Creche Herald -VY (SS >OV 3V]L 6^U VY *VSSLJ[ *YLJOLZ Vol. 19, No. 4
The Newsletter of the Christmas Nativity
Winter 2015/2016
On the cover, Nativity window from nave of Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Mary in Cologne Germany.
From the Editor Mike: My fondest greetings for a most blessed Christmas season and a peaceful New Year. In this issue, one might say we are saying “let the sunshine in” or more properly so, “Behold, Christ the Light of the world!” In Matthew, it is said, “those that have sat in darkness, have seen a great light.” With that in mind, we are highlighting a few beautiful examples of the nativity scene as done in stained glass from all over the world, both in traditional and more modern forms. Also we have some suggestions for viewing some creche related activities here and abroad during the Christmas season and throughout 2016. It will be a great creche year with the World Crib Congress in Italy and our own meeting near Charleston. Be sure to save those dates. Just a reminder that if you are a subscriber to the Creche Herald and have not yet become a member of Friends of the Creche, this will sadly be your last issue. Not to worry, though, there is still time to become a member by writing soon to our membership chairperson, Marilynn Gillespie at the address found in the subscription block. In conclusion, one of our members, Deacon Ed Gronkiewicz wishes to thank all of you for your prayers and cards during his sixth month stay in rehab following surgery. Mike
Creche Herald Founding Editor & Publisher:
Here & There During theChristmas Season Our friend Mark Gilligan suggests that we consider a look at one of the two Neapolitan creches currently on view in the Midwest. One is on display at the Milwaukee Museum of Art. This creche is much smaller but similar in style to the Angel Tree nativity on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. There is also now one on view during the Christmas season at the Art Institute of Chicago that was so wonderfully described to us by Sylvain Bellenger at our meeting in Chicago last November. Going further south, Mark also suggests a trip to the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina during the holidays. There you will find a wonderful old Spanish nativity on display in the Tapestry Gallery. The Creche is not part of the Vanderbilt collection but purchased especially for the holiday display there over thirty years ago from Mazolini Art craft. The creche was made in Olot, Spain, near the base of the Pyrenees. The figures themselves are less ornate and more folkloric than found in other areas of Spain but are known for accurately displaying life at the time of Jesus in these wood paste figures. The setting is changed each season to coordinate with the floral display and theme used. In 2014, for instance, it was centered in front of a Flemish tapestry called the “Faith” tapestry that is part of the triumph of the “Seven Virtues” tapestry displayed there.
If you wish to venture even further, our Swiss friends, Hannes and Cornelia Epprecht suggest the following for the creche lover in all of us. Near Trier, the House of Creches in Klusserath and der Mosel run by the Klusserath Friends of the Creche has some box creches and dioramas dating from the 19th century. On the Belgian/German Border is the Ars Krippana (difficult to reach save by auto) is a nice museum also with lots of dioramas. In and around Cologne, except at Carnival time when most are closed for the season, the Cologne Friends of the Creche organize over one hundred nativity stations to see by bus and bicycle. These stations are in churches, museums and even window shops. During Christmas market time, there is a marvelous creche on display adjacent to the famed Cologne cathedral. Between the border of Switzerland and Germany, in Stein am Rheine, just north of Zurich airport, is a museum worth a creche lover’s time. Always check for opening times as some are seasonal. In Waldbreitbach/Wied, there is a museum that proclaims itself as the world’s largest nativity museum. Though it might live up to its claim as the largest, the display leaves much to be desired. (MW)
Rita B. Bocher Editor: Michael Whalen Contributing Editor: Mary Bonaccorsi Herzel Graphic Designer: James Brack 117 Crosshill Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511 U.S.A. Editorial email: crecheguy@att.net Printed by Valley Press Bala Cynwyd, PA
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Outside Cathedral in Cologne
Neapolitan creche at Milwaukee Museum of Art
Creche Herald
“Come Let us Adore Him” An invitation to Bergamo, Italy by Pier Luigi Bombelli
There it will be possible to register and find all information and costs pertaining to the Congress and pay directly with credit cards. The registration fee for the International Congress is €130,00 up to 31 December 2015, and will rise to €150.00 for bookings made from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016 and includes:
A creche display in Bergamo, Italy
Almost thirty years after the last held in Italy, the Italian Association of Friends of the Crib has been chosen to host again the World Crib Congress in October of 2016. This is open to all members of the International Federation of Associations Presepistiche, or Un-Foe-Prae for short... Held for the first time in Rome in 1954, this event takes place every four years in one of the twenty member countries who make up the (Un.Foe.Prae.) In addition to Rome, Naples hosted in 1970 and Genoa in 1988. Madrid, Spain welcomed Un Foe Prae members in 1992 as did Pamplona in 2000. The Czech Republic in Hradec Kralove in 2004 was host city as was, Augsburg, Germany in 2008 and Innsbruck, Austria in 2012. The next International Congress will be held in the city of Bergamo, from the 19th to 25th of October 2016, and will bring together creche, collectors, enthusiasts and fans of the noble art of the Nativity from all over the world. Bergamo is a two hour train trip from Venice, ninety minutes from Florence, and one hour from Milan all with many opportunities for pre or post trips to the Congress. All of the local crib societies welcome this opportunity to show the joy and pride and to share their passion for the art of nativity scenes and to promote the cultural heritage found throughout the country widely regarded as the cradle of art especially in regard to the nativity scene. Since 2010, we have undertaken, in the city of Bergamo and its province, a number of initiatives of high artistic and cultural value, aimed at the International Congress of the Friends of the Crib in 2016, so that the city and the whole district can be informed of this prestigious event. It will be a unique opportunity to promote internationally the many diverse creches found in the territory of Bergamo and Lombardy in general. Registration for the Congress will be open from April 2015 to June 30, 2016 on the exclusive website created for the Congress that is: www.veniteadoremus2016.it Winter 2015/2016
The entrance to the market and to all the exhibitions held in the city of Bergamo; Speaking guides (English, Spanish, German and Italian); Simultaneous translation during the opening ceremony, the conference and the General Assembly; Spiritually uplifting performance Gala dinner with bus transportation; Special publication dedicated to the event; Folder for all documents. Meals (except the gala dinner), excursions to see the cribs, and overnight stay charges are of course not included in the registration fee. On the website of the event, all those planning to attend will be able to see a list of hotels and restaurants, so that each participant will be free to book according to your needs and their own interests. The price of the excursions to see the cribs is €25.00 each, and includes bus transportation and admission to the exhibition sites (meal not included). We hope that this important event can be an opportunity for all creche lovers to meet and discuss as friends from around the world their passion for the crib as Faith, Art and Culture. Benvenuto
Creche Herald subscription information
Membership in Friends of the Creche includes receiving the Creche Herald. Published four times yearly. To become a member please send check payable to Friends of the Creche $35 for USA addresses or $40 in US dollars (addresses outside USA) Mail to: F OTC Membership/Marilynn Gillespie 7564 South 2020 East South Weber, UT 84405 U.S.A. Be sure to include name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. 3
Bergamo, Italy, to Host the 2016 International Creche Convention By Rita B. Bocher
Creche lovers attending the 2016 International Creche Convention October 19 to 25 in northern Italy will see Italian craftsmanship at its finest. In Bergamo itself are four major exhibits: one dedicated to Nativity dioramas, one for the cribs themselves, one for very large displays and one dedicated to the sculptors. Very importantly there will be a major Nativity market in the city. And to add to the feast, attendees can visit exhibits in other parts of this spectacular region, including a museum in fabulous Lake Garda. But what is Bergamo, the convention city, like? Below are my impressions from two different visits. Bergamo is like a two tiered wedding cake — two distinct cities — one at the top of the hill, the other at Bergamo diorama the base, joined by stairways, a winding road and a funicular that take you to one part or the other. The upper city, Citta’ Alta, the older of the two, originally was a fortress settlement from about the 9th century B.C. In the 15th century, its natural defensive posture and steepness of grade attracted the conquering Venetians who began the construction of the massive walls which still ring the Upper City. Bergamo Alta retains its Medieval/Renaissance flavor. Streets paved with small rounded cobblestones make walking in other than comfortable flat shoes or sneakers a challenge. During my visit in April 2015, I noticed that women wearing fashionable footwear frequently tended to hobble after a very short distance. Foot discomfort, however, did not compromise anyone’s pleasure of enjoying the city. Needless to say, restaurants of all sizes and in all price ranges are plentiful and usually good. Risotto, a creamy rice dish, is a popular staple. For myself, for lunch, I opted for an interesting pizza from one of the many bakeries and for dinner, stopped at an outdoor café. And who could ignore the delectable pastry shops whose windows displayed stunning examples of the pasticcere or confectioner’s art. Intrepid motorists negotiated their way through major roadways, although vehicular traffic frequently is off limits through the historic area during the day; parking anywhere is its own headache and public transportation is popular. 4
The Upper City also boasts the historical monuments including the Civic Tower (Campanone), the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Palazzo della Ragione near the Civic Tower, the Baptistery, and the Colleoni Chapel commissioned as the ultimate “selfie” monument by Bartolomeo Colonna who had an apse of the Basilica demolished in order to build his own tomb. Bergamo Alta is definitely a tourist town. Crowds of sightseers are everywhere: visiting the monuments, pausing to admire the street actors, eating a gelato while walking, enjoying an espresso at a sidewalk café. Lower Bergamo, Citta’ Bassa, is an enjoyable but less intimate tourist experience. Begun in the 18th century, it is any modern city: street cars, bus stops, lots of vehicles, smooth sidewalks, traffic lights; modern looking buildings. Some of the functions of the UN-FOE-PRAE Congress will take place in the Lower City, particularly the Donizetti Theatre for group presentations. There are those citizens of Bergamo who access the upper and the lower cities on foot through a vast network of stairways and lanes that connect the two tiers; however, I opted to use the funicular, or take advantage of a car ride when available. The funicular between the two parts of the city runs frequently and should be experienced at least once when visiting.
Creche Herald
STAINED GLASS NATIVITIES: The light of Christ shatters the darkness By Mike Whalen
Glass has been around since Egypt and even before, but not until the 12th century did the beauty and artistry of the stained glass window reach new heights in the Gothic style of architecture. For once, the walls supporting the ceilings of basilicas and churches allowed for very large openings to allow light to pass unlike the prior Romanesque style with heavy walls needed to support the roof. Most scholars agree that with the cathedral at Chartres in France, the art of stained glass soared as the ceilings themselves in many of the large cathedrals of Europe, especially in France and Germany such as in the Cologne cathedral from which comes our cover for this issue. The golden era of the stained glass window was rather short lived as the gothic style itself disappearing in the middle of the thirteen century. The windows of other places such as Canterbury and St. Denis cathedrals were able to lift and transcend the drudgery of everyday life to a place beyond of exquisite beauty and light. Though the Old Testament and the Life of Christ, especially His birth, provided many opportunities for the subject matter of stained glass windows, their initial purpose was of course a visual catechism for those who could not read or write. After this period, attempts to copy or revive this glorious work was scattered at best and even in America, Tiffany and Co are noted for their contribution of making an art with light. In the beginning of using the Nativity as the subject for stained glass windows, artists used classic icon type poses to show the Baby Jesus in what appears to be a stable. A clean break from this type of portrayal came in the fifteenth century as is seen in a window at the Ulm Cathedral in which the mundane of the workaday world is blended with the divine in the telling of God made man event that is the Nativity. The separation between the sacred and the profane was lessening. One thing quite common in many Nativity stained glass windows it the portrayal of the Christ Child as a little adult. Much discussion has surrounded this curiosity, whether it be lack of skill on the part of the artist or more so a theological issue of portraying the Son of God in so tiny a fashion. A good example of stained glass telling the whole story can be seen in a window of the Canterbury cathedral in England where the Virgin Mary sits on a regal throne with wise men to her left and shepherds to her right. This Winter 2015/2016
melds the whole nativity event into one time as surely the shepherds and the wise men visited the Christ child at different times and even celebrated as separate events on the church calendar, namely December 25 through January 6. Of special note about this glass window is that the gold of the wise men is represented with white glass as silver stain had not yet been used to represent gold in the thirteenth century. In America, at the Bethlehem chapel of the Washington Cathedral in D.C may be found four lancets in the Epiphany window showing the Magi dressed in regal robes and done by Thomas Kempe and Co. of London. In term of complexity and completeness relating to the Nativity, the Life of Christ window at Chartres cathedral boasts nearly fourteen panels of a twenty five panel window covering the event from the birth of Christ to the slaughter of the Holy Innocents and Flight into Egypt. For those who would like to learn more, a wonderful now out of print book called, Nativity in Stained Glass with text from the Bible by Philip Ives is still available through sights like Amazon and even has some detachable translucent pages that can be removed and set in windows to more fully appreciate the wonder of the nativity as seen in these windows.
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Old German stained glass window (Photo courtesy of: Creative Urns Inc., Larchmont, NY)
“Adoration of Magi,” St. Michael Cathedral, Toronto
“Epiphany and Adoration of the Christ Child,” St Mary Cathedral, Halifax, Nova Scotia
”The Birth of Jesus,” St Mary Cathedral, Halifax, Nova Scotia
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“Child Jesus at home in Nazareth,” Sweetest Heart of Mary historic church in Detroit Michigan.
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Trinket box done in stained glass motif, with nativity
“Nativity series” from the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Church in Akron, OH
“Nativity series” from the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Church in Akron, OH
20th century stained glass Augsburg, Germany
Modern stained glass, unknown artist
Nativity Destination Island: Sicily By Rita B. Bocher
Between the sparkling azure waters of the Mediterranean and the flaming lava thrusts of Mount Etna, the ever active volcano of Sicily, lies the sleepy town of Santa Venerina in the province of Catania, about a forty minute drive from the city of the same name. There, a young man, just entering his twenties has created a rural Sicilian world surrounding a Nativity scene. Sicily long has been famous as a destination. Lovers of ancient Greek and Roman ruins—impressively intact— come for the Greek temples of Agrigento in the southwest, the Roman mosaics of Piazza Armerini in the central region, the “Ear of Dionysis” in Siracusa and the still active Roman theater in the resort city of Taormina. And everywhere, lemon orchards, vineyards, good food and good drink. But, in addition to its usual attractions, Sicily nurtures an active Nativity culture. Creche makers thrive in the hill city of Linguaglossa and the eastern seaport city of Messina. The town of Giarre boasts its own creche museum that houses the work of local artisans; in Palermo, the famous Nativity artist, Angela Tripi, creates breathtaking figures, and for sheer variety and breadth of offerings one must visit the town of Caltagirone where untold numbers of Nativity craftsmen display their wares in dozens of shops. Thus, it is not surprising that Franz Pilleri, a barber’s son practicing in his father Antonio’s shop, should choose to spend his after-work hours in creating an imaginary Sicilian world around the birth of Jesus. The set boasts 40 different scenes peopled by over 200 small figures plying their
trades and acting out their roles. Of course, one scene is of a middle aged customer sitting back for a shave in a barber shop. Chestnuts roast on a fire; real water tumbles down a mountain stream, cheese makers ply their trade; carpenters cut wood in their shop; a baker makes bread; steam vapors rise from a boiling kettle; smoke drifts out of the chimneys of houses; lava flows from Etna; thunder claps; cattle low; a baby cries, music sounds; a comet flashes across the night sky to become a star over the stable of the Nativity. Pilleri has pictured a 24-hour period so night changes into day and back again. In the night time vista, one can see snow on the rooftops which is not visible during the day. Pilleri hand made the hundreds of tiny terracotta tiles that cover the houses and buildings. Like Sicily, the terrain is hilly and steep. Sometimes stairs connect the various levels. Tree canopies are hand created. Natural materials are used throughout: cork; lava stone, wood branches as well as plaster. A desert in the upper right, covered with sand, is used by the approaching Magi on the way to see the Christ Child. Pilleri constantly makes revisions and improvements to his drama. In Sicily, the choice is yours: Ancient Greece, Rome, resort excitement, a spectacular array of Nativity venues and a special exhibit in Santa Venerina. Franz Pilleri’s exhibit is open from December 8 to January 6 and other times by appointment. It is located at Via Archimede, 26, Santa Venerina (Catania). His email address is presepiandodafranz@live.it.
A Sicilian creche
A barber as well as a creche builder
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Creche Herald
FRIENDS OF THE CRECHE NOTES We are now in the season and the reason behind our collections and interest — the celebration of the birth of Jesus. And it is the time when I reflect and give thanks for all my blessings.
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First, I am blessed with a loving husband, a wonderful family, my health, my friends and my job…my life. We were blessed with the arrival of a new grandson — a continuation of the circle of our life. I am also blessed to be part of an organization, the Friends of the Creche, a group of friends who collect, exhibit, and study, create, or simply treasure the Christmas Nativity scene. The best part of that phrase of our mission statement is that we treasure the Christmas Nativity scene – whether it be the joy of collecting, the wonder of creation of the scenes or the sharing of our Nativities with others. I am blessed to have been able to attend our 2015 Convention held in Houston this year. I hope you were able to attend and had as good a time. Our thanks go to Audrey Pratt, Judy Klein, Cindy Looney and the 18 other members of the convention committee for putting together the outstanding Lone Star convention. As said in a title of a well-known book, “it takes a village” – we were blessed to have this “village” of wonderful Texans and friends put on this convention. We all learned and experienced both an old and new appreciation for the Nativity and Texas!
gatherings (business meetings and conventions) to maintaining our membership, to organizing our archives, handling the finances of the organization, putting together the wonderful publication, the Creche Herald and so much more. With that said, we found a new treasurer, namely Gail Losh of West Virginia. After several years of service to all of us, Rev. Charles Hull will be retiring from his position. We could use help on many of our committees. For any questions or more information, please contact me at sjongbloed@maryjoseph.org or on my cell at 310-493-3380. Another item for all of us to be aware of, this is the last Creche Herald available to the general public as a subscription based publication. The magazine will now be part of the Friends of the Creche. In order to receive future issues, you will need to be a member of the FOTC. If you are not a member, I encourage you to join. Just follow the directions in the subscription block found elsewhere in this newsletter to do so. You might think of a membership in the Friends of the Creche as a gift idea for that certain person in your life. They would be blessed with your thoughtfulness and enjoy it all year long. I hope you have a blessed Christmas and a very happy 2016. My hopes are that I will meet you next fall at our annual meeting in South Carolina. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Sydne
I am also blessed to be part of a smaller group of people within this organization who are helping maintain our existence, the Friends of the Creche Board. Each has come to the board with their own special talents and treasures. With that in mind, I would like to welcome to the board our new members: Michelle Devitt of Ohio, Helen Holder of Minnesota, who will serve as secretary, Marilyn Gillespie of Utah and Alvin Strong of Vermont. I welcome back Judy Davis of Northern California, and the other board members, Rita Bocher of Pennsylvania, Judy Klein of Texas, who will serve as VicePresident, Bonnie Pfanenstiel of Kentucky, Fr. Johann Roten of Ohio, Susan Soldat Schumacher of Illinois and Michael Whalen of Michigan. You can see from the membership of the board that we are truly a national organization – for coast to coast and border to border. Thank you for your work. My thanks also go to our retiring board members: Rev. Charles Hull of Pennsylvania, James Johnston of Texas and Cathy Lincoln of Ohio. All of these individuals have shared their time and talent in a variety of areas among which include putting on our annual Winter 2015/2016
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The Story of Paco By John J. Loeper I was told this story by Nena, who, as everyone knows, is a very wise cat. Nena knows everything. Nothing escapes her curious eyes. She knows where the birds go at night and why the stars twinkle. She knows stories that have been forgotten and I believe everything she tells me. One evening in Spain, not too many years ago, I was walking along the edge of the garden. Down where the white fence meets the patch, I happened upon Nena. She was finishing the tail of a fish she had caught and asked me to join her. I declined her invitation, but I stayed on until she finished her meal. It was later when the moon was high above the horizon, that Nena told me the story of Paco. She had heard the story from her mother who had been told by her mother who had heard it from her mother. It was a very old story, and Nena insists it is true. This is what she told me. One winter night many years ago, a puppy named Paco wandered among the hills of Bethlehem. He was not going to Bethlehem. He was not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, he had nowhere to go because Paco belonged to no one. He had no master and no home. The only home he knew was the wide, starry sky and the barren hillsides. He remembered his mother who had helped the shepherds tend to their flocks. He remembered sleeping alongside her warm body. But one night, curious about the distant hills and hoping to catch a star with which to play, Paco wandered away. By morning, he was lost. For a while he was frightened and hid among the rocks and tall grass. Then very hungry and very lonesome, he ventured into a nearby village. There some kind people fed him scraps of food and allowed him to sleep on their doorsteps. So it was that Paco lived the life of a stray. He belonged to no one and no one belonged to him. As the months passed, he wandered from village to village and from town to town in search of a crust of bread or a friendly smile. Sometimes people were kind and sometimes were not. Once a man kicked him and shouted, “Go away!” And once, when some children stopped to pet him, their mother said, “Stay away from that dirty dog.” This particular night, Paco had joined some shepherds on the hillside. He hoped they might let him stay to help with the sheep. They were kind men and let him sleep by the fire. As he slept and dreamt of his mother, he was startled by a strange sound. Music and voices filled the air. As he looked up, he saw the shepherds pointing toward the sky. He did now know what it was, but the shepherds seemed very excited. A strange, beautiful voice told them to go to Bethlehem and the herdsmen obeyed. 10
A modern Paco, still in the stable at a Christmas market
Paco followed them. They crossed over the hills and walked through the valleys. Soon they came to a small stable. The shepherds went inside, but Paco did not follow. He had learned not to trust strange places until he was sure they were friendly. He sniffed about and recognized the smells. It was a stable to be sure. Gathering courage, he peeked in and saw the shepherds kneeling. Inside was a man, a woman and a baby lying in the manger. Curious Paco walked in. There was a lovely stillness to the place and the only sound was the lovely voice of the woman singing a lullaby. For a while, Paco hid behind one of the kneeling shepherds. He watched as the woman tendered her baby and wrapped it in swaddling clothes. Suddenly if drawn by some strange force, Paco walked toward the manger and stood next to the baby. He looked into the baby’s face. It was truly a beautiful child and Paco could not resist. One day the boy, now a young man, told Paco that he had to travel to another town. “Though you cannot come with me, you will always be my loyal friend. I promise that we will be together soon.” Time passed, but his friend never returned. Paco feared that something terrible had happened. All the while Paco aged. His bones ached and he did not bark at strange sounds. He spent most of his time sleeping in soft moss under an olive tree. Then one day his spot under the olive tree was vacant. Paco had disappeared and no one could find him. He had wandered off into the hill country in search of his friend. The sky was growing darker so Paco found a hallow of dry grass in which to lay and fell asleep. When he awoke, he was in the arms of his friend. They were together at last! Now Nena tells me and I believe her that in the stillness of a starry night at Christmas, if you listen carefully you can hear laughter and Paco’s happy bark as he plays in the Heavenly halls with the Christ Child. John J. Loeper is a published author of twenty six books for young people and contributed to many periodicals and textbooks. He now resides in Florida. Creche Herald
More to see & do for Christmas
A Listing of Children’s Book Titles for Christmas Giving (2015)
ILLINOIS * L isle (Outside Chicago) Benedictine Abbey Nativity Display of Muriel Fenzel (one of 2015 home tour) & Deacon Edmund Gronkiewicz’s Donated collection Nov. 9-Dec.31 (Reception Dec. 6, 2-4pm)
Christmas Journey Storybook, The, by Juliet David and Simon Abbott – board book for ages 3-5 – follow Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem; read the story with pop-ups on every page; fold out book into a giant play mat to interact with the Nativity story. (Lion Hudson, Candle Books, 2014)
MICHIGAN * St Sebastian Activity Center Nativity Display Sat, Dec 5, 10-6pm, Sun. Dec. 6 9:30 to 2:30 pm 20710 Colgate, Dearborn Heights, MI NEW HAMPSHIRE * Dallas The Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens In the DeGolyer House, the collection of Ray & Nan Harrington and George Dvorsky Collection “The Artistry of the Nativity” Nov. 27 – Jan 3
Compiled by Judy Davis
Christmas Story, A, With a Beautiful Nativity Scene to Make, by Brian Wildsmith. A hardcover book for ages 4-11. (Oxford University Press, 2013) Hands-on Nativity Craft Book, by Christina Goodings, Author, and Adrian Barclay, Illustrator – soft cover book for ages 5-7 – craft projects to make your very own Nativity scene. (Lion Hudson, 2015) Make and Play Nativity, by Bethan James and Estelle Corke. An activity project for ages 4-8 – six double-sided panels with die-cut figures on one side and story of first Christmas on the other. (B & H Publishing Group, 2013) Nativity, The. Floor Puzzle, Music CD, Activity Book, by Kim Mitzo Thompson – for children 3-10 – floor puzzle of 48 pieces measures 2’ x 3’ when finished; CD contains 25 Christmas songs; 32-page activity book includes games, coloring pages and more. (Shiloh Kidz, 2015) Nativity Activity & Coloring Book. The, by Yuko Green – a soft cover book for children from 3-11 – includes crosswords, mazes, cryptograms, and other activities that tell the story of Jesus’ birth; each scene is accompanied by a caption with a quotation from scripture. (Dover Publications, 2013) The Story of Christmas, Fisher-Price Little People – a board book for ages 2-5 – based on the Fisher-Price Nativity set, this book tells the story of the first Christmas in friendly Little People style. (Reader’s Digest, board book edition, 2014) Usborne Nativity Flap Book, by Sam Taplin and Rosalinde Bonnet, for ages 3-6. – A flap book to introduce children to the story of the baby Jesus. (Usborne Publishing, 2013)
“Benedictine Abbey exhibit”, picture courtesy of Muriel Fenzel
Winter 2015/2016
Very First Christmas, The. Press Out and Build Nativity Scene, by Rose Eilidh and Ben Mantle – hardcover board book for ages 3 and over. (Top That! Publishing, Inc., 2013) 11
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“Mary with Child” Sweetest Heart of Mary historic church, Detroit, MI
Panel from large German stained glass Nativity window
“Mary with Christ, the light of the World,” credit Bethlehem in Denton, Liz Luse
Modern stained glass