Cover Story:
JAPANESE PAINTING REFLECTS A SMALL BUT SPECIAL NICHE
The silk painting on our cover was lent to us by Elisabeth Van Mullekom-Cserep who first showed the work in her book, Christmas Nativities & Stories (Horsley Park, Australia: Nativity House Publishing, 1998). When asked the story behind the painting, Van Mullekom-Cserep recounted the following:
"I traveled to Tokyo, Japan, with my husband, Arnold, for a business trip in 1986 Even though everyone cautioned me it would be difficult to find something about the Christian Christmas, especially a Nativity scene, I nonetheless asked about it at our hotel. The gentleman behind the counter gave me the address of a Catholic church.
"While my husband was in business meetings, I traveled by train, using their color coding system and counting stations to try to figure out my stop. Finally, I got to the church. I was very lucky that the mass in English for foreign visitors had just ended. The nun in charge spoke English, and she gave me an address somewhere else in Tokyo of a shop run by sisters. She said they had handcrafted items for sale, although she was not sure they had Nativity scenes in the middle of the year.
"Again, I took the train and followed the color coding to my new destination. There I found the shop run by the sisters The nuns did not speak a word of English, so we spoke with hands and feet, and they finally understood after I made a small drawing.
"They showed me this exquisite silk painting of Mary with the newborn Jesus. A sister in their congregation had painted it. There was no name. It was a shame we could not talk more about the piece.
That is the story of this beautiful work of art."
•••
The early religion of the Japanese was Shinto, a name signifying the Way of Superior Beings. Shintoism combined nature-worship with reverence for ancestors. Buddhism, growing out of the teachings of Gautama Buddha on the achievement of perfect enlightenment through mental and moral self-purification, entered the country from Korea about the middle of the sixth century. While initially, Buddhism's progress was slow, it gradually became the leading religion of the country. Ultimately, the two religions combined in such a way that most Japanese made little distinction between them.
It was not until 1549 that Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary, reached Japan, although tales of the Far East long had circulated in Europe. Xavier's early reception in Japan encouraged him as he wrote: "We have been received by the Governor of the city and by the Commandant with much kindness and friendship, as we have also been by all the people :... No one is surprised in this country if a person becomes a Christian .... At present we are like statues in the
midst of the people. They talk and have much to say concerning us, while we, being ignorant of the language, remain silent...." By the end of the 16 th century, it was reckoned that there were about 300,000 Christians in Japan.
Then the climate changed, with a period of agonizing persecutions. By 1638, Christianity in Japan essentially had ended, and the Christian church appeared eliminated. For more than two centuries, Christianity was a proscribed religion. In 1858, missionaries were permitted again. They discovered, to their astonishment, that a remnant of believers had maintained the faith .
From that time until the end of World War II in 1945, Christian movements in Japan walked a tightrope between their own religious beliefs and governmental demands. Today, the number of Christians in Japan is small, but the Christian influence, particularly around Christmas, glows brightly.
Elisabeth Van Mullekom-Cserep owns a Nativity museum in Horsley Park, NSW. Australia. Email: arnold@zeta org au
Dear Readers,
Summer usually is a time of the year, as it was a time in our lives, when everything seems possible, when it appears the world can be ours. At this season, we take the time to smell the flowers, to savor the beauty carpeting the previously barren ground. We want the lazy times of summer to last, and autumn seems light years away.
But for creche people, summer is a very busy time of year . Vendors are seeking out new and interesting Nativities, committees are planning Nativity exhibits, and some of us start wondering why we put away all those Nativity sets when we're soon going to have to take them out again, and where are we going to find additional space now that we have acquired one more set.
This year has become special for the Friends of the Creche. Their first convention takes place in November : 2001, A Creche Odyssey. With high pride in the extraordinary presenters and performers scheduled, they also are excited at the prospect of meeting kindred souls .
So, summer 200 l is a time to enjoy the world outdoors, and once in a while to contemplate the joys of Christmas that are to come.
Be sure to send us dates , times, locations, and contact information of your Christmas events for our Fall issue
Rita B. Bacher, Publisher
CARING FOR OLIVE WOOD NATIVITIES
by Iyad Khoury
The olive trees are evergreens growing around the Mediterranean. They have been known to live for many years, and sometimes, one can fmd a gnarled old tree that natives claim was alive during the time of Jesus.
Olive trees frequently are mentioned in the Bible. Their fruit and its oils long have been a staple of the Mediterranean diet. Their branches have been the symbol of peace for thousands of years.
Ornamental objects are made from the olive wood when the fruit of the trees can no longer be harvested. At that time, the trees are cut, and the wood is dried and cured. Carvings are made from the trimmings.
Olive wood is heavy and dense with an extremely varying grain. Matching the grain of two pieces is difficult as the pattern is completely hidden in the heart of the wood. Each piece really has its own personality.
Olive wood finishes vary to suit everyone's taste. To change the luster on a piece, or to maintain the existing luster, simply sand the wood gently with 320 grid or 500 grid sandpaper, and apply your favorite fmish using a polishing cloth. For better defmition of the wood's grain, use beeswax to rub over the sanded areas. For a high luster fmish, use a semi-gloss polishing oil or lacquer. lyad Khoury heads Carvings International, San Jose, California, specializing in Holy Land olive wood objects. New for 2001 - Beautiful 4-piece nativity from Russia. CR-673, $270.00. (Joseph 6" tall.)
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This charming Precious Moments Nativity by Enesco with six permanently attached figurines is from award-winning artist, Sam Butcher. Created of high quality bisque porcelain, and accented with birds, delicate flowers, and a crystal star, the Nativity is exclusive with GoCollect.com in an extremely limited edition of 3,000. $375.00 Visit www.GoCollect.com today to purchase.
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and originality Contact us for information on our wide variety of hand-crafted items from Russia, Armenia, and Romania. Call toll-free 800-639-4309 or e-mail vrtc@volgarivertrading.com Volga River Trading Company 6 Berry St., Burlington, VT 05401 www.volgarivertrading.coni
RESEARCHER DISCOVERS 7m CENTURY CHINESE MADONNA AND CHILD
News of the Far East reached Europe most probably through the writings of Marco Polo, that intrepid I 3th century traveler from Venice. In the J(J1h century, Jesuit missionaries reached China, amidst tales that Christians had been there before them. Had Marco Polo really seen Christian missionaries in the court of the Kublai Khan in the I 3th century? Few traces existed ofsuch stories.
Then, in I 623, workmen, digging not far from what is now Xian, the ancient T'ang dynasty capital ofChang'an, uncovered a black granular stone more than nine feet tall. The stone, inscribed in Chinese characters, showed a design at the top centering around a cross rising from a lotus blossom. Those characters proclaimed "A Monument Commemorating the Propagation of the Ta-ch'in (Syrian) Luminous Religion in China. " They were written in the seventh century at the beginning of the T'ang Dynasty (618-907), often referred to as the golden age ofChina.
The inscription referred to "a virtuous man named A/open" who carried the true Sutras with him, and pinpointing the date of his arrival as the ninth year of the Chen-Kuan period, or 635. Three years later, in 638, the emperor, T'ai-tsung issued an edict of toleration which specifically granted approval to the propagation of Christianity throughout the empire. The first Christian church was built in that year at the capital Chang'an.
In a pagoda in central China, near Xian, where the famous terra cotta soldiers stand at the ready, Martin Palmer, a scholar of Chinese and world religions, has found what he believes is a seventh century statue of Mary and the Christ Child. They were uncovered at Da Qin pagoda, in the oldest surviving remains of the Christian Church in China. More than 13 centuries ago, the figures were named Mo Yan and Ye Su, Mary and Jesus, by their T'ang dynasty followers.
The stucco statue, the earliest Nativity scene found in China, depicts what is called Sheng Dan Jie, Sacred or Holy Birth Festival. Palmer believes that the statue lends substance to even earlier Chinese Christian texts known as the Jesus Sutras. The Sutras tell of the birth, life, teachings, death and resurrection of Ye Su.
The Annunciation is described as follows:
"So God caused the Cool Breeze to come upon a chosen young woman called Mo Yan, who had no husband, and she became pregnant. The whole world saw this, and understood what God had wrought. The power of God is such that it can create a bodily spirit and lead to the clear, pure path of compassion.
"Mo Yan gave birth to a boy and called him Ye Su, who is the Messiah and whose father is the Cool Breeze. Some people claimed they could not understand how this was possible, and said that if the Cool Breeze had made Mo Yan conceive, then such a child must have been created at the bottom of the world."
The Nativity sutra then continues:
"If the Emperor sends a command, all loyal citizens must obey it. God looks down in compassion from Heaven, and controls everything in Heaven and Earth. When Ye Su the
Messiah was born, the whole world saw a bright mystery in the Heavens. Everybody saw from their homes a star as big as a wagon wheel. This mysterious light shone over the place where God was to be found, for at this time, the One was born in the city of Wen Li Shi Ke (Jerusalem) in the orchard of Bu DeLan (Bethlehem)."
It appears the texts were written and translated into Chinese from about 635 onwards, when the earliest Christian missionaries arrived in that country. At that time, they were welcomed by the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. In their attempt to convert China, early missionaries absorbed some of the iconography at the heart of other Chinese religions.
At the same time, Palmer suggests, some of the Christian iconography got absorbed into the Chinese. For example, prior to the I 0th century, the statues of the Bodhisattva (deity) of Compassion, Guanyin, widely worshiped in China, had been shown as a male image; after the I 0th century, Guanyin shifts to being a female figure, wearing a white robe and holding a child, similar to Mary and Jesus. These statues appeared in areas where the Christians of the Church of the East had settled and thus influenced Buddhism.
The Jesus Sutras, translated by Palmer, will be published in 2002.
Martin Palmer is at the Alliance of Religions and Conservation in Manchester, United Kingdom.
CRECHE CONVENTION ALERT
Is there a Nativity too many in your collection? Are there some figures that are like new that have not quite found a home? Are you trying to make room for some new Nativities but don't quite have the space?
Those are all good reasons to bring your items to the Friends of the Creche Convention. You could offer them for the consignment sale or, if they're very valuable, you could have them auctioned off. You might even want to offer them for the drawings that will be held if you notify us soon enough. Be sure to let us know ahead of time.
The Friends of the Creche will keep 25% of the sale price of items on consignment. For the auction, if desired, items may be donated with no compensation given to the seller and no premium taken from the buyer; otherwise, FOTC will take a 10% seller's and 10% buyer's premium on auctioned items. Items submitted for the drawings are considered donations and will not be compensated.
Mini-mart tables are $15. Items must be Christmas related, and more than half must be Nativity related.
Do you have news clips of a Nativity exhibit in which you participated or 4"x 6" or 5" x 7" photos of your Nativities? We're planning to have a bulletin board where you can pin them. Just one or two please as we'll try to get in as many as possible. Remember to put your name and address on the back, and please collect them at the end of the convention.
Registration for the convention is $150 per person. If bringing a spouse or other guest, you must pay registration fee for that person. Fee includes two meals, The Miracle of Christmas musical, reception at the National Christmas Center, exciting presentations, refreshments, exhibits, entertainment. Send to Friends of the Creche, 117 Crosshill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511.
The convention hotel is the Eden Resort Inn and Conference Center, 222 Eden Road, Lancaster, PA 17601.Tel: 717-569-6444; fax: 717-569-4208. Email: eden@edenresort.com. When contacting the hotel, ask for the special Friends of the Creche room rate. Please register for the convention and reserve your hotel room as soon as possible. Response has been extraordinary.
NATIVITY RELATED EVENTS FOR OUR FALL ISSUE-Send
date, time, location, contact information, fees, if any. Write or email Creche Herald.
FRIENDS OF THE CRECHE NOTES
Dear Friends of the Creche,
We are only a few months away from the first ever national convention devoted to the celebration of the tradition of the creche. Many ofus are working very hard to make this premier event for our barely year-old organization enjoyable for all.
As you have discovered, the convention includes a wide range of programs, entertainment, and activities. We will have presentations by scholars, artisans, and collectors. We will have musical events ranging from a theatrical production to a sing-along. We will have an auction, minimart, drawing, exhibits, and videos. There will be a reception and social hour. You can tum your attendance into a mini-vacation with tours of the lovely Pennsylvania Dutch country as well as going on to places like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., or New York City
If you haven't yet decided to join us in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in November, I urge you to give it serious consideration. This is an unique opportunity for those who love creches to meet others with the same interest.
I do realize that not everyone can travel to the convention, and that brings me to the other point I want to raise in this letter to you. We are a new society, anxious to be successful and appealing. While we anticipate that FOTC's major event will be a national convention held periodically, we also want to be a resource for the history of the creche, publications, and exhibits, and a stimulus for more creche exhibitions throughout the country.
In doing these things, we hope to serve the interests of FOTC members. However, many of you no doubt, have additional interests that you would like FOTC to pursue. Please contact us by letter through Creche Herald, or email me with your thoughts for a dynamic society.
As members of the Board, we have laid the groundwork for our creche society in the belief that there are many ofus who want to share in the enjoyment of the creche tradition. However, FOTC's success is in your hands as much as ours. The more you seek to participate through communicating your ideas, sharing your information, volunteering for FOTC activities, and supporting our efforts through your membership fee, the more vibrant and dynamic FOTC will be.
So, please accept this invitation to participate in developing YOUR FOTC society!
Jim Govan, Chair
Email: JimGovan@aol.com
CRECHE EXHIBIT FOSTERS PEACE IN HOLY LAND
by John L. Peterson
The shocking reports coming from Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala in the last months of2000 brought me much personal grief and concern. How could it be that in the millennium year, the 2000 th anniversary of the Prince of Peace, a Jubilee Year, could be shattered by the strife and violence faced by the local church and mosque day by day.
Several years ago, I met with the then Mayor of Bethlehem, Elias Freij. I shared with him the desire of the Anglican Communion to make a strong presence of a global nature in Manger Square. The Mayor was pleased with the idea, but the means to do so eluded us. Then, after leaving St. George's College, Jerusalem, where I was Dean, I moved to London to head the Anglican Communion Office; the Anglican Communion comprises 73 million Anglicans/Episcopalians living in over 160 countries. I kept thinking of a way that we, as an international church, could express solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this troubled land.
The announcement of the Swedish government's commitment to build a Peace Center in Manger Square and the support of the new Mayor of Bethlehem, Hanna Nasser, enabled this Christmas crib exhibit to happen. Over a two year period, support came from many sources, especially Phoebe Griswold, Ann Robertson, and Barbara Payne, wives of leading Episcopal church Bishops in the United States who coordinated international efforts to secure the Nativity sets. Cases were made at St. George's College in Jerusalem with funds raised by Rev. P. Hamilton Fuller of North Carolina.
Finally, the Christmas Crib Exhibition from around the Anglican Communion opened on 26 November 2000, not in celebration, but with only a handful of brave people who literally risked their lives to come to the opening. The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, the Rt Revd Riah Hann Abu el-Assal, was joined by Armenian, Orthodox and Lutheran clergy to officially open the exhibition. Why did they come?
As Annabel Kealy, wife of the British Consul General said, "We came to show our friends in Bethlehem, that although the tourists and pilgrims have fled, we want to be with you."
What did they see? Cribs from South America, Philippines, Singapore, and a host of other countries, including a set in the likeness of the English Chaucer characters given by the Archbishop of Canterbury and his wife. The collection of Libby Purves, an author and broadcaster in the United Kingdom, also was on display. Near the creche exhibit were photos of Children of the World by William F. Killough, III, a world renowned photographer from Alpine, Alabama. The photographs of children in all walks of life were selected from hundreds taken by Killough during a two-year pilgrimage to 75
countries. Killough captured the hope that he saw, but he also challenges the viewer to ensure that children are given the love, understanding, resources, and opportunities to help make tomorrow a world surrounded with peace.
Credit in Bethlehem for the exhibit goes to many, including Kealy, Karen Getman of World Vision, Samir Khayo of St. George's College, and the generous cooperation of Michel Nasser of the Municipality of Bethlehem. All have given the residents of Bethlehem, and the millions of tourists and pilgrims a chance to see that we pray for their peace, and share our belief that in Christ, the word becomes flesh to dwell with his people, especially those who are marginalized and victimized. Thus, as the body of Christ, we are there, focusing on the creativity of art and the beauty of expression in the creches.
Currently, the exhibition is looking for a permanent home in Bethlehem. The image of the Holy Family in the cave on that first Christmas brings joy and love to so many. It is our prayer that the people of Bethlehem will know that joy afresh and soon.
The Revd Canon John L. Peterson, London, United Kingdom, an Episcopal priest who lived in Jerusalem for 12 years, has seen a personal dream with international implications come true.
A catalogue, and post and greeting cards are available from The Anglican Communion, Partnership House, 157 Waterloo Road, London SEI 8UT, United Kingdom. Email: aco@anglicancommunion.org. Proceeds benefit children of Bethlehem. Armenian priests in traditional garb admire creches at the Anglican Communion's exhibit in Manger Square, Bethlehem.
FROM OUR READERS
Although I have really enjoyed all the issues of the Creche Herald, I wanted to compliment you on the most recent one (Spring 2001). The cover picture was really impressive, as were the comments on the Pamplona convention. Equally good were the articles on the Neapolitan figures and the Austrian set.
Thanks for all you do-the arrival of the Creche Herald is always a real joy for me.
Terry Jeh/ing, Jefferson City, Missouri
(Editor's note: That Spring cover photo was only one of two 1 took at the Pamplona convention. Heavy regrets later for not having taken more. RBB)
I received with greatest pleasure the first number of Creche Herald. I thank you for your kindness. Congratulations for the look of your newspaper and for the interesting letters.
Together with the cheque, I send you photos of articles made by myself in glass with Tiffany technique. I hope your readers will feel free to contact me if they would like one of my beautiful sets.
Alfredo Capelli, Via Piave 6, 40133 Bologna, Italy. Tel: 051-43-0084; Fax: 051-61-45-404
I have been in the United States since 1953. I have always built a Nativity scene. It has been a tradition in my family as far back as I can remember-way back in Pamplona, Spain, where I was born. Here, I have built them for my family, and the scene used to fill the whole porch so the neighbors also could enjoy it.
Lately, I have been building them in school so the students will get a chance to learn and love the idea. This past year, we built a Bethlehem scene about 10' x 10', and then individual scenes of different moments.
Jesus Urtasun, Riverside, New Jersey (Jesus Urtasun is scheduled to give some of his creche building secrets at the Friends of the Creche convention during the Show and Tell event)
Friends, Thanks.
Thomas McSherry, Santiago A titian. Depto. Solo/a, Guatemala ***
The Spring issue of Creche Herald has arrived. What a delight. Congratulations! What a happy "coincidence" that I picked up a copy at St. Charles Boromeo Seminary a few years ago.
Thank you for a most enjoyable and informative journal.
Julie McFerran, Vancouver, B.C. Canada
???? QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS????
Q. My sister, who lives in Barcelona, Spain, recently sent me a Nativity set. There is a figure I cannot identify. He is relieving himself, and I am embarrassed to display it. What is that all about?
A. The Christmas cribs of Spain sometimes include among the villagers in the scene, a little figure defecating. Often, he is placed behind the manger. Known familiarly as cagonet, the figure is traditional in showing life in all its realism. The birth of Jesus is depicted as talcing place in the midst of the most ordinary aspects ofhuman life, not in a sanitized setting. While the little figures are commonly seen in the creches of rural Spain or Catalunya, they also appear in the most sophisticated displays in the capital city ofMadrid.
I Creche Herald
Editor/publisher: Rita B. Bocher
Contributing editor: Mary B. Herzel
Communications: Frank B. Herzel
Office: 117 Crosshill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511 U.S.A.
Web e: www.o .net/-bocassoc/ E-mail: crecher o .net
MEET THE HEADLINERS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CRECHE CONVENTION
In the Summer and Fall 2001 issues, Creche Herald will be publishing sketches of presenters and performers at the Friends of the Creche convention November 8-10, 2001, or will feature articles by them or about them. These are people you will have a chance to meet if you attend the convention, but even if you don't go, they are creche people interesting enough to know on their own merits.
If you want to contact any of them, do so through Creche Herald The list below is in no special order.
Matthew Powell, O.P. Father Powell is the convention banquet speaker. He is Associate Professor of Theatre at Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, and has a Ph.D. in theatre history and dramatic literature from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Father Powell is the author of three books: The Christmas Creche: Treasure of Faith, Art & Theater (Pauline Books & Media); God OffBroadway: The Blackfriars Theatre of New York (Scarecrow Press), and just released, Performing Parables: Religious Folk Tales, Legends and Fables for Readers' Theatre ( Resource Publication, Inc.).
Fr. Powell's love of the creche started as a young boy when he and his mother purchased plaster Nativity figures at the local dime store. His appreciation has come to embody an acceptance of God's will and human holiness.
The Christmas Creche, a stunning "must have" for any collector, received a Catholic Press Association Award, and was reviewed in the Winter 1997 Creche Herald God Off-Broadway was nominated for the George Freedley Memorial Award of the Theatre Library Association.
Nina Asta, Fountainville, Pennsylvania. Asta will be leading the pre-banquet carol singing. Music has always been part of her life, from the piano lessons as a child to the singing lead in her high school's production of Man ofLa Mancha. Now a nurse in obstetrics at Doylestown (PA) Hospital, Asta is active in a local community group called State Street Players where she performs as a featured player in their musicals. She is a member of the Arlenies, a group specializing in humorous lyrics put to popular music.
At the convention carol sing-along, Asta will be accompanied by her daughter, Laura Mellor, a music major at West Chester University (PA) and three of Laura's classmates who will lend harmonizing to the carols.
Holly Zenger, Midway, Utah. Zenger will be offering the fine points and critical steps in installing a successful exhibit. Creche collecting is Zenger's hobby and her passion. She has an extensive personal collection that ranges from a near life-sized Fontanini Nativity to an 1/8" charm, although she claims her favorite is a photo showing 26 grandchildren (of 34) in Biblical dress portraying the Holy Family, Wise Men and Women, and angels. Several of her Nativities served as the illustrations in The Christmas Creche, a book by Elaine Cannon.
Zenger has been involved in setting up nearly twenty
Interfaith creche exhibits in California and Utah, and has been consulted by other exhibitors around the country. Last year, about 23,000 people attended her exhibits in Utah alone.
Wallace Bronner, Frankenmuth, Michigan. Bronner is one of those people who probably needs no introduction. He, with his wife, Irene, is the founder of what is today the world's largest Christmas store, BRONNER'S CHRISTmas WONDERLAND. The Bronner family business employs 450 full-time and part-time personnel in the creation, design, distribution, and importation of decorations from around the world.
"Edu-tainer" Wally is a much sought-after keynote and motivational speaker at over 250 events annually. His achievements have been a frequent subject of national and international television, radio, and print stories. He often refers to himself as someone with a hobby in decorations and displays, which he enjoyed to the point that he never went to work.
In 1992, the store erected a replica of the Silent Night Memorial Chapel of Oberndorf, Austria, on its grounds. For his role in fostering appreciation of the famous Christmas carol, Bronner was awarded a Silver Medallion of Honor by the Government of Salzburg, Austria.
Michael Stumpf Nativities are sought out by collectors around the globe. Some of his designs are reproduced and sold through exclusive licensing agreements. Now working with an associate, Todd Parlee, Stumph has made Navidad Heirloom Nativities available at galleries and shops.
Stumpf did not start out creating Christmas sets. Following a college stint and four years as a Navy photographer, he went into banking, rising from teller to Executive Vice President of Operations only eight years after he had started. At the same time, he pursued his love of the fine arts as a serious painter.
In 1988, Stumpf started his own advertising business, which today numbers more than 150 clients. His new interactive technologies division, Market-Linx International, provides web design and support services.
Stumpfs passion for the Nativity started as a youngster, but he began selling his custom creches only about six years ago. At the convention he will be sharing some of his secrets in creating his unique Nativity structures. One of his handcrafted custom creches appears on the back cover.
MEXICAN ARTIST CONTINUES FAMILY TRADITION
by Mary Herzel
Josefina Aguilar is an artist of folk art pottery who works in her sunny patio in Octolan de Morelos, Mexico, near the city of Oaxaca. Born to a family of indigenous Zapotec potters, she animates clay with human emotions. She was just a young girl in the 1960s when Nelson Rockefeller, a folk art collector, arrived in her village and bought up her work. Now, her fame has spread.
My husband, Frank, and I had taken the second class bus from Oaxaca. When the bus rumbled to a stop near a large adobe house, we stepped out into another world. We entered Josefina's house through a wall, above which perched a large Nacimiento or Nativity. The colors were faded from the passage of many years, but the striking clay figures caught our attention.
Inside the patio, Josefina sat in a shaded comer. She sat like her mother and grandmother before her on the cold cement floor, legs doubled up under her. Wearing an embroidered native dress, her long black hair pulled back from her ruddy face, she greeted us in her soft Spanish. We, in tum, responded in the same language.
"I learned the art of sculpturing from my parents, especially from my mother," she explained. Like most women of her generation, Josefina's mother could neither read nor write. "My father, Jesus, usually signed the pieces she did with his name."
A large lump of clay and a pan of water rested near the artist. She stared at Frank as she spoke and started modeling. Josefina's dark eyes sparkled as she told us that as a child she watched her parents model large clay pots for household use when not farming. As more tourists came to Oaxaca, the family switched from creating objects for domestic use to decorative art.
"I was eight years old when I shaped my frrst Nacimiento. That December," she boasted, "my Nacimiento was placed on the family altar." Now, Josefina, 58 years old, married, adds, "When each ofmy babies came, I would strap the infant to my back with a rebozo (scarf) and I would continue with my fingers to create with the clay."
Holding a maguey thorn, she now began to etch lines of a face on the figure she was modeling. "To me, the facial expression is the most important. I try to capture the soul."
As Frank and I looked around the large patio, we saw that it was not only an art studio and a market place with tables of gayly colored figures and Nativity sets, it also was the center of family life, a veritable beehive of activity. Each family member participated with a specific task. Several of her married children, seated on the ground, painted the fired figures with bright blue, green, and magenta. A daughter-in-law pushed a baby on a swing. Another daughter-in-law washed dishes in an outside sink. Her mother-in-law cooked tortillas on a small open fire. "I love my family and living all around them," commented
Josefina when noticing our stares.
A small cat chased a baby chicken near a pile of clay. Josefina's husband, Jose, smiled at the scene. "I dug that clay in a nearby quarry," he explained. "Then I transported it here in plastic bags in a pickup truck." The clay was then sun dried, ground, and mixed with water to a proper consistency. "I trample the clay with my bare feet to knead it," he said, "just like trampling grapes for wine."
Josefina, picking up another small piece of clay and adding it to the figure she was making, interrupted, "Even when I sleep, I dream of ideas in my imagination."
Josefina's work is inspired by the world around her, her religion, and her traditions. Unlike some Mexican ceramists, this artist makes everything by hand, the traditional way, without the use of molds. Her aim is not to make a fortune, but to capture the beauty and the emotions of the people around her. Her reward is the happiness she sees in others when they receive her pieces.
As Josefina stood up in her bare feet, she handed her completed clay figure to Frank. To our amazement, the little man resembled Frank, frozen in time. The face had a sensitive expression; the hat, eyeglasses, beard, wristwatch, and the hands holding a camera were Frank. It was easy to see why Josefina had won many awards in Mexico and in the United States.
Josefina's sculpture of Frank occupies an honored place in the Herzel home near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
These colorful Magi and Holy Family figures were lovingly crafted in her home patio by Josefina Aguilar, Oaxaca, Mexico.
STAGE AN ADVENT MUSICAL IN YOUR CHURCH
Like Winter Waiting by John Foley, S.J., is a beautiful and touching Advent concert or musical for your church or school to stage. The characters from scripture sing the story of their Advent waiting and hoping. The work can be presented either as an Advent concert featuring the church choir, some soloists, a piano, and perhaps other instruments, or as a musical play with costumed actors.
Some characters, such as Gabriel and the Innkeeper can be played by either men or women. The author says Gabriel is "intrigued with the earth and especially time." His Innkeeper is a study in contrasts of a self assured "bigot" and the "gnawing quiet doubt about the cruelty of his/her actions." Other roles are equally appealing, from Joseph who has the "difficulty that any new husband has in understanding his mate" to Elizabeth, "a very hardy 80year-old, used to putting up with Zach."
The Director's edition, with full score is $24 95. For those who just want to hear the work performed, a CD, with song booklet, is available at $16.95.
To order: OCP Publications, PO Box 18030, Portland, OR 97218-0030. 1-800-548-8749 or liturgy@ocp.org;.
United Nations Association
GLOBAL 61FfS
Plan to attend the exciting annual Fall Nativity show at this unique folkart shop just a half hour from central Los Angeles . Meet collectors who display their own creches and share fascinating adventures Free
One-of-a-kind Nativities from places as diverse as Panama, Vietnam, Venezuela, Russia, and Africa See a rare Huichol Indian creche coated In tiny beads from Central America. Entirely volunteer staffed, the shop sends a large share of profits to UNICEF projects worldwide.
529 W. 711 Street San Pedro, CA 90731
STOP IN OR CU.L 310-548-1762
NATIVITY ANGELS HELP THE HOMELESS
Judy Crenshaw and Nora Howells have nine years behind them ofhelping the homeless by means ofa Nativity exhibit. Through their efforts, No Room at the Inn, an annual event they started, has contributed $55,300 to eleven shelters of Ventura County, California. Last year alone, $9500 was collected.
Visitors are asked for a donation of $3. The group's big moneymaker is a $15 cocktail gala held opening night.
Each year, the venue changes. In 2001, the event will take place December 7,8,9 at St. Mary Magdalen Church 25 Las Posas, Camarillo. The gala is December 7. Earlier that afternoon, visitors with special physical needs are welcomed for a separate showing so they can enjoy the show without the crowds. A founding member, Tina Shepherd, who had a blind mother, gives special tours to the blind, permitting them to handle some figures.
The idea of No Room at the Inn began with a dream . Judy Crenshaw and Huw and Nora Howells wanted to share their Nativities with others, and help the less fortunate. In July 1993, Huw succumbed to his battle with cancer. Shortly after his death, Nora resolved that, as a memorial to her husband, she would make his dream come true. That December, the first No Room at the Inn Nativity display opened. Inquiries to duplicate the event have come from 23 states and Germany.
For those looking for a gift for the person who has everything, you may make a donation to No Room at the Inn in honor of that special person. The website is www.noroom.org or email: KCren95335@aol.com
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Creche Herald subscription information
Annual rate: $15; Canada/Mexico: US $18
Other countries: US$20
Enclose check or money order payable to Creche Herald Mail to: Creche Herald, 117 Crosshill Road Wynnewood, PA 19096-3S11 U.S.A.
Be sure to include name, address, telephone, e-mail.
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PRAYER
We thank You, our Lord, that this angels' song is not the experience only of solitary seekers after God, nor the achievement of some rare soul, but a happening in the lives of humble men and women , weighed down by everyday cares and drawing closer to one another for strength and comfort.
From Christmas is Today, a book about the holiday by Catherine Williams Herzel (NY: World Publishing, 1971)
A View Into The Hills .... A project by T.
Sam Parrish
I made this project using Mexican felt dolls found in a flea market, although it works well with other figures.
Supplies needed :
2 large wood boards for base and background
2 wooden comer brackets
2 smaller wood pieces for stable foreground and shelf
2 metal comer brackets and wood screws
Screws or trigger-feed glue gun
Felt: green or brown
"Worry dolls"
Gold paper for halos and wings
Twigs, pine cones to trim stable
1 large star and lots of small ones (buttons work here)
Props, such as fake flowers, earring backs for halos, etc
Paint. Craft stores have folk art paints.
1. Use large boards/ brackets to make background and base
2. Use the two smaller boards to form a foreground and shelf Cut a large hole out of the upright board to form a window. Attach the boards with the metal comer brackets.
3. Paint the ground and sky. Trim the window.
4. Cut the felt into hill shapes and glue on background in back of the window. Make sure "hills" are wider than the window so that you see hills from any angle. Attach halos and wings to "worry dolls" and place in background for shepherds and angels.
5. Pose figures, and attach with glue gun. Attach props and decorations with glue gun.
Contact T. Sam Parrish at crecheandcross@mindspring.com. Her website, www.crecheandcross com is being relocated. She is an artist in New York City .
Carvings International is an exclusive distributor of unique gifts. We bring you the best selection of carvings from all over the world for all occasions. Choose from a great collectible selection of:
- Collectible Nativity sets, Creches, Christmas Ornaments and Figurines - Hand Carved in the Holy Land
- Crosses, Crucifixes and Rosaries
- Candleholders and Vases
- Jewelry Boxes, Brooches and Necklaces
- Statues and many more unique gifts.
Lydia, the 2001 Special Event figure from Fontanini® Heirloom Nativities, exclusively by Roman, Inc. 5" h Handpainted resin. Roman, Inc will donate $10,000 from sales of this figure to Second Harvest, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief group . 1-800-Say Roman or www.Roman.com for nearest dealer.
A one-of-a-kind custom creche designed and handcrafted by Michael Stumpf, Navidad Heirloom Nativities,L.P., Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Shown here with carved wood figures. Tel: 215-345-7040, email: mjstumpf@market-linx.com.
SILENTNIGHTMANUSCRIPTFOUND by
Bill Egan
A Silent Night manuscript by Reverend Josef Mohr, who wrote the original words to this world-renowned carol, was discovered in Salzburg, Austria, in 1995 The discovery of this manuscript is of special significance as it is one of the earliest known versions, and the only one known to have been set down on paper by Mohr. While there are several arrangements of the carol by Franz Gruber who wrote the music, the original 1818 version is still missing.
The existence of the Mohr work was unknown until a volunteer at Salzburg's Carolino Augusteum Museum casually mentioned to her boss, Renate Ebeling-Winkler, that she had a framed handwritten manuscript at home. "I was shocked and had to sit down," said Mrs. Winkler. "It was difficult to believe that something like this would appear after so many years."
The hymn was created on December 24, 1818, when Franz X. Gruber added music to the poem, Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! which Mohr had penned two years earlier.
Many sentimental anecdotal stories have arisen around the carol. One claims that Mohr wrote the words on Christmas Eve 18 I 8 as a guitar-accompanied carol for Midnight Mass because the organ at St. Nicholas' Church in Obemdorf was not working. Others have attributed the melody to Hayden, Mozart, or even Beethoven.
The newly found manuscript bears the signature of Josef Mohr, in the lower left hand comer, followed by the numerals, 1816. That shows he wrote the lyrics before his assignment to the church in Obemdorf. In 1816, the young curate, Mohr, was still assigned to a pilgrim church in Mariapfarr in the southern area of Salzburg.
When, in 1820, Mohr wrote this particular arrangement of the carol, he placed the words, "Melodie von Fr. Xav. Gruber," in the upper right hand comer. That would tend to satisfy any doubts as to who wrote the music to the world famous song.
The St. Nicholas Church in Obemdorf was tom down early in the 20 th century, but presently a Silent Night Memorial Chapel and Museum is located over the site. Every year on December 24, at 5 p m., a special service is conducted here which ends with a rendition of Silent Night in its original format.
South of the city of Salzburg is the charming medieval town of Hallein where the Franz Gruber Museum is located in his former home. His grave is in the courtyard of the church where he was choir director. In the ski hamlet of Wagrain , one can attend services in the church where Mohr preached. His grave lies in the churchyard across from the Josef Mohr school.
Bill Egan , Fl agler, Florida, is a Christmas historian, with special interest in the Silent Night carol