by the DelPonte family, members of the parish who displayed it on their front porch on South Main Street with a light shining down on it.
It was given back to the church in the 1990s when Father Jerome Raiser was pastor. It was displayed there until Father Jan Sullivan succeeded Father Raiser in 2000. Father Sullivan preferred to have the infant Jesus in a creche instead of a Nativity scene. It went back into storage until Father James Hatfield became pastor in 2012 and has been used every Christmas season since.
In 2012, a backdrop was built to show a starry night. Paul Ondrus made the backdrop from one-quarter-inch plywood, with a strand of white lights behind it. A larger bulb is placed near the top to represent the star the Magi followed. Each year, parishioner Ann Winkle presses and repairs the fabric covering the table on which the scene sits.
Depending on the pastor’s preference, sometimes all of the figurines going with the set have been displayed throughout the Christmas season. The current pastor, Father Cyrus Haddad, prefers that they come in stages, with the infant Jesus inserted at Christmas and the Magi on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany.
Sunbury St. John Neumann Church’s new outdoor Nativity includes a stable that was hand-built by parish maintenance staff members. Photo courtesy St. John Neumann Church
Sunbury St. John Neumann Church has a new Nativity scene purchased with funds provided by various ministries including the men’s and women’s clubs, the parish festival committee, a group that sells prepaid gifts from merchants that benefit the church and an anonymous donor. The stable was hand-built by parish maintenance staff members Mike Gibboney and Jack Glassmire.
“While this might be a new set for us, the spirit of giving so the set could be purchased and of preparing the stable for generations of parishioners to enjoy in the years to come is a fitting way to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas,” said parish communications manager Jennifer Reinard.
The parish’s former Nativity set may be seen throughout the Christmas season on the town square. In the past, it had been removed on Christmas Eve and returned to the church for display, but the new set allows it to remain on the square throughout the Christmas season.
West Jefferson Sts. Simon and Jude Church has approximately 70 Nativity scenes or other Christmas items on display in its social hall, 9350 High Free Pike. An open house to allow the public to view them is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28.