Hand-carved Nativity is a lasting gift from a Holy Land pilgrimage

 As the world marked the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel and as the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, members of Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston gathered on October 7 to pray for peace and to bless an intricately carved Nativity scene that was bought with a leap of faith during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

“It really came about because we wanted to do something for the Christians in the Holy Land,” says Father Daniel Greenleaf, pastor of Prince of Peace Parish. “It took a lot of faith.”

In April 2023, Father Greenleaf and a group of parishioners went on a nine-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In Bethlehem, not far from the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born, the Zakharia Brothers, a Catholic family, run a woodworking shop. When the Prince of Peace parishioners stopped there, the family told them how their nearly century-old business was struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they pleaded with the group to buy something substantial to help them out. What caught their eye was a large manger scene depicting shepherds and the Magi paying homage to the Christ child, with an angel above. The price tag: $40,000.

“We went to look at it, and I said, ‘Do you think we could do that?’ And they were all like, ‘Yes, we can do that! It would be great if we brought that home,’” says Father Greenleaf. “It’s fitting because, as Prince of Peace Parish, our feast day is December 25.”

With trust in the Lord and with faith in the generosity of his parishioners, Father Greenleaf put it on his credit card, although he admits he did have some second thoughts.

“I didn’t sleep for three days. I was like, ‘I can’t believe I just did this. How am I going to pay for this?’” he says.

The shopkeepers gave the group 2,000 olive wood rosaries, pointing out that if they sold each of them for $20, that would add up to $40,000.

“We got to work selling the rosaries for $20 each, and between that and some very generous donations, we were able to raise the money needed in about six months,” says Barbara Moran, who participated in the pilgrimage.

Once the manger scene arrived, it needed a good home to properly display it. For that, Father Greenleaf turned to a 20-year-old altar server and self-taught woodworker, David Madore.

“We put it on an old altar that we had, but that didn’t fit. Then, we thought, we really should have a Prince of Peace altar because that is our parish. So that’s when I spoke to David, and a benefactor came forward and said, ‘In honor of my mother, I’d like to pay for the altar,’” says Father Greenleaf.

“He texted me one day, and he’s like, ‘Are you ambitious enough to do an altar?’ And I said yes,” says Madore.

The manger and altar were to be placed to the left of the sanctuary, so Madore began researching different styles of side altars. He says he also tried to match the style of the basilica. Working on it part-time, he says it took him about seven months to complete, which included about 300 hours of detailed hand carving.

 “The two spires on the top were the hardest parts to carve. They have a lot of detail in them, and trying to match what’s at the basilica was quite challenging,” he says.

Madore says he incorporated a lot of spiritual symbolism into his design.

 “For instance, there are three rosettes for the Trinity. The arches, there are seven of them on each side because seven is the number meaning perfection. There are also three leaves throughout the whole design for the Trinity,” he says.

Madore describes making the altar as a great honor.

“I’ve always dreamt of doing something for the Church, and the honor of doing it here at the basilica was outstanding,” he says. “It’s a way to glorify God through art.”

During the October 7 Mass, Bishop James Ruggieri blessed the manger, praying:  “Lord, bless this manger; may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and raise up our thoughts to him, who is God-with-us and Savior of all.”

The bishop then celebrated the Liturgy of the Eucharist on the altar, inaugurating it. It did not need to be blessed because the altar stone came from a former altar.

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

Among those participating in the Mass were Maine members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. With roots that date to 1099, the time of the First Crusade, the order is an international association dedicated to supporting the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Christian presence in the Holy Land. So important is their work that Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, has said that without the order’s unwavering support of “schools, projects, and activities throughout the diocese, I cannot imagine what the Church in the Holy Land would be like.”

“Can you imagine if we lost access to the Holy Sepulchre or to the Church of the Nativity or to all of these beautiful places?” asks Cynthia Nickless, a dame in the order.

The Equestrian Order supports 53 parishes and 44 schools along with Holy Family Hospital, Bethlehem University, and a seminary. It is the second largest Christian employer in the Holy Land.

“Education is so important because we have many Muslims in our schools as well, and they're teaching them to live together in peace and in harmony,” says Nickless. “It’s a big mission. It’s bigger than any of us.”

The order has a membership of more than 30,000. That includes 190 members from Maine, which is part of the Northeastern Lieutenancy. Those who are members describe it as a privilege.

“It’s a great way to ensure that there is always going to hopefully be a Christian presence in the land where Jesus walked. That’s why I wanted to join, and that’s why I was pleased to have the opportunity to join,” says Dr. Wayne Moody, a knight in the order.

People must be invited to join. However, for many, membership started with an inquiry. To learn more and for contact information, visit eohsjnortheastern.org/.