Pictured alongside the donated Nativity scene, from left, are Brad Durcholz, the Rev David Langford and the Rev. Jonathan Norton.

Text and Photos
By Brianna Pitts
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Sacred Heart Catholic Church was recently gifted a Nativity scene previously used at Notre Dame University.

“A couple of months ago,” the Rev. Jonathan Norton recalled, “there was an email sent out to several churches in the northeast region of Indiana from Notre Dame. It stated the university had been gifted a new Nativity scene and would be donating theirs to a church on a first-come first-serve basis. Luckily, I checked my email only a couple minutes after receiving this and was able to email back first before the frenzy ensued.”

After they received word Sacred Heart Catholic Church was chosen, the facilities manager, Mike Wack, went to retrieve it from South Bend. It was then stored until a couple of weeks ago when Brad Durcholz and his wife, Brenda, worked to put all of the pieces together. With the help of Thomas Burnworth and Mark Messman, the team was able to construct the Nativity scene on Durcholz’s property, deconstruct it and then reconstruct it again on Sacred Heart’s campus.

When asked how the general public was responding to the Nativity scene, Durcholz said, “While we were constructing it, there were several horns honking and thumbs up given as a show of appreciation. So I would say it has been pretty positive.”

Norton said both he and the parishioners were excited to receive the Nativity scene. “When people see this artwork, I pray it will point people back to Christ and remind people of his humble beginnings and give them hope during these times. I hope it will remind people to pray and bring them to the church this holiday season.”

The baby Jesus will be placed in the manger on Christmas day, Monday, Dec. 25, with the wise men arriving a few weeks after that.

A photo of the Nativity scene on the lawn of Sacred Heart Catholic Church facing Center Street in Warsaw.