Cover Story:
BEAUTIFUL IN ANY LIGHT
Stained glass windows need light to show their beautiful colors. It is not only the passage of light, but the transparency of the material which creates the jewel-like effect. At the world renowned Willet Stained Glass Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the late 1950s, artisans experimented with techniques to make windows look beautiful whether or not there was light behind them. One of the results was the gold window shown on the cover.
Gold windows were created by combining sculpture and stained-glass window artistry. Sheet lead was carefully cut out, tooled to make a three-dimensional overlay for the window, and then covered in gold leaf. The day view, with sunlight coming through, showed off the brilliant colored glass to advantage. After dark, with light on the surface of the window, the overlay became a gold bas relief. In a few rare cases, platinum was used instead of gold.
Somewhat over a hundred projects in the gold technique were installed by Willet Studios. When the price of gold escalated, the cost of creating the magnificent gold windows became prohibitive, and the process was discontinued.
Glass is an ancient material. It was used in Asia, eastern Europe and Egypt, as early as 3000 B.C. Its use in windows was introduced in the third or fourth centuries in early Christian basilicas in the Roman Empire when artisans used small translucent materials in plaster to create a jewel-like effect. By the twelfth century, when the construction of the great cathedrals of Europe began, artisans already had mastered the intricate process of coloring glass with metal oxides and other materials, and creating translucent masterpieces as windows.
The technique of creating stained glass windows is an ancient one and starts with the artist's concept. When the finished design is approved, skilled artisans carefully create a full scale drawing of the artwork with a detailed pattern of the colors to be used. Those color coded patterns are guides for the glass selectors who match the glass colors to the original design. Like the medieval masters, Willet Studios uses handblown glass to take advantage of its uneven texture. A lump of bubbling glass is caught up at the end of a blow pipe, blown into a cylinder, cut, flattened and cooled, thus developing desirable variations in color intensity.
After cutting, the glass pieces are carefully fitted together and artists paint in the details of the figures or design elements of the original artwork. When the painting is complete, the whole is fired to set the paint.
There are many methods of assembling the hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of pieces of glass. The most usual is with preformed strips of lead. Sometimes, a clear epoxy resin bonds the stained glass to a sheet of clear glass
plate, and sometimes, with very heavy modern windows, poured concrete is used.
The Willet Stained Glass Studios, founded in 1898, first gained recognition with the design and installation of the windows at the West Point Military Academy Cadet Chapel, a commission that took 66 years to complete! Its work is now in every state in the Union and in fifteen foreign countries.
Cover photograph courtesy of Willet Stained Glass Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
#i/NI##
Spring going into summer generally is a quiet time for us creche people. We've put away some or all of our creches; we've finished the post-holiday re-arranging of the ones we leave out, and we haven't quite geared up to look around for new ones. This year, though, we have a couple of exciting events which are perking up our Nativity sensibilities: the upcoming International Creche Convention in Spain in the Fall, and the on-going planning for our own Friends of the Creche convention in 2001. Along the way, I've learned that many of you actively plan creche exhibits in your home, in your churches, and other institutions, sometimes using those exhibits as a way of raising money for worthwhile purposes. Causes have ranged from support of a church to support of a homeless project or a special charity. That is indeed the true spirit of the Nativity. Creche Herald salutes you and the wonderful work you do. Please let us know of these events so we can post them in our newsletter.
RitaBocher, Publisher
Creche Herald
Editor/publisher: Rita B. Bocher
Contributing editor: Mary B. Herzel
Office: 117 Crosshill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511. U S.A
E-mail: crecher o .net
???? and Comments
Q. Why are red and green the colors of Christmas?
A. No one can definitely say why. One guess is that they reflect the colors of holly. The red berries and green leaves, seen against the cold whiteness of snow, suggest a promise of winter's end and the spring to come . This promise of life in the midst of death is a fitting symbol for the birth of Christ.
Give a gift of love with a Fontanini Nativit_y Starter Set ... a collectible with meaning. These speciall_y priced gift sets are the perfectwa_y to begin a new collection and a new tradition.
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Charming gifts tor all occasions expand with other Nativit_y figures and accessories tor _years to come.
FROM OUR READERS:
Thank you for your wonderful review of my book. Christmas Nativities and Stories. The letters and calls have been very inspiring. I now have a website for my book and Christmas Museum: www.nativityhouse.com.au and my email is nativity@zeta.org.au in the event your readers want to get in touch with me. Keep up the good work. I hope to meet you one day in the USA.
Elisabeth Van Mullekom Cserep, Sydney, Australia ***The newsletter arrived and I LOVE it. Yes, we are a cloistered order, but renewed since the early '70's to reclaim the original charisma of the founder and to respond to the times and culture in which we live. We go out to do that business we cannot do in the monastery (shopping, legal, financial transactions, medical, dental) but not to socialize. Our ministry is the work of prayer for all God's people and the world in which they live . We also respond to those who come to us for help with prayer or some other aspect of the spiritual life. Our Carmelite Order traces its spirit to Elijah of the Old Testament and its origins to somewhere in the early 1200's.
I myself started carving when I found a set of wood sculpting tools in the small storage annex and the local Woodcraft Store gave me a ticket to the international woodcarvers show. The Mississippi Valley Woodcarvers Association also gifted me with a membership, and the members have offered advice, and even tools. It amazes me what comes out of the woodshop after all the sawdust and chips are swept up. Seems as if God had woodcarving in mind for me all along. For our monastery gift shop, I make a simple three-figure Nativity from bendable wood, but my dream is to make a more elaborate model sculpted in fine wood.
Sr. Barbara Maunz, ocd, Carmelite Monastery. Eldn·dge, Iowa
***
I too collect creches and have about 25 in my collection. Some are from my childhood and some are from around the world. My smallest one is inside a hazelnut shell and was made by a puppet maker in Sicily. I keep the smaller ones out all year and unpack the many-figured ones for the holiday season. I love them all, and they each have a story or a special memory to tell.
Lois Lecher, Royersford, Pennsylvania ***
I am a passionate lover of the Nativity display. I had the opportunity to live in Murcia, Spain, for three years . Murcia is called the home of the Belen. There I collected around one hundred figures all made of clay the old fashioned way. I visited and became friendly with many artisans in their work rooms. My fascination with the Belen did not stop there. Since my return to the States, I have been extremely busy building my traditional display and holding an open house which I hope will be an inspiration to the younger generation.
Cecilia Campos, Spring, Texas
I found a couple of good websites on santons and Provence:
www.enprovence.com/santons/anglais/ This site has a list of makers. www.netfr.com/ailhaud/anglais/santons.html This is the site of Jean et Michele Ailhaud
Or if your French is very good, tty this : www.enprovence.com/santons-moine/ This is the site ofLa Creche de Haute-Provence.
Michael Bannerman, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
***I've been making creches ever since I can remember. Some of them in seminary days were quite large-their place being in the center of a large seminary dining room
Recently, what I've done is buy in Rome (or get someone to buy for me) little boxes of 18 figures for about $50-they're only about an inch high-then build creches for them. I've done the kind enclosed in a glass dome, or if not enclosed, on a round platform similar to that used for domes . I usually build a stable from balsa, then have further pieces made of styrofoam and painted I'm a pretty good roof thatcher, and for straw, sometimes buy a small whisk broom. Grass and mosses come from the model RR store
I'm always amused when people ask how long it took My answer always is "until I had it finished ."
E.J, Mattimoe, SJ, Huntington, New York
Zosato, Hungarian artisans, have handcrafted this solid wood Nativity distributed by ANRI Stable and nineteen figurines are available. E-mail : info @anri com
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION APPROACHES
Those planning to attend the International Creche Convention in Pamplona, Spain, will indeed find an international program. Sessions will be simultaneously translated into English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
The revised registration fee is 28,000 pesetas per person (168.28 euros), with no reduced fee for a spouse or other guest. Thus, if you are planning to take someone along and want that person to be able to attend any Convention events, you will have to pay a full registration for him or her. Your local bank will sell you an international money order which you can then forward to Asociaci6n de Belenistas de Pamplona, Apartado de Correos 2161, 31080 Pamplona, Spain. After about two weeks of having sent your check, suggest you confirm receipt of your check by email: belen_pamplona@iname.com
Hotel reservations are through Viajes Navarsol, Sancho el Fuerte 8, 31007 Pamplona, Spain. The conference hotel is the Hotel lruila Park, with other close-by hotels being the Silken Reino de Navarra, NH Ciudad de Pamplona, and the Tres Reyes. Viajes Navarsol can be reached by e-mail at: info@navarsol.com. Again, check to make sure everything you've sent has arrived.
The Convention opens on Thursday, October 12 with a reception for attendees. At 3 :30 p.m. events start with a flea market, followed by official opening ceremonies, lectures and presentations by various creche associations. On Friday, the morning is spent in Convention-sponsored sightseeing, with lectures and presentations at 4:30 p.m. Then, on Saturday morning, attendees are transported to the town of Sangfiesa to see a performance of the Spanish religious drama, Misterio de Reyes, and to tour the castle of Javier. The Convention's gala banquet is in the evening at 9:30. Sunday morning brings a closing mass at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of Pamplona and official farewell ceremonies in the Gayarre Theater.
Creche Herald will be glad to answer any questions you might have on the Convention. Inquire by e-mail (crecher@op.net) or by regular mail: 117 Crosshill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511.
Creche Herald subscription information--for those not joining Friends of the Creche Society
Annual rate: $12; Canada/Mexico: US $15
Other countries: US$16
Enclose check or money order payable to Creche Herald.
Mail to: Creche Herald, 117 Crosshill Road Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511 U.S.A.
Be sure to include name, address, telephone, e-mail.
CRECHE HERALD NEWSMAKERS
Raymond P. McDonald, Ashland, Pennsylvania, was featured in the Pottsville Republican. He was the principal speaker at the holiday meeting of the Ashland Area Historic Preservation Society. His talk centered around his collection of75 Nativities from five continents.
Carol and Fred Margrif, Marquette, Michigan, held their first ever Open House at their home during this past December to display their more than 150 Nativity scenes. The Margrifs accepted donations to raise money for the Marquette County Habitat for Humanity. Over 300 people from their community attended and donated $1250 for the Habitat for Humanity's building projects.
PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THE 2001 CONVENTION OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CRECHE-THE FIRST EVER IN THE UNITED STATES!
JOIN THE FRIENDS OF THE CRECHE SOCIETY. Yearly membership of $25 includes a subscription to CRECHE HERALD. Mail to Friends of the Creche, 117 Crosshill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511
www.Nativities.com has the Internet's largest selection of unique handmade nativities from around the world.
Our specialty is unique wood-carved nativities from Poland.
We offer hand crafted nativities made of wood, stone, clay, metal, bronze, pafnt, and wax. We can even drop -ship your gift to anywhere in the w o r l d
DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE CRECHE INSPIRE DIFFERENT SETTINGS
by Ashley J Beavers
A number of different scenery backgrounds have historically been used with the Holy Family in creches These backgrounds are like stage scenery, framing the characters in the Christmas drama Each of these stage settings has its own justification. For most ofus, our notion of the scenery of the creche is fairly clear. Our collective cultural image of the birth of Jesus has been shaped by centuries of artistic interpretation. These interpretations were thoughtful and helpful, but not necessarily scriptura1.
The Bible is not very clear as to the specific place in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Some of the backgrounds which have been used are the following
A Cave: The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem has the spot in a grotto where traditionally Jesus was born. Early church tradition (Jerome, Justin, and Origin) spoke of Jesus being born in a cave . The cave symbolized the womb, not just of Mary, but of the earth itself God became flesh in the innermost, lowliest, and most unassuming of creation.
A barn/stable: Because of the use of the word, "manger," the most frequent location for creches is a stable. The Italian term for creche, presepio, comes from the word meaning stable. The Gospel of Luke says that Jesus was placed in a phatne, a Greek word which can mean stall where animals are tied up or manger where animals are fed. That must be an important detail for Luke as he mentions the word three times in his account (2:7, 12, 16) Troughs of the period were made of wood or stone The cradle-like manger most often associated with creches is from the tradition of St. Francis. Sometimes, especially in paintings, a stable is combined with a cave to a porch-like covering over the mouth of the cave.
A house: In the Gospel of Matthew's Christmas account, the magi find Mary and Jesus inside a house. The interior of a house as the location of the Holy Family is rarely portrayed. This scene frequently has been translated by creche artists to outside the house so that believers could see more easily the events of the Nativity.
Ruins: Beginning in the Renaissance, the creche sometimes was depicted in front of Roman ruins. People valued the contributions of the Greek culture brought to the world through the Romans. At the same time, they also wanted to show that Christ's coming brought an end to the pagan world, and that Christianity was alive while the religion of the Greeks and Romans was dead and decaying. No background at all: The birth of Christ-the Incarnation of God becoming human-happened once in history However, in a mystical way, Christ continues to come among us, wherever we are. Location is not an issue, so the meaning of the creche can be realized whether or not there is any b~ckground at all.
An anachronistic background : Just as location is not ultimately important, neither is time. The birth took place in first century Palestine, but the Christ can be born again in us , anytime This understanding is often made tangible by having the Holy Family dressed in clothing of their time , but having everyone else at the scene dressed appropriately for the culture of the artist depicting the scene The background of the creche then becomes the cultural location of the people who put it together There is no need for one specific historical background. In eighteenth century Naples, the background of the scene is eighteenth century Naples, while a Polish szopka is framed within a Polish cathedral or building. In some putzes, the Holy Family might be placed beside a Pennsylvania farm or in the middle of a modem scene
Wherever and however your creches speak to you is testimony to the power that this image conveys. Enjoy them and be thankful
Rev. Dr. Ashley J. Beavers is college minister at Muskingham • College, New Concord, Ohio
Cannen Ramos , Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has created a mountainous cave-like setting for one of her Nativities in the opening of her living room fireplace
River
unique Russian and Armenian hand-crafted nativities, angels, ornaments
New for 2000,from Russia: CR-680 - $1200.00 (Complete Set)
Set A - $700 (Shelter, Tree, Holy Family, Angel) Set B - $600 (Wisemen & Camel) Set C - $400 (Shepherd, Donkey, Cow, 2 Sheep)
6 Berry St., Burlington, VT 05401 ~ 1-800-639-4309 or volgariver@prodigy.net
Dear Friends of the Creche:
It's nice to have the Creche Herald as a means of communicating with you We're pleased that some of the Herald subscribers have joined our Creche society, and we're certainly hopeful that more of you do so in the coming months.
I'm honored to be the acting chair of our steering committee as we work to ·get the organi7.ation launched. I've been communicating with various members of the committee as we try to get a number of preliminary organizational matters taken care of, such as developing some by-laws.
The committee will hold its second formal meeting in late summer at the University of Dayton. At that time we will come to closure on such matters, and if all goes well, we will begin to plan for our major inaugural event, a national creche convention sometime in the latter part of 2001. In fact, some of our committee members are already taking on assignments for planning the 200 I gathering. We're happy to have heard from several creche companies expressing interest in exhibiting, and one has offered to help publicize the event. We also hope to have individual artisans participate, and we will look for ways to create a forum for members like you to provide information about your collections and experiences I don't want to jump too
far ahead though. We need to get the organizational basics done first, then on to more exciting things.
Creating this society is a challenge, not a given. Those of us on the steering committee have pledged ourselves to make a best effort to get the organization launched. We know that there are hundreds, if not thousands of folks across the country and Canada that have a devoted interest in the creche tradition, and the wonderful story it conveys. The society offers an opportunity to promote greater awareness and appreciation of this wonderful tradition. We also increase our pleasure in thetraditionsbyputtingus in touch with each other and sharing information about our collections and about our creche-related experiences.
While the beginnings of success start with hard work by the steering committee, real success will come with your active support. If you are interested in participating on the steering committee or volunteering to help prepare for next year's national gathering, let us know by writing to me through the Creche Herald Also, I would be very interested in any ideas you want to convey to us about things you want the society to do.
Above all, I ask all of you to spread the word about our group and encourage others to join us.
Jim Govan, Acting Chair, Steering Committee
SCULPTOR CREATES VAST NATIVITY LANDSCAPE
by Judith Davis
Second of two brief notes on a discovery trip to Spain
El Museo Salzillo in Murcia in the southwestern part of Spain pays homage to Francisco de Salzillo y Alcaraz (1707-1783), the great Spanish Baroque sculptor . We visited the museum to view that sculptor's Belen. This Nativity, carved between 1727 and 1746 by the artist and others in his workshop, consists of 556 human figures and 371 animals! Most of the figures are carved from wood, but there are some in papier mache and clay.
The figures underwent restoration in 1994. They now are arranged in related groupings, such as the Annunciation, trip to Bethlehem, the shepherds, the Holy Family, the Magi, and other settings pertaining to the Christmas story.
Salzillo 's family had a Neapolitan background, which is said to have influenced his Nativity. Nonetheless, figures of the locals-their dress and mannerisms-clearly suggest Murcia's contemporary 18th century world. Facial expressions are breathtaking in their detail and realism, while a marvelous sense of movement is reflected in the poses of the :figures.
The Nativity figures are displayed in an addition to the Iglesia de Jesus which also contains nine of Salzillo's pasos, the religious sculptures carried in the morning procession on Good Friday.
El Museo Sa/zillo is closed Mondays. Judith Davis is a collector from El Cerrito, California
Sculptor Joe Camilleri, Victoria, Gozo, Malta, has created this Nativity for his collection . www.waldonet.net.mU*camill/ E-mail: camill@waldonet.net.mt
This joyous Nativity of humans who seem to raise their voices in song is by Carol Sando, Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico Collection ofBetsy Scott, Salem, Oregon.
MAGI'S THIRD GIFT INTRIGUES SCIENTISTS
Gold, :frankincense and myrrh. The gifts of the Magi to the newborn Infant. Surely, gold was a generous gift to a new baby born to a peasant woman, and the perfume of frankincense would have pleased Mary in her humble surroundings. But it is myrrh that most interests modern researchers.
Scientists at the University of Florence in Italy have been studying myrrh for many years. Studies reveal that it was among the chief analgesics, or common painkillers, used in ancient times, particularly throughout the Middle East, Egypt and Ethiopia. They found the Egyptians used it as an embalming fluid, the ancient Jews used it both as an anointing oil and as a painkiller; Hippocrates praised it as a balm for sores, and the ancient Romans used it to treat mouth and eye infections, coughs and worm infestations In Mark's Gospel, vinum murratum, a mixture of wine and myrrh, was offered to Jesus just before the crucifixion. Given the analgesic effects of myrrh, the hope might have been to give a concoction that would provide a dose of painkilling relief.
Italian researchers also have analyzed myrrh's chemical structure, seeking the secrets of its configuration of tightly bound hydrocarbon rings. Studies suggest that chemicals in myrrh interact with receptors in the brain which make it a potent painkiller It probably lost its attractiveness as an analgesic after more potent compounds, such as opium, came into vogue
NEW ON mE MARKET
For those who have always wanted an 18th century Italian presepio look for their Nativity, Roman, Inc. 's Fontanini line offers a special setting. It is a lighted stable nestled within a detailed Roman architectural ruin, complete with standing and fallen columns. The stable, 13.25"h x 20"w x 13.5"d,. is appropriate for 5" figures. Retail price for stable alone is $140; with IO-piece set, $250. 1-800-7297662 for dealer near you.
"'"
ANRI Art, Italy, has agreed for the first time in its 88-year history to distribute a handcrafted Nativity made by another company. ANRI will be working with Zosato, Hungarian woodcrafters. Prices for the Zosato pieces start at $30. A three-piece Holy Family retails for $198. E-mail: info@anri.com or visit their website: www.anri.com. The company can be called directly in Italy at Oll-39-0471-792233.
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Handpainted wood eggs with detailed images of the Nativity or of the Madonna and Child are among the unusual new offerings ofVolga River Trading Company, a foremost distributor ofRussian handcrafted products. For catalog: E-mail: volgariver@prodigy.net, or call 800-6394309
UNIQUE CRECHES ARRIVE FROM POLAND
Love of the Nativity, unique presentations, and wonderful craftsmanship. These all describe the unusual creches now arriving from Poland.
An important new source for these Polish creches, as well as Nativities from other parts of Eastern Europe, is a company started by Kurt Holmgren just two years ago: Eastern European Import/Export.
"After spending two years in Poland, I saw that Polish craftsmen had a wonderful eye for design and color. They also were interpreting the creche in a most unusual way," says Holmgren. "The Poles have a strong tradition of wood-carving, especially in religious themes. They express their religious inspiration most wonderfully in their Nativity scenes."
Holmgren started his company in summer 1998, just after his return from Poland. "I had seen ·that the Polish craftsmen made these beautiful figures, but they had no way of getting their goods to the American market, or for that matter, to markets outside their own country. We felt if Westerners could see and touch the incredible works these artists were doing, the pieces probably would sell themselves. So, we started communicating with the Polish artists we had met, and began importing directly from them."
Works from Poland are the specialty of the house, but Holmgren's firm has expanded its offerings. "We are dedicated to finding original, unique Nativities from all over the world," he says. "We hope to continue bringing unusual Nativity offerings to collectors everywhere."
Eastern European Import/Export can be reached at www.Nativities.com or write to them at 724 East 150 South, Apt. B, Provo, UT 84606.
TELL US YOUR HOLIDAY EVENTS
Are you planning a Nativity related exhibit in your home, at your church, in your area? Is there an admission fee? Are you collecting donations for a worthy cause? Send Creche Herald your dates, locations, donation requests or admission fees, and give us a telephone number for further information.
Deadlines: July 1 for the Fall issue; September 1 for the Winter issue.
E-mail: crecher@op.net or mail to Creche Herald, 117 Crossbill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511, USA
What's in a Name? In Ireland, in many churches, the Christmas lights must be turned off only by a person whose name is Mary. Fortunately, the name is not an unusual one in that country.
BETHLEHEM HOPES FOR NEW BEGINNINGS
"From the heart of this holy city, the city of Jesus, the city where it all began, in the name of God, in the name of Palestine, I declare open the celebrations of the third millennium," so read Yasir Arafat's speech at the opening of the Bethlehem 2000 inauguration ceremony in Manger Square on December 4, 1999. Later, as the square filled to capacity with thousands of Palestinians, Christian leaders and diplomats, children released 12 doves of peace. After release of the birds, the leaders of 13 Christian sects joined together in prayer for the first time, by their own accounting.
***
Long neglected, Bethlehem, with its 40,000 residents, readied itself for the millennium celebrations with new construction, sidewalks, lamps, and building facades. The town, located on the West Bank, is the biggest development project in the Palestinian territories, with over $150 million in foreign donations and investments. "Bethlehem, despite its small siz.e, proves ... that it is the most important of all cities at this unique point in time," proclaimed Hanna Nasser, the town's mayor, at the festivities.
While most tourists make only day trips to Bethlehem from Israel, Palestinians, hoping to attract more long-term visitors, have started construction on two luxury hotels.
MAKE A CLASSIC TIN ANGEL ORNAMENT
Legend has it that Martin Luther, while out walking one Christmas Eve, looked up at the clear winter sky lit by countless stars. Inspired by their beauty, he set up for his children a tree with many twinkling candles to remind them of the stany heaven from whence Christ had come. Later decorators added fruits and shiny ornaments.
In the late 1800's, Gennan tinsmiths made popular shiny tree ornaments cast from a very soft tin and lead alloy. Below are easy directions to make your own classic tin angels. Other figures can be made the same way.
Supplies: aluminum foil cookie tray, embossing tool (an orange cuticle stick works well), scissors, string, hole punch and tape.
Directions: Cut out the pattern below. Place the pattern over a 4" x 6" piece cut from your aluminum foil cookie tray and tape in place. Place aluminum on a thick magazine, and pressing hard, trace over the design with your embossing tool. Remove the pattern, and retrace the pattern again to give it a firmer embossed look. For a sparkling effect, highlight parts with colored markers.
Cut out the design, punch a hole in it, and insert string to hang on the tree. Careful, edges are sharp. Directions are from Kathryn H. Luna, whose craft catalog is available by writing to her at 24796 Sunstar Lane, Dana Point, California 92629. Tel: 949-240-9504.
A SURPRISE CRECHE IN INDIA
by Mary Herzel
Agra, India, is associated most often with the Taj Mahal, the spectacular marble mausoleum that represents a tribute to the loss of an earthly love. But I have other recent associations.
My husband and I were celebrating the beginning of the new millennium in early January 2000, in northern India. Though I knew we were in Hindu and Moslem territory, nonetheless, I still hoped to see a creche for the holidays.
In Agra, my dream was fulfilled. After a day of sightseeing, the tour guide dropped us off at St. Mary's Catholic Church. To our surprise, the church was crowded. A wedding was being celebrated. Music of guitars and the keyboard filled the air. At the altar, I glimpsed the bride in white standing shyly beside her groom. As there were no empty seats, and unwilling to miss this opportunity to see an Indian wedding, I cautiously walked up the side aisle to the front of the church to get a better view. ***
Another surprise awaited me. At the edge of the altar railing on a table about six feet long, stood a small lighted stable surrounded by greenery of a rural village. Above the stable was an angel. Inside the small structure were figurines about five inches high of Mary and Joseph. On the ground in front of them was a chubby Infant Jesus, considerably larger than either parent. Three miniature Magi in majestic robes discreetly looked in from outside the stable on one side, and shepherds tended sheep in a pasture of live grass on the other. Small live plants of wheat and coriander were strewn about. Surrounding the panorama were live marigold plants, the flower seen everywhere in northern India on festive occasions.
As I stood awestruck by this unexpected gift of viewing a Nativity scene in that part of the world, I heard the priest pronounce the wedding vowels in English and Hindi, the national language of India. Soon the ceremony was over. The radiant couple marched happily out of the church in a shower of marigold petals and the congratulations offamily and friends. ***
While I rejoiced with the young couple, I felt a special thrill with the discovery of a creche in the most unexpected of cities. We were still admiring the creche when the priest who performed the wedding ceremony, Father Shivaj Henriques, came over to us. I told Father how pleased I was to see a creche. "Many creches of this nature can be seen in South India," he said, "where more Christians live. The landscape you see here is very typical of a rural village."
Just then, Sister Georgina, of the Missionaries of Charity, came in. She was dressed in an off-white sari bordered with blue and draped over her head, like the founder of her order, Sister Teresa of Calcutta. With folded hands as in
prayer, she said, "Peace be with you," the typical Indian greeting
She told us that she wanted to show us a living crib in her building next to the church. My husband and I followed her As she opened the door, we saw six cribs covered with mosquito netting, and an infant inside each one. Sister smiled as she picked up one of the babies and cuddled it. She rocked it and sang "Silent Night, Holy Night" and the infant giggled in return.
•tt
The evening had grown dark, cold and foggy. Sister walked us over to the road to take a taxi. The only one in sight was a bicycle rickshaw steered by a thin old man. Amidst the cows on the road, the oxcarts, the honking trucks, the flashing lights, the search for the creche had helped us find the common touch.
Mary Herze/, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, seeks out creches in her frequent travels with her husband, Frank.
IDENTIFY PHOTOS SENT TO CRECHE HERALD
When sending photos, please identify each photo individually with an attached label. Include description of scene AND your name and address. Sometimes photos get separated from the letters they come in and then it is impossible to accurately match the sender and the photo.
DRAMATIC NATIVITY GRACES WESTMINSTER ABBEY
In May 1987, the London Daily Telegraph duly recorded the passing of a most unusual minor canon of Westminster Abbey, the Rev. Christopher Hildyard. A talented artist and playwright, Hildyard took part in three coronations and numerous royal weddings during his remarkable 45-year tenure He also was the designer of the present Nativity figures displayed at the Abbey since 1966 .
Hildyard, known for his artistic flair and love of beautiful fabrics, dressed the Abbey Nativity figures sumptuously Mary wears a blue gown with gold designs and a white cloak and headdress. Joseph is in a red costume with gold designs and a gold cloak with a green lining. The Child lies on a red cushion with gold drapery. While the shepherds, in keeping with their station, are more modestly clothed in skins or tunics, the magnificent garb of the Three Wise Men bespeaks of a royal heritage Indeed, the white bearded Wise Man , based upon the figure of St. Edward the Confessor, wears a gold patterned cloak and ermine cape, and carries, in addition to his gift of incense, a ring. Figures were carved from limewood, but the ox and ass were carved from an Abbey roof beam
The figures are placed in the west end of the Nave, in the north aisle, remaining there until the Sunday after Epiphany.
Westminster Abbey is neither a cathedral nor a parish church, but a Royal Peculiar under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, subject only to the Sovereign An architectural masterpiece of the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries, the church also presents a unique pageant of British history-the Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, the tombs of kings and queens , and countless memorials to the great and famous. It has been the setting for every coronation since that of William the Conqueror in 1066
St. Dunstan first brought Benedictine monks to Westminster in about 960AD, but the Abbey was rebuilt on a large scale by Edward the Confessor and dedicated in 1065. In the thirteenth century, Henry III demolished Edward's Norman construction and rebuilt the Abbey in the new Gothic style Building continued in the next several centuries, with the Nave completed in the early 1500s, and the two western towers finished in 1745. Henry VIII dissolved the Benedictine monastery in 1540. Twenty years later, Queen Elizabeth I founded the present Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster-the Abbey's correct title.
Among the famous buried at Westminster are Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and Georg Frideric Handel.
Photo : Copyright: Dean and Chapter of Westminster