Sister Jamesine Lamb, OSF, and Brian Blasco, director of communications for the Hospital Sisters, look over a few of the 127 entries for the Franciscan Nativity Festival that will be held three afternoons, Nov. 30-Dec. 3, at the Chiara Center in Springfield. The festival is free and open to the public. In anticipation of the season of Advent, Chiara Center in Springfield, a ministry of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, will present a Franciscan Nativity Festival Nov. 30-Dec. 2. The festival, which runs from 1-4 p.m. each day, is free and open to the public and groups are welcome.

Over 125 Nativity sets will be on display in Bonaventure Hall at the Chiara Center and light refreshments will be served.

"The diversity of this display is so wonderful," says Brian Blasco, director of communications for the Hospital Sisters. "There are some that are carved in developing countries, some that are antiques - just so much to see. Yet they all tell the story of the birth of Jesus."

Entries represent a variety of countries, including Israel, China, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Angola, Haiti, Philippines and Belgium.

Sister Renita Brummer, OSF, Chiara Center program director, says she hopes this will be the first of many Nativity display festivals at the newly-opened facility. "This will be an Advent journey ... it will help us as we walk through Advent. There won't be Christmas carols and a lot of Christmas decorations."

However, she says the festival will serve as a way to educate people about this long-standing Christmas tradition.

"The tradition of the Christmas crib dates back to the time of St. Francis of Assisi, who lived in central Italy in the early 1200s," says Sister Renita. "He believed that Christmas was the dearest of feasts because it meant that God was now one of us - flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.

"So great was Francis' love for the Child Jesus that he gathered some hay and prepared a manger; he led in an ox and ass and called the men and women of the neighborhood of Greccio, Italy together," she explains. "And at midnight on Christmas Eve, candles, torches, faith and love lit up the night as Greccio became a new Bethlehem. There were no statues, only the animals and the people recognizing in their midst God becoming flesh."   

Larry Baer of Divernon contributed this unique Nativity featuring youngsters who appear to have just left the playground to honor the Baby Jesus. “This is just a simple Nativity set of children,” Baer says. “I found it to be very different.”

Visitors will also have the opportunity to visit the large Nativity that is a permanent feature in St. Francis of Assisi Church. The clay figures in that scene were created by Helmut Bourger in the ceramic studio of Gregor Leechen in Germany. The figure of St. Francis is included and the artist recreated his clothing from actual photographs taken of the habit worn by Francis.

"All of these (borrowed) Nativity scenes have a story behind them - a tradition in the family of the person who is sharing them with us. We'll have a program available to tell those stories," Blasco concludes. "There is something about this tradition. It is something very sentimental and something very meaningful. We are so happy to be able to share this with people."   

Chiara Center is located on the northeast side of Springfield at 4875 LaVerna Road. For more event information on the Franciscan Nativity Festival, or for directions visit www.chiaracenter.org or call (217) 523-0901.