One of the many Nativity displays throughout the Springfield diocese that bears special mention is the one restored recently at Holy Trinity Church in Stonington.
Church historians tell Catholic Times Father J. J. Corcoran was the parish priest in 1913 when the pieces were purchased for $125. In January 2013, a letter to parishioners was attached to the Sunday bulletin which reported that for the past several years, church officials had noticed how fragile some of the statues were becoming and that they were in need of repair. There were also random areas on the crèche where the paint had chipped.
According to Sue Ann Unser, Holy Trinity Parish Council member and Liturgy chairman, the church obtained estimates from an Edwardsville firm to restore the Nativity; and to estimate prices per piece. All of the estimates were included in the Sunday bulletin letter. Depending on the size and details, restoration ranged from $40 to $750 per statue. Parishioners were invited to make a donation for a particular statue or make a general donation to the overall project. Holy Trinity's Altar and Rosary Society pledged $750 for the crèche restoration to begin the fundraising. Unser said it took only two months to raise more than $4,100 to fully fund the restoration project. Twenty families pledged the funds with a majority of the donations made as memorials for a specific statue.
The crèche measures approximately 27 inches wide, 73 inches long and 43 inches tall with much detail on the crèche itself. Two cherubs look down from the frame of the crèche. On the far left, a 30-inch palm tree frames the scene. A village can be seen in the distance. The "star" is sending its beams of light to the stable where a single light (bulb hidden in the roof of the stable) is lit above the baby Jesus in the manger. There are 23 statues ranging in heights from 4 inches to 23 inches.
Holy Trinity Parish is home to approximately 90 families and Father Alan Hunter invites everyone to visit the "beautiful little country church" in Stonington. Weekend Mass is held Sundays at 9 a.m.