At St. Catherine's midnight Mass you'll be star-struck
LAKE MILTON
The end result makes the hours of unpacking Christmas items, decorating trees, arranging poinsettias, fluffing greenery and positioning the Nativity set worthwhile.
Then there’s the cleaning before and after the decorating.
Worshippers who attend Christmas Masses at St. Catherine Church, 1254 Grandview Road, will be “star struck” by the white-lighted form with a dramatic cascade of white lights that illuminate a nativity scene set up on the altar platform.
The Rev. David W. Merzweiler, pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish that includes St. James Church, 50 Rosemont Road, North Jackson, credited parish member Jerry Milo with crafting the statement-making star.
The star is attached to the ceiling light fixture. The 25-foot-long eye-catching star arrangement is probably the first decoration to capture people’s attention as they enter the church and find seats in pews that surround the altar on three sides.
The Nativity figures are positioned on the left side of the altar area, where a fountain and small pond usually operate. The Nativity set is Italian-made and crafted from olive tree wood.
The set includes a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, who, along with shepherds come to see the newborn baby in the manger. St. Francis is credited with originating the idea of a Nativity scene in 1223; he created one outdoors for a large gathering at a midnight Mass, and it caught on.
Read more about this unusual display and how it comes to be in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.