The air is bitter cold and biting, but the scene inside is warm and serene. I stand in front of the Saint Albert the Great Nativity perched brightly along Wallings Road and grow transfixed by the majesty in front of me.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, kneels with her hands crossed softly against her heart and takes in her infant son, just minutes old, or so I imagine. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, stoops lovingly by the manger with a look of adoration and amazement on his painted face. Lifelike sheep sit near and wispy straw lines the wooden floorboards. A peaceful angel looks on from the corner, assuring those gathered here this night that this is right, this is miraculous, and this is the way things should be, now and forever.
Shepherds gather and the Magi come bearing gifts for the holy infant. The Baby Jesus figurine lies sweetly in the wooden manger, a knowing look on his sacred face. The figurine is the last to arrive in the church’s Nativity scene. It is placed in the manger following the yearly “Bambinelli Blessing,” recognized on the third Sunday of Advent. The yearly tradition began in Rome at the Vatican, and continues each Christmas season with Catholics around the world bringing their Baby Jesus Nativity figures for a church blessing at their home parish.
The sounds of passing cars and changing traffic lights brings me back to present moment and state of mind and I turn to walk back to my car parked in the lot. I’m not exactly sure what made me turn off Wallings, get out of my warm vehicle with its heated seats and hot beverage in the cup holder, and stand outside in 25-degree cold to stare at these figurines. But staring at these figurines brought me serenity and the thought that no matter what pain or difficulty I encounter on my side of the Nativity glass, it’s always peaceful and perfect in there. Perhaps that’s what the Nativity’s glass covering symbolizes to me – a sort of undisturbed barricade from the hectic, hurried pace we keep on the other side of the glass.
The Saint Albert the Great Nativity scene has been captivating spectators for more than a decade. The hand-crafted and -painted figurines were purchased from The House of Fontanini in Italy. Parishioners raised the funds and continue each year to assist in the storing and setting of the display. In its early years, the stable, crafted from numerous pieces of old barn wood, had to be disassembled and re-assembled each year. It wasn’t long before parishioners, most notably Carlo Chuchiarelli and Dan Inks, had the idea to construct a permanent structure that would sit atop a mobile home chassis frame, said Saint Albert the Great Pastor Edward Estok, and a large storage garage was built on the western edge of the church property to house the Nativity 11 months out of the year.
“The earliest and first location of the Nativity was on the patio area facing the church entrance closest to Wallings Road. Subsequent years saw the installation of a concrete pad along Wallings Road where the nativity is now placed every year,” Estok said. “During my time as pastor at Saint Albert, 2009 to present, the set-up of the Nativity has taken place in time for the first Sunday of Advent, typically the weekend following Thanksgiving Day. I believe we are on the third set of generous and diligent parishioners who have taken responsibility for the set-up. The generosity and diligence of these ‘setters’ is even better appreciated because of the typical weather conditions of sleet, snow, freezing rain, and bitter cold. Following the original group of Nativity setters, a group of young fathers with children in our school under the leadership of Ric Boggs and Brian Haas, took over. Just this year, 2017, the baton has been handed onto our local Scout Troop 526 and their leaders under the leadership of Ron Blazak. Mother Nature apparently was helping us to encourage these new setters because the weather was 50 degrees and clear.”
Every passing motorist on Wallings Road is greeted by the stately display and through the years, the Saint Albert the Great Nativity has attracted admiration from throughout the Diocese. Jennifer Grieder, a parishioner and parent of Saint Albert the Great School students, remarked on the beauty of the Nativity.
“Its location, along with its size is easily seen while driving by and always reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus,” Grieder said.
It also once brought some humor, as told by the late Father Al Tesek who served at Saint Albert’s from 1996 through 2013, that once the scene received a glass covering and electricity, it was lovingly referred to by him as the “Bethlehem Hilton.”
This Christmas season, as you drive to and from errands and other daily duties, take a moment to turn off the roadway, park your car, and stand in front of the Nativity. I guarantee it will bring you peace. You won’t notice the cold, but only the warm, loving glow from within the glass.

By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer