After its Nativity scene is stolen, a parish keeps the ‘reason for the season’ even more visible

This Nativity scene, created by members of the Hispanic community of Holy Trinity Parish in Edinburgh, was stolen from the parish grounds last year, just before the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. Members of the parish’s Hispanic community plan to build another Nativity scene before Christmas. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

Call it a celebration of the Christmas spirit—a heartwarming effort to overcome a senseless act with the light of faith.

Before it was stolen last December, an outdoor Nativity scene was a beautiful point of joy and reverence for the members of Holy Trinity Parish in Edinburgh—and even more so for the Hispanic parishioners who pooled their money for it and built it.

Lit up on a hill leading to the parish church, the wooden Nativity crèche served as a beacon of the true meaning of Christmas in Edinburgh, a community about 35 miles south of Indianapolis.

Yet in a move that would make even the pre-reformed Grinch cringe, the entire Nativity scene was stolen within two days of it being assembled.

“The idea of someone stealing a representation of our faith is beyond any reality you can imagine,” says Deacon Jorge Arturo Sanchez Leanos, who ministers at Holy Trinity. “People were surprised and sad.”

And when the Nativity scene was stolen just before the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12, the theft also struck to the heart of what many Mexican Catholics hold dear in their faith—a boundless love for the Blessed Mother and her Son that has especially existed for nearly 500 years, ever since she appeared to a Mexican peasant, St. Juan Diego, in 1531.

“From a Mexican tradition, the festivities of Our Lady of Guadalupe go back to our very roots,” Deacon Jorge says. “She has been the icon of evangelization for Mexicans and many Latino-American cultures. In Mexico, we know about Christ because of the love of Christ demonstrated by the Virgin Mary.”

With that love to guide them, a core group of people from Holy Trinity have chosen to overcome the actions of a thief or thieves by bringing even more attention this year to the celebration of Christ’s birth.

First, parish members from the Hispanic community plan to build another wooden Nativity crèche in time for the celebration of Christmas.

And when parish leaders learned of an effort to increase the number of outdoor Nativity scenes across central and southern Indiana, they viewed it as a way to help light up Edinburgh for Christmas even more.

Members of Holy Trinity Parish in Edinburgh gather around a Nativity scene by their church, part of the parish’s efforts to celebrate the birth of Christ after the theft of their large, wooden Nativity crèche during Advent last year. Members of the parish’s Hispanic community also plan to build a new wooden Nativity crèche in time for the celebration of Christmas. (Submitted photo)

Holy Trinity members bought 44 Nativity scenes from Project Outdoor Nativity Scene to display outside their homes this year.

“That is telling us that the representation of Christ himself is really the reason for the season,” says Deacon Jorge, who has one of the Nativity sets at his home and is involved in the creation of the large, wooden Nativity crèche that will also be featured by the church. “The representation of the Holy Family coming together is the real meaning of the Christmas celebration. It’s a beautiful way to share our faith.”

That resolve and respect from Holy Trinity members tie in naturally with the commitment of other Christian churches in the community—and with Edinburgh’s annual Holiday of Lights celebration, which will be on Dec. 9 this year.

“The whole city participates,” Deacon Jorge says. “Holy Trinity has participated in it for years. It’s a great celebration.”

The purchase of the 44 Nativity scenes was coordinated by Terry Robinholt, a member of Holy Trinity.

“It was the right thing to do, and it felt good doing it,” says Robinholt, who also has one of the Nativity sets. “For the first year of doing it, I was happy with 44.”

That feeling contrasts with the one he had last year when he learned about the theft of the parish’s outdoor Nativity scene, which was never recovered.

“When something like that is stolen, I just don’t understand people,” he says. “We always had some sort of Nativity scene at our home. I love the one we got this year. It’s simple, but it’s very nice.”

Robinholt says he was also pleasantly surprised by the number of Nativity scenes that were sold this year through Project Outdoor Nativity Scene—1,475.

The project is operated by Jim Liston, a member of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Carmel, Ind., in the Lafayette Diocese. In its third year, the effort has led to nearly 3,400 Nativity scenes being displayed in yards across central and southern Indiana.

“That’s what Christmas was meant to be, rather than the commercial stuff and running to buy presents,” Robinholt says.

He is already touched and thrilled at seeing some of the Nativity sets being displayed in Edinburgh, a community he describes as “a small, friendly town where people look after each other.”

“It makes me feel good to see the Nativity scenes because our church is a part of this,” he says. “To be able to bring this back just feels nice.”

A Nativity scene can be stolen, but its essence can never be taken away, Robinholt believes.

“The Nativity is the meaning of Christmas.” †