Creche Vol. 20, No. 2
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The Newsletter of the Christmas Nativity
Summer 2016
-VY (SS >OV 3V]L 6^U VY *VSSLJ[ *YLJOLZ
The Newsletter of the Christmas Nativity
Creche
Herald -VY (SS >OV 3V]L 6^U VY *VSSLJ[ *YLJOLZ
The Newsletter of the Christmas Nativity
Creche Herald -VY (SS >OV 3V]L 6^U VY *VSSLJ[ *YLJOLZ
The Newsletter of the Christmas Nativity
ON THE COVER: Brazilian rainforest nativity in blown glass and clay. Artist unkown.
From the Editor: This summer the focus for all sport fans will be on Rio in Brazil when they host the XXXI games of the Olympiad. Even those not so sports minded tend to enjoy the pageantry and display of culture showcased along with the competition. So, in honor of those athletes and the cultures they represent, we are going to focus on South America for our summer issue and some of the wonderful nativities that come from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia and a look at one of our sister societies. The ABC countries of South America as we learned about them in social studies are rich in the creche tradition. Don’t forget that the Christmas season is soon approaching and we would like to list those creche exhibits around the country in our fall edition, so that means send the information now. Please send us at least the dates, place of exhibition and if there is any admission charged. A phone or email is helpful too if more information is needed. Also a word about deadlines in general. Please remember that anything for our fall edition should reach us by July 15 and by October 1 for our winter edition. Please see the note regarding considering being elected to our board of directors. If you value our society, please consider it seriously. The notice says how to go about nominating yourself or someone else. In future editions, we would like to give some space for members to very briefly guide others to something, a place, person or activity that fellow creche lovers might enjoy. Please be brief as in twenty five words and we will try to put as many as possible and in the order received. It must be creche related. We would like to remember our dear friend Joanne Dodd who left this earthly life on April 6. Our deepest sympathy to Bob her husband. Joanne was at most of our conventions and meetings and a lifelong lover of the creche. And last but not least, we failed to mention that our former board member Bill Smith received his “minute” of recognition at our convention in Houston. Bill was our long time election chairman, our convention master of ceremonies, and leader of our carol sing at conventions. (Mike Whalen)
Creche Herald is the newsletter of Friends of the Creche (a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation). Published by and for its members. Editor: Michael Whalen | Founding Creche Herald Editor: Rita Bocher
Comments, submissions to: 19640 Driftwood Dr., Clinton Twp., MI 48038 or crecheguy@att.net We are eager to share opportunities that might be of interest to our readers/ members.A mention in this newsletter does not imply endorsement or that compensation was received for such mention but only done for the benefit of our readers.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION NOTICE The Board of Directors is seeking individuals to be elected/appointed to fill vacancies consisting of a three year term commencing in the fall of 2016. You may nominate yourself or someone else with their permission of course. A ballot will be mailed in September with the Creche Herald to all members Qualifications are as follows: • Love of the whole Nativity creche tradition and eager to keep it alive. • Access to email and ability to attend one or two face to face meetings per year (one in conjunction with our convention or annual meeting.) • Must be a paid up member since at least October 2014. Please write a two hundred word or less biography telling members about you or your nominee and mail to: Susan Schumacher, 3011 Becket Ave., Weschester, IL 60154 or by email: susans@att.net Nominations must be received no later than August 15, 2016.
Natvity Related Travel Opportunities In 2016 The world Crib Congress in Bergamo Italy, October 19th through 25th. Exhibitions, talks and gala dinner as well as four days of optional bus excursions throughout the region. English information website where registration and hotel information may be found at: Veniteadoremus2016.it Belens of Azores and Portugal (Members Cathy Lincoln and Diane Rigo suggest)
November 29th though December 11th. Coach tour includes Fatima, Lisbon, Castelo de Vida and more. From $3399 per person (double) not including air. Contact Ann at Landfall Travel at 440-799-8977 or ann@landfalltravel.com
Creche Herald subscription information
Membership in Friends of the Creche includes subscription to 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: FOTC Membership/Marilynn Gillespie 7564 South 2020 East, South Weber, UT 84405-9641 USA Be sure to include name, address, telephone number and email.
Creche Herald
A Unique and Special Annual Meeting November 12, 2016 by Rita Rocher
This year’s Friends of the Creche annual meeting in South Carolina offers a double attraction: a visit to the renowned Mepkin Abbey and its annual Creche Festival and proximity to the antebellum city of Charleston. Mepkin Abbey, previously known as the Mepkin Plantation, is set on a high bluff overlooking the Cooper River. Originally, a 3000 acre land grant in 1681 to a wealthy South Carolina family, the Mepkin Plantation changed hands several times. It was purchased in 1936 by the well-known publisher, Henry Luce (Time; Life; Fortune) and his wife Clare Booth Luce (writer, actress, Ambassador to Italy). In 1944, Mrs. Luce’s daughter, Ann Clare Brokaw, was killed in an automobile accident, and subsequently, Mrs. Luce converted to Roman Catholicism. Later, in memory of her daughter, she donated a portion of the plantation to the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, also known as the Trappist Monks, a contemplative order. The monks earn their livelihood from various endeavors, including keeping bees for honey, growing gourmet mushrooms, baking extraordinary fruitcakes at Christmas and selling unusual items in their gift shop, many of which are made or commissioned by them. The Annual Creche Festival was started by Father Guerric Heckel, a monk at the Abbey, more than a decade ago... In 2012, the American Bus Association named it as one of the top 100 events of North America for group travel. Participants at the Friends of the Creche 2016 annual meeting will be among the first to view this year’s creche display as we shall be there just prior to the official opening of the Festival. See Father Guerric’s personal invitation in the second column. While the Mepkin Abbey Creche Festival can be enjoyed as part of the FOTC annual meeting, participants should also think about extending their stay by visiting the city of Charleston, about a half hour away from the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Summerville. Charlestown, founded in 1670, was originally entitled Charles Town after Charles II of England. From its founding until the American Civil War, it grew and prospered as one of the most important commercial and culturally active cities of the South. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the South Carolina General Assembly voted to secede from the Union. On April 12, 1861, shore batteries opened fire on the Union held Fort Sumter, thus starting the American Civil War. Fort Sumter can now be visited by tourists to Charleston. As a tourist mecca, Charleston is known for its exquisite mansions, many of which can be visited, cobblestone streets, and outstanding restaurants. The culture blends traditional Southern, English, French and West African elements. The city is frequently cited as the Southern city most people want to visit. So, if you have not done so before, make a point to include a stay in Charleston, part of your 2016 FOTC annual meeting.
You are invited to Mepkin Abbey!!
Pictures from prior crèche exhibits at Mepkin Abbey, courtesy of Rev. G. Heckel
Friends of the Creche are invited for a pre-opening tour of our 14th annual Creche Festival on November 12, 2016. It will feature the best of the Mepkin Collection of more than 1,000. Many of the ones exhibited this year are ones that have been commissioned in recent years. They exemplify how contemporary artists and artisans portray this ageless historychanging event for humankind. Another thing unique about the Mepkin Abbey Creche Festival is its setting, a Trappist monastery located 60 miles North of Charleston, SC. It is a place where nativity sets can be displayed without controversy. It is a natural setting free from the sensory overload of malls with sentimental Christmas music blaring in your ears. It is a scene devoid of plastic Christmas decor, blowup Christmas scenes and a lot of other commercial driven aspects of Christmas. Besides the natural beauty of the place as the background for the exhibit, the creches are not just put out on a table, but carefully and artistically arranged amongst natural trees and simple materials creating a sacred space. Many find this contemplative experience which evokes some of the best memories of or childhood to be a contemporary manifestation of the divine in our day and would not think of beginning their pre-Christmas preparations without it. Come and experience with some 8,500 others what has made the Mepkin Abbey Creche Festival such a cherished tradition in the low country of South Carolina.
Rev. Guerric Heckel
N.B. Please note that the registrar for the 2016 Friends of the Creche Annual Meeting has been changed to: Susan Soldat Schumacher, 3011 Becket Ave., Westchester, IL 60154-5621, susanss@att.net
Summer 2016
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Our picks for gold, silver & bronze in Brazil
Have creche, will travel (creche in a case)
A lovely “relief� from the heat of Brazil
Clay, clay and more clay
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Creche Herald
40-Years in the Center of Town. The Florianópolis Brazil Nativity By Ida Diemer- van der Lugt
The UN-FOE-PRAE, the international association of crib societies around the world, received an invitation from the president of the Brazilian Association, Jone Cezar de Araujo to send a representative for the fortieth anniversary of the construction of the nativity in the town square of Florianópolis, Brazil on November 15, 2013. The president of UN-Foe-Prae, Johan Dendorfer was not able to attend, so he asked me, if I as secretary of the organization could go in his stead. I accepted and along with my husband Peter headed off to Brazil. We were met at the airport by a representative of the Brazilian society who took us directly to our hotel in the center of Florianopolis After the long flight, we were anxious to take a walk through the center of the city and immediately found the nativity in the park. It was massive in scope and beautiful to the eye. In 1973, the nativity was created by Franklin Cascaes and in the succeeding years was recreated by Jone Cezar with the son of Mr. Cascaes. Later in our visit we learned that they had created a total new nativity in the center of town for this anniversary and the original was moved to a park near the coast. The nativity was totally made of natural materials as calabashes, shells and palm leave. The figures themselves, including the three kings, who were clothed in much lacework. The work itself was very impressive with a large orchestra of angels with trumpets above the Holy Family and built up under an enormous tree from which Brazil took its name. During the opening of the festivities, my task was to read a letter from the president of UN-FOE-PRAE bearing congratulations on this momentous occasion. A young lady who had worked and lived in Germany translated everything into Portuguese. After the opening speeches, the international society received an award along with fourteen other recipients. The next day, the public festivities began with television no less, near the nativity in the park with many in attendance. This time I was asked to speak about the meaning of the nativity followed by a choir of young people. What made this nativity so special was its location in a public park which brought the message of the birth of Jesus to everyone who passed by. Peter and I went to the park and took a place on a seat opposite the nativity in the following days and were amazed at the number of people who wandered by, stopped, looked intensively and took pictures of this beautiful interpretation of the birth of Christ. Summer 2016
During the next days we visited many beautiful exhibits with nativities made by Brazilian art workers. There was a ceramic workshop for children from seven to twelve years old that had made wonderful nativities. We made trips to local villages in which nativities made by the entire village were displayed. One of note, was one that floated in the air, made of silver paper glistening in the sun. Of course, we visited the coastal town to view the original nativity that was now reconstructed in the park with the ocean as a beautiful background. We also saw the “Boi-de-Mamão” a singing and dancing play around the epic theme of the death and the resurrection of the ox. Very content with the experiences and filled with many diverse impressions about the Brazilian culture and the hospitality of the Brazilian people, we travelled home. We are most grateful to the Brazilian Association for this invitation. We enjoyed very much our time with them. You may see photographs of some of the nativities we had the pleasure of viewing and of course the Florianopolis one in the square in the centerfold section of this edition.
Peter and Ida Diemer who represented the international society in Brazil and to whom we owe many thanks for the great photographs in Brazil.
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The Florianopolis Nativity photo credit Peter Diemer
Hail Colombia By Libardo Botero
Creche lovers in Colombia share their love
Hello, my name is Libardo Botero. I was invited by the editor of your magazine to tell you about the creche society in Colombia. I am the president of El Taller del Pesebre. Thanks for writing to us. I will try to write with my rusty English and so apologize for the any mistakes ahead of time. In the first place, a pesebrista or belenista is a crib maker. There is no word in English that describes that exactly. Our mission is to spread the love of and devotion to the manger here in Colombia and internationally. We do this through the various arts that creates a space to share and grow the art of “pesebrismo� and to strengthen our society for the future generations to follow. Our vision by 2017 is to be the most important society of its kind in Colombia. We are an association that has been known for fifteen years as the El Taller del Pesebre that was formed by the initiative of a group of artisans of the manger. The idea of creating a corporation that brings together lovers of the crib was born in the workshop of Maestro Gustavo Gaviria A. There, gathered Gustavo Gaviria, Juan Guillermo Sanin, Gabriel Jaime Botero, Hubert O Hoyos, Alejandro Morales, the priest Nestor Alzate and Libardo A. Mejia among others, and dreamed of what is now La Corporacion El Taller del Pesebre. In an assembly on November 14, 2002, our society was constituted with forty-three partners in the parish hall of the church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Itagui. We were registered with the Chamber of Commerce shortly thereafter on June 3, 2003 as a non-profit group. 8
Since then, the corporation has been concerned about the spread and persistence of the culture of the crib through workshops, conferences, publications and exhibitions in different ways around the city. A shop for classes of crib making came to be and then followed in 2005 for widespread teaching the art for the making of cribs. This was done through intensive courses aimed at business groups and the general public. In 2008, at the office of the corporation, workshop classrooms making cribs Biblical style, began to operate all year, taught by a select group of teachers and facilitators. We publish an annual magazine of some 120 pages with articles, techniques and photos of cribs. In 2016, we published our fifteenth edition. To this date we have held four meetings for pesebristas, one regional, one national and two international ones with speakers from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Israel, Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, and Venezuela. The corporation El Taller del Pesebre is a member of the UN FOE PRAE (of which your Friends of the Creche is a sister member) whose mission is to bring the devotion and love of the pesebristas or creche to the world at large. Our society constructs dioramas or cribs exhibitions at Medellin and several others cities in Colombia. Most of the exhibits are held in the museum, El Castillo, where last year we brought 36 cribs, in the form of a diorama. There are some photographs with this article and you may see more at our web page: www.eltallerdelpesebre.com
Creche Herald
Colombia school of creche making
Colombian folk art nativity
SHHH, mom’s trying to sleep, from Colombia
The art of Argentina
A bit of Bolivia
Summer 2016
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FROM OUR PRESIDENT, There is a car commercial on TV that talks about technology….flip phones, fax machines and 8 track players – all circa 2000. When the Friends of the Creche (FOTC) began, those were the means of communication – that and the United States Postal Service (USPS) via mail. In 2000, a first class postage stamp was $0.33. Today it is $0.47. That is a 42% increase in cost. Today we connect with others through iPhones, iPads, Androids, tablets, Skype, Facetime, Facebook and a myriad of other forms of technology. The amazing part of these new means of communication is the low cost of sharing news. The membership for the Friends of the Creche in 2000 was $30.00/year. The membership in 2016 is $35.00/year… less than a 1% increase in the same 16 years. Managing the FOTC treasury allows the board to provide our members with opportunities for annual gatherings showcasing nativities and speakers, our web/Facebook pages and more. This year, as before, $24 of the $35 membership fee goes to the quarterly publication and mailing of our newsletter, the Creche Herald. Working to be wise stewards of our funds, we would like to begin communicating with you, our membership, via e-mail – as well as regular USPS for those who don’t use e-mail. Being able to e-mail news, convention and annual meeting registration forms and election notices will allow us to save money and apply it to other uses. In the last few months, I have sent an e-mail to each of you who provided your e-mail address on the 2016 membership form. If you did not receive an e-mail from me and would agree to communicate with your fellow FOTC members via e-mail, please send me an e-mail at sjongbloed@maryjoseph.org. For those who don’t use e-mail, please don’t worry. We will continue to send FOTC news with regular printed information to you via the US mail. Please drop me a note to confirm your mailing address/contact numbers. Please send to Sydne Yanko-Jongbloed, c/o Mary & Joseph Retreat Center, 5300 Crest Rd., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275. And the Creche Herald, our mainstay of communication, will continue to be printed and sent to you via US mail in its beautiful living color. And to other needs of the organization: the Friends of the Creche board can be composed of 12-15 voting members plus our ex-officio members who are Fr. Johann Roten, founding Father of the FOTC and Archivist from Ohio, Michael Whalen, Editor of Creche Herald from Michigan and Gail Losch, FOTC Treasurer from West Virginia. We currently have 10 voting members, Rita Bocher of Penn10
If you can see this e-mail sjongbloed@maryjoseph.org, please send me an e-mail.
sylvania, Judy Davis of California, Michele Devitt of Ohio, Marilynn Gillespie of Utah, Helen Holder of Minnesota, Judy Klein of Texas, Bonnie Pfanenstiel of Kentucky, Susan Soldat Schumacher of Illinois, Alvin Strong of Vermont and me, Sydne Yanko-Jongbloed of California. We come from all over the United States. There is room on the FOTC board for 3 to 5 more voting members. A board member serves for 3 years. The qualification for running for the 2016/2017 board is that you have been a member of the Friends of the Creche since November 2014. Please consider volunteering your time. The FOTC board meets 3 times during the calendar year: a face to face meeting in spring, an e-mail meeting in late summer and another face to face meeting at our annual meeting/convention in fall. Referring to the modern technology that I wrote about at the beginning of this article, if you weren’t able to join us in person at our face to face meetings, you could also join us by phone, Skype or Facetime. We meet to discuss our national meetings, keep updated on membership, Web site and the financial status of the organization. We meet to brainstorm and share new ideas, new events and enrich our friendships. If you would like to consider being part of this board, please contact me using my e-mail or mailing address noted above. Or drop a line to our elections chair, Susan Soldat Schumacher, susasnss@att.net. Please don’t hesitate to ask us any questions. We are a wonderful organization and blessed to have a responsible and hardworking board. Please remember to return your ballot with your vote. We often have fewer people running for the board than the number of places we have available which means that they can be elected by any number of votes. It may seem unnecessary to hold an election but our current by-laws demand it. The proposed nominees present themselves to the membership via a short biography sent to you with the ballot. This allows you, the membership, to know who is overseeing the organization. Lastly, our 2016 annual meeting will be held November 12 in Summerville, South Carolina and will include presentations by Fr. Johann Roten and Fr. Guerric Heckel. Both of these men have great knowledge of the Nativity and collecting. They will be sharing that knowledge with us. The highlight of the meeting will be a special tour for the Friends of the Creche of the Mepkin Abbey, where Fr. Guerric hosts the annual Creche Festival. Please come and invite your friends who may not be members to join us on that day. The registration form is included in this issue of Creche Herald. I am looking forward to seeing you in November. Sydne Yanko-Jongbloed, President
Creche Herald
T he Chilean Creche Unlike a cold and snowy Christmas in many parts of North America, a Christmas in Chile is warm indeed. The celebration of this special day is very much rooted in religious significance. Much the same as their northern hemisphere counterparts, Christmas begins a month early with decorations, celebrations and families being together. Many still do a nine day preparation prior to Christmas day also called a novena that includes visiting churches, readings from Scripture and of course traditional carols. The tradition of not placing the baby Jesus into the manger until Christmas day is also a custom followed there. In Chile, a nativity scene is called “pesebres de navidad,” and made of almost any material but clay being one of the most used due to availability. Many people from not only Chile itself, but other South American countries, make the pilgrimage to the village of Andacollo to honor the Virgin of Andacollo in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This “Black Virgin” was literally fished out of the dirt by a South American native, named Collo and has been honored ever since with processions, flowers and celebrations in honor of the patron saint of miners. This feast is celebrated on December 26 much like that of Stephen. What we refer to as Midnight Mass, no longer even at midnight, is often called the Roosters’ Mass in Chile. The rooster of course heralds the birth of Christ on Christmas morning and fore-
Nativity wall mural in Chile.
shadows the denial of Christ by Peter just prior to His crucifixion. The rooster carries more significance in Chile and often finds its way into nativity scenes much more than in European and North American displays for this reason. Many families include the stable scene as part of an elaborate village scene extending three or six feet wide and of course a star is placed over it. (MW) Christmas in July
Holy Family as seen in Chile.
Summer 2016
All Saints Parish in south-eastern Indiana is hosting a traveling Creche display during the months of July and August. We might call this “Christmas in July.” They display will coincide with three summer festivals that take place in this unique parish community. The dates and locations are as follows: July 16-17 at St. John’s in Dover, IN; July 30-31 at St. Martin in Yorkville, IN and August 13-14 at St. Paul in New Alsace, IN. The nativity display will have scenes from the Marian Library of the University of Dayton, the Franciscan sisters of Oldenburg and other private collections. The display will also have an interesting theological display connecting the creche and the death and resurrection of Jesus: from the virgin womb to the virgin tomb and from the borrowed cave to the borrowed grave. For more information please contact the parish at 812 -576 -4302 or visit their website at www. allsaintscatholic.net. Why wait until November and December to display our love for the Creche- July and August is a perfect time. You can also have a great chicken dinner, some fellowship and summer fun! 11
Original Florianopolis nativity now by sea.
Further examples of the creches of Brazil