December 2013

Question:

Dear Abbot Pennings, 

Can you share the story behind the Nativity scene that is set up in front of Main Hall every holiday season?

Ben Cahall ’11

Answer:

My dear Ben, 

Oh, how I love the blessed season of Christmas, especially at St. Norbert College! Christmas parties, concerts and events round out the semester, and our students are all abuzz as they get ready for final exams and then the journey home to loved ones. When my seat on campus was outside the old Todd Wehr Hall Library, I had a prime post for viewing the college’s Nativity scene!

Our beautiful crèche appears to show up overnight but, in fact, it is the result of the labors of a team of five from the facilities department to put it together. After they have fetched the figures and props from the storage facility at 711 Sixth Street, the mechanical systems department connects the lighting so the scene can shine for the campus community to enjoy.

Our nativity scene was purchased in the early 2000s from a local store specializing in religious artifacts, so it has graced the front of Main Hall for 11 or 12 years now. It is normally put in place the week after Thanksgiving.

We invite all our local friends and occasional visitors to take a moment during this festive season to visit our campus and enjoy the holy scene. It is assuredly a beautiful sight, and most especially at nighttime.

Ben, may I wish you and yours all the blessings of the season! 

Responses to “Ask the Abbot” questions are penned by St. Norbert College staff in the name of Abbot Bernard Pennings, O.Praem., who founded St. Norbert College in 1898.