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Live Nativity on Campus December 3rd

To celebrate the spirit of the Christmas season, Neumann College will present a Live Nativity on Sunday, December 3. The program, which is open to the public and free of charge, begins at 6:30 p.m. in front of Bachmann Main Building on the Aston campus.

The highlight of the observance will be the re-enactment of the Franciscan tradition of the crib, first celebrated in Greccio, Italy. Neumann students will perform the Live Nativity and the scripture narration.

In addition to the crèche scene, the program will also feature the sounds of festive Christmas music performed by the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (Aston, PA) Bell Choir and caroling by the St. Joseph’s Children’s Choir. After the celebration, children of all ages can meet Santa Claus and enjoy refreshments in the Great Hall of the Life Center.

Before the Live Nativity, the public is welcome to join the College community for mass at 5:00 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel in Bachmann Main Building.

The Live Nativity was first staged in 1223, when a group of monks organized by St. Francis of Assisi led a singing throng of local residents to Greccio, a simple monastery in the heart of Italy. The villagers witnessed a primitive crib, surrounded by farm animals and peasants who re-enacted the birth of Christ. This ritual has been celebrated ever since, in Greccio and around the world.

12/1/06