Where is Your Parish's Nativity Scene Located?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Asperges_Me
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Asperges_Me

Guest
I’ve heard and read that the latest modern trend in Catholic churches is to relegate the creche/manger/nativity scene and Christmas trees outside of the main altar area or sanctuary or worship space area into the vestibule or gathering space area. This is especially prevalent in the newer church buildings. For the poll, where is your parish’s nativity scene located? And in your text replies, do you agree or disagree with this trend?
 
Don’t know yet - it won’t be set up until later this afternoon!
 
Ours is (or will soon be) in the ‘gathering space’ not far from the baptismal pool.

But in our church that is probably the only place that is reasonable to put it since our ‘sanctuary’ is a raised platform that barely is big enough for the altar. I suppose it could be at the foot of the steps but then 3/4 of the church couldn’t see it. (It’s a round church building.) Where it is now, almost everyone sees it on their way in or out.

In the chapel we borrowed before our parish church was built, they used to take out three or four pews in the middle of the church and set up a nativity scene there.

I don’t see that it’s that big a deal where it is set up so long as it is prominent and doesn’t prevent anyone’s view of the altar.
 
SMHW said:
Ours is (or will soon be) in the ‘gathering space’ not far from the baptismal pool.

But in our church that is probably the only place that is reasonable to put it since our ‘sanctuary’ is a raised platform that barely is big enough for the altar. I suppose it could be at the foot of the steps but then 3/4 of the church couldn’t see it. (It’s a round church building.) Where it is now, almost everyone sees it on their way in or out.

In the chapel we borrowed before our parish church was built, they used to take out three or four pews in the middle of the church and set up a nativity scene there.

I don’t see that it’s that big a deal where it is set up so long as it is prominent and doesn’t prevent anyone’s view of the altar.
Click to expand...
If the architecture doesn’t support the nativity scene near the altar, that’s one thing. But, I’ve heard of the nativity scene being relocated to the vestibule even in traditionally shaped cruciform churches. I’ve heard and read Catholics say that the creche and the more secular decorations such as Christmas trees don’t belong in the “main church”. I guess that they think it is too distracting. One of my fondest memories of Christmas Masses as a child is looking at the big nativity scene with the background of many Christmas trees at one of the side altars in our church. It makes me sad that we may now be depriving our children of such happy memories.
 
Unfortunately, my cathedral church locates it in the vestibule. The bishop installs the Christ Child after the choir chants Hodie Christus Natus Est and then processes to the altar. But the area about the altar has multiple Christmas trees some of which are 20’ tall.

And again, unfortunately, our cathedral was one of the first to be renovated after VII - there really isn’t room for such a large display. However, I seem to remember that the creche is on the left side altar of the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans which is still much as it was when my ancestors worshipped there.
 
Outside in the meditation garden.
It was put up about 10 days ago…caroling and refreshments for anyone who came.

I haven’t seen one inside (it’s definitely not near the altar nor anywhere in the church)…now I’ll have to look around in the gathering area to see if it’s there. If it is, it’s so small I haven’t noticed it.
 
oooops. We just returned from Mass.

A nativity has been set up in the church since last Sunday. (The entire church has been decorated in white & gold) It’s in the area where the votive candles are. It’s huge, too. Can’t miss it.
 
We have three. There’s one in the main church. Ours is built in a cruciform, and on one short arm, facing into the center, there’s a statue of the Blessed Mother (which is currently surrounded by blue candles and white poinsettias), and opposite of her, where the statue of St. Joseph usually resides, is where the nativity scene is set up. We also have one outside in the gathering area between the parish hall and the rear church entrance, and the third one is on the parish front lawn in between the church and school buildings, visible to all who pass on the busy main road.

I think the parishoners would revolt if the nativity scene was relegated to the vestibule. Of course, considering the people in charge of decorations, I can’t imagine that happening while they’re alive, thank goodness.🙂
 
Just to the right of the altar…it was beautiful♥

:heart:Blyss
 
Ours is beautiful, nice big size - it and the tree are at the back of the Church, sos you can see them as you leave. There’s even a kneeler in front of the Nativity Scene so that people can stop and say a prayer, as I myself did a few times.

I think it’s more appropriate not to have Nativity Scenes or trees up front competing for attention, since during Mass our focus should be on Our Lord really and truly present (not just represented in the form of wood or plaster) in the Eucharist.
 
I just got home from the midnight mass. At our parish, we have the nativity near the altar area, on the right side of the stand where priest reads the Bible.

It is simple yet beautiful. It seems to block the view of the altar but because I took the picture up close. I used my cell phone camera to take the picture; therefore, it is not very sharp.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1727/nativityao8.jpg
 
"Certainly not in the Sanctuary…at Mass there was 13 or 14 people up there…the Infant went up to the altar at the procession and then to the crib…
 
We have two–one outside (it’s inside a box w/ plexiglass to protect from the elements)–this is right next to the sign out front by the main doors. The inside one is on the right front as one faces the altar.
 
Our nativity scene is in the gathering space but it is viewable from the sanctuary because of large windows separating the two areas.

I would like to see a nativity scene that is modeled with a cave instead of the typical wood structure with rather airy slatwork. All of my research indicates that a hand hewn recess (cave) in a hillside was more likely the setting of Christ’s birth. Has anyone seen one like this and does anyone care?

I just love the parallels that the “Bread of Life” was born in Bethlehem, which translates as the “house of bread”, and that He was laid in a feeding trough.
 
We have two nativity scenes. One is outside the big front doors. The other one is right next to the main altar behind the communion rail. Our church was the first in town to be built to the Vatican II guidelines. We don’t have a choir loft, but we do have a communion rail. The whole altar area has fir trees and red and white pointsettas everywhere. I don’t find it at all distracting, but very peaceful and reassuring. The church I grew up in was decorated pretty much the same way, so that’s probably why I like it so much. Our stations are large stained glass windows and there’s a very large stained glass window over the main doors. The light coming through there is glorious. There’s a very special feeling there on a pretty Sunday morning.
 
Just outside the sanctuary. But then, there are no Christmas trees in the church, like some posters have mentioned.

It caused a bit of commotion because the custom is to go and venerate the Holy Family, which meant long, long lines.
 
Ours is on the left side of the altar. It’s an almost life-size Fontannini one. It’s beautiful. I wish we had statues that large and colorful out the rest of the year, because my church is kind of plain.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top