Last year, we celebrated the 800th year of Saint Francis’ use of a crèche, or nativity, to celebrate the birth of Christ. As you may recall from that story, before 1223, the faithful heard about the birth of Christ in Mass as described by the priest in Latin, which many may not have understood. St. Francis asked a friend to borrow his donkey and ox and set up a nativity scene in a cave just outside Greccio, with a costumed person playing Mary and Joseph and perhaps a wax figurine as Jesus. Last year at our parish, we celebrated this with the ‘Stations of the Living Crèche.’ This year, that tradition continues next weekend!
Jim Wahl will lead the ‘Stations of the Living Crèche’ with music and volunteers performing at each station. Are you interested in participating? There may still be roles available for volunteers to participate in this beloved event; no experience is necessary! Please reach out to Jim Wahl at Jim.Wahl@stfrancisraleigh.org to find out. Last year, this event was a ‘walking tour’ of the stations outside on campus; this year, all the stations will be in the sanctuary space to address the logistical and potential weather challenges an outdoor event can pose. There will be plenty of seats for everyone, and there will not be a bad seat in the house. As Father Jim explains, “The ‘Stations of the Living Crèche’ is the Nativity story from the annunciation to Zachariah about John the Baptist’s birth up to the visit of the three kings after the birth of Jesus.”
Jim Wahl adds, “There will be 13 stations around the altar, including the opening prayer. The prophecies will be on the sides, with the conclusion focused on the altar after Mary and Jesus’s procession down the center aisle on their ‘way to Bethlehem.’” There will be new music this year, and the adult choir is already preparing. During December 6- 7, Jim and the choir are touring the eastern part of the state, and much of that music, including Vivaldi’s Gloria, will be practiced during that time and incorporated into the event! Given the event’s very ‘Franciscan’ nature, the children’s and adult choir will showcase their talents that evening.
After the Living Crèche, Father Jim will display in Fellowship Hall many of the crèches from his collection of over 160 from countries around the world. He hopes to display about half of them this year. They were very popular last year, and Father Jim says, “There was a call to display them all this year, but there’s not enough room, and it’s a lot of work to put them all together. Last year, we did 48 and might bump up to about ½ of them. I don’t want to do all the same ones we did last year.” “You need to set them up so the story ‘unfolds,’” he adds. Plus, many of the sets consist of a large number of pieces. “The Fontanini set has 38 pieces, not counting the stable (crèche) or other buildings and fencing. The biggest one, from my grandmother, has about 90 pieces and takes a while to set up.” Father Jim keeps the sets in boxes cataloged in one of the storage rooms in the rectory. The most diminutive figures are an inch and a half tall, with the larger ones about 11 inches high.
How many countries does he have a crèche from within his collection? Father Jim proudly states, “About 37-38 countries, with the most unusual one being a solid brass set from Italy bequeathed to me by a friar; these are the largest ones he has, with each piece about 11 inches high and made of solid brass.” He also has some non-traditional sets. “The ones from Peru are more whimsical, where, for example, the creche is a mushroom. I also have an acorn set with figures in the hollowed-out acorn as the ‘stable.’” The smallest set is usually five pieces, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and two sheep, with the most extensive set being my grandmother’s.” “The most unusual set,” Jim says, “is an Angela Trippi from Sicily https://www.angelatripi.it/. In the sets from her studio, they make each of the figures out of clay with a distinctive dress. Each figure is unique and dressed differently. They each also have a different face. The figures are sold without a face, and the buyer chooses a specific face from a collection. The face is painted onto the figure right there.” With the uniqueness of each piece and the attention to detail, these sets are expensive to own. From the smallest to the most expansive, this is truly a unique chance to see examples of nativities from around the world!
Join us for this magical evening starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 13th! The events will begin in the Church with live music and the Stations of the Crèche, all within the sanctuary space. We will then head to Fellowship Hall to see an extraordinary display of Fr. Jim Sabak’s collection of crèches. There will also be refreshments; who could forget the cookies? This enchanting event is perfect for ALL ages, and the crèche display will remain in place all weekend after each Mass for everyone to tour and enjoy. No registration is needed; just bring your holiday spirit!
