Ss. Simon and Jude Parish celebrating 50 years of half life-sized nativity
Ss. Simon and Jude Parish in Scott Township celebrates 50 years of its half life-size nativity this holiday season.
The tradition started in August 1967 when Bud O’Connell, a local resident who constructed a nativity scene on his front porch each year, asked parishioner Grant Conway for a favor. No longer able to set up the nativity, O’Connell asked Conway to speak with Father Carey to see if he would accept the nativity donation and place it where others could continue to enjoy the display. Carey welcomed the gift, and plans got underway to design and construct a barn to house the figures.
Conway found wood from a 150-year-old frame structure and along with his two sons, used it to construct the original barn that still houses the set today. The trio then added the inscription “A Savior is Born in Bethlehem” beneath the roof trusses.
To help with the assembly and disassembly of the stable, Grant enlisted the help of neighborhood friends Bud Carr and Leo Campbell, along with their sons and others in the community. This tradition has extended to second and third generation parishioners.