LINCOLN – The 28-foot wide nativity scene at Cristo Rey Parish in Lincoln is open to visitors through Jan. 11.
It is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at Cristo Rey Church, 4245 J St., Lincoln. The parish serves Hispanic Catholics in the area.
The elaborately constructed nativity scene depicts not only Bethlehem, but also scenes from Nazareth, Egypt and the Jerusalem Temple.
The scene – called a belén in Spanish – has been hosted at Cristo Rey each year since 2004. It takes a week to construct by a handful of primary builders and other volunteers. They are motivated by the joy that comes at Christmas; the scene is like a birthday gift for the newborn Savior.
In celebrating Christ’s life worldwide, Cristo Rey uses all donations received in connection to the nativity scene to serve Catholic communities overseas. In Kitukuni, rural Kenya, Cristo Rey parishioners are helping a Catholic communiy build a church. They also support the Nyumbani and Mercy Sisters of the Poor orphanages.
