Cristo Rey Nativity Scene

Members of Cristo Rey Parish in Lincoln are literally preparing for the birth of Christ this Advent season.

Pepe Herrero, Pepe Casarin and about a dozen others have been assembling a nativity scene at the church that goes beyond most nativity scenes.

It’s 28-feet long and 12-feet wide and features four cities – Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Cana in Galilee. Based on the entire Gospel of St. Luke, it goes beyond the birth of Christ and also includes scenes of the Angel Gabriel telling Mary she will conceive a child, Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, the angel appearing to St. Joseph in a dream, the census, the presentation of Jesus in the temple, Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt and the childhood of Christ as a carpenter.

Using special effects, the scene cycles through day and night every four minutes.

“We want to give as complete a picture as possible of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ, not just that he was born in a stable,” Herrero said.

For 10 days, he, Casarin and other volunteers from various faith and cultural backgrounds arrange the scenery, sometimes working until the wee hours of the morning. It’s a very physical activity, but it’s done with a tremendous amount of love, Herrero said.

“For ourselves, this time of year the true meaning of Advent comes into place,” he said. “We prepare the way of the Lord with lumber, cables, figurines, houses.”

Herrero, a lawyer, and Casarin, an engineering technician, said they want to offer the city of Lincoln and the state of Nebraska an opportunity to experience the birth of Christ in 3-D through the manger tradition. At least 1,000 visitors view the nativity scene each year, they said.

The nativity will be on display at the church, 4221 J St., from Dec. 22 through Jan. 12.

Sharing a tradition

The nativity project began nine years ago, not long after Herrero moved to Lincoln from Washington, D.C.  Collecting figurines and scenery for the nativity is a shared Christmas tradition for Herrero, who is from Spain, and Casarin, a native of Mexico. So when Herrero invited his friend to help build a “monumental” nativity scene – one that is too large to fit inside a home – Casarin said he couldn’t resist.

“I really liked the idea of sharing the nativity with not only the Cristo Rey people, but also with the entire community in Lincoln,” Casarin said.

They work as a team. Casarin has strong technical skills and creates the computer system, while Herrero is the artistic director. They both build the structures.

They experimented over the years with how best to create this type of nativity scene, and little by little added new elements that required greater skill. Herrero worked with the Association of Manger Builders in Spain for ideas and hints, and even traveled with them to Italy, Egypt and the Holy Land for inspiration. A rock he brought back from the Sea of Galilee is included in Cristo Rey’s nativity scene. The hand-painted figurines all come from Spain.

The nativity continues to grow because they try to add something new each year, Herrero said. This year it’s a new temple.

The main purpose of the nativity scene, Herrero said, is to evangelize, “to tell people in some way, ‘We’re going to put an image to the things you have read about.’”

One of his favorite parts of doing the nativity each year is watching parents hold children in their arms to look at everything, he said.

“They really share together the joy of the birth of Christ through all the little figurines, through the lakes, through the fish, all that we put on display,” he said. “It’s like a big train set or a big doll house. It combines the interest of children and adults all at once.”

Casarin and Herrero said they enjoy being a part of this tradition, and hope it will continue for years.

 “I tell God, give me the strength to continue doing this, but at the same time give me the strength to be able to convey the knowledge of how it’s built to other people, so when Pepe and I are old, we have others who want to continue this tradition,” Herrero said.

Want to go?

Herrero and Casarin said everyone is invited to view the nativity at Cristo Rey, located at 4221 J St, and they will offer tours at request.

On Christmas Eve, the nativity will be open from 9 a.m. to midnight. On all other days, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Each year visitors are asked to make a donation as a way to support the parish, which serves a large low-income population. This year half of the donations collected will go to the parish and half will go towards the construction of a Catholic church in Kenya, where Herrera has spent time doing missionary work.

For more information on the nativity, call 402-488-5087 or e-mail here. A video of the Cristo Rey scene can be seen on YouTube here.

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, Senior Writer/Reporter