Miles Apart Geographically, But Close Together in Spirit

by Lori Donnester

The first business meeting of the year of the Salt Lake City Ladies of Charity was on January 5th, which was a cold, gray snowy day. We were to gather at a member’s home– she had enticing décor that I’d heard about but never seen. I put on my snow boots, put my car in all wheel drive, and cranked up the heat. When I walked into Carol’s home, my jaw dropped.

Click to enlarge photos

In it, about two hundred nativity scenes from all over the world were displayed– thirty-seven countries to be exact. And she’s been to many of them. She said she started over three decades ago as a single mom. She loved Hummels and would splurge on one or two figurines a year– those for a nativity. From there grew a beautiful and wondrous collection that fills two entire rooms of her home. She isn’t single anymore and her husband is supportive of her endeavor. She invites school children from Our Lady of Lourdes School to view the display and see the numerous ways that the nativity is portrayed throughout the world. Years later, some students said that they still remember coming to see the nativities.

I walked around looking at scenes made from bone, made from seashells, made from paper, made from corn stalks, made from toothpicks, made from matchsticks… you get the idea. The love of Christ and the miracle of His birth was depicted no matter how poor or no matter what the living conditions. There was even one from Liberia made from spent bullet casings. The creator of that one said that the love of Christ can turn what was meant to be a threat of death into something beautiful. Amazing.

And of course there were many from the United States. From Alaska to Florida. Penguins to alligators. It was so much fun to visualize so many diverse cultures next to each other. We all come from various places, we all identify with aspects of our particular geography, and it is all unique to us. But one thing we have in common– the love of Christ and the desire to remember and experience His birth through art.

It’s funny– when it comes right down to it, no matter how many miles separate us; we’re all very much alike when it comes to love.

In addition, at the business meeting we discussed our Fall Bazaar– we made $2330 selling books, decorations, food, and more. All that money can be used to help the twenty-seven families who aren’t quite able to make ends meet. We were able to donate what wasn’t sold to local charities.

What a beautiful way to start the New Year.

2 thoughts on “Miles Apart Geographically, But Close Together in Spirit

    1. Speaking of miles apart but close together in spirit, I too have been a collector of nativities (but not up to Carol’s level.) Several years ago, I traveled from my home in Buffalo to a convention of a collectors’ group, Friends of the Creche, held in Toronto. At the banquet, as I was conversing with the woman seated next to me, I learned she was from Salt Lake City. I said that I knew some Ladies of Charity from Salt Lake city. She replied, “I’m a Lady of Charity.” And thus I met Carol.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *