Birth of a new tradition.

St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson has the distinction of being the only church in Mississippi to own a near-life-size Fontanini Nativity scene. But how the church came to obtain it is a tale in itself.

"For many years, we had a lovely Nativity scene which stood outside the church during the 12 days of Christmas," says Suzan Cox, director of liturgy. "But it had its share of bad luck. At one point, baby Jesus was beheaded by vandals and Mary and Joseph were stolen from the stable. After I glued the baby's head back on and the police returned Mary and Joseph, we continued to use it for a while. We all loved the old creche, but we knew it was time for a new one."

In 2003, Cox asked Monsignor Noel Foley to bring up the purchase of a new creche before the church finance committee. The committee approved a small "kickoff" fund but left it to Cox to raise the remaining cost.

"Father John Bohn and I looked at dozens of catalogs, but we were just drawn to the Fontanini," says Cox. "We chose the 50-inch figures, the largest Fontanini makes." Undaunted by the five-figure price tag, Cox put a request for donations in the church bulletin the following weekend. Within an hour after the Saturday vigil Mass, the church received its first substantial donation. "After that, the donations just came rolling in," beams Cox.

St. Richard's Fontanini creche currently consists of 13 figures--the Holy Family, a watchful angel, a shepherd boy with three sheep, an ox and donkey, and the three Magi. Each figure was donated by an individual or family, most in honor or in memory of a loved one. Jerry Cox, Suzan's husband, constructed the wooden framework for the stable. The stable setting is handsomely decorated each year by the liturgy committee.

The creche tradition, it is told, was established in 1223 when St. Francis of Assisi dramatized the birth of Christ by staging a live Nativity scene complete with animals. As Christianity spread, each culture has imprinted its own interpretation on the setting and the people surrounding the birth of Christ, often using characters from local trades as Nativity witnesses and giving the figures the local ethnic appearance.

For four generations, the Fontanini family has crafted religious figures in Bagni di Lucca, a village in Tuscany where the business originated. The figures are fashioned from a marble-based resin, rendering them extremely durable. Each figure is handpainted and finished in a rich patina, then marked with a fountain symbol on the base (the name "Fontanini" means "small fountain" in Italian), and some are signed by a member of the Fontanini family.

In observance of ancient Christian tradition, St. Richard's Fontanini pieces remain in storage until Christmas Eve. "As each statue is brought out of its case, unwrapped, and placed in the stable, it is like giving birth to the figure again," says Suzan Cox. On Christmas Eve, the stable scene is placed in the front of the church near the altar. At that time, it contains only Mary and Joseph, the animals, the shepherd, and the angel. During the Christmas vigil, the children of the church walk in procession to the altar to place the baby Jesus in his manger.

The Wise Men at Christmas Eve stand in the foyer of the church, outside the doors, symbolically making their slow progress to the manger. Gradually over the next 12 days, the three figures move closer and closer to the creche at the altar. They are placed with the Holy Family on the Twelfth Day of Christmas, January 6, Epiphany, the date the visit of the Magi is celebrated.

The public is invited to St. Richard Catholic Church, located at 1242 Lynwood Drive in Jackson, to view the Fontanini Nativity scene between December 24 and January 6. "It will take your breath away," says Cox.