Knights of Columbus carry on a decades-old tradition at St. Joseph Oratory in Portland
Carrying on a tradition that dates back more than four decades, members of the Knights of Columbus gathered at St. Joseph Oratory in Portland on Friday, December 19, to assemble the church’s creche.
While you will see many manger scenes in churches this time of year, what makes the one at St. Joseph Oratory special is that much of it was built by a member of the Knights, George Robertson, who was a parishioner of the church. While Robertson bought the figures for the Nativity scene, he created dozens of other pieces for it.
“The stones were picked up on Scarborough Beach. A piece of wood was taken from his backyard. Every tool, if you look closely when it’s done, the little shovels and all the pieces, he made,” says Dick Pratt from Knights Council 101 of Our Lady of Hope Parish. “Even the bundles of straw, he would cut the straw and wrap them and tie it.”
The base of the display is made from an old ping pong table, to which Robertson attached rocks. The creche is made out of wood. To create the scene, which extends beyond the manger, Robertson made barrels, benches, buckets, a carpenter’s saw, cut firewood, fences, ladders, a trough, a wheelbarrow, and more. He sized the scene to exactly fit at the entrance of the church’s Our Lady’s chapel.
Robertson made the manger scene at his home in the North Deering section of Portland and donated it to the church, dedicating it in memory of his parents, George and Roseina Robertson, and to Patrick and Mary Murphy, whom he credited for sharing the Christmas story with him.
Robertson passed away in 2002, but each year, the Knights piece together the Nativity scene, using old photos as their guide. For years, the work was done by members of Council 11257, but that council recently merged with Council 101, which has now continued the work.
Located on Stevens Avenue, St. Joseph Oratory is home to the Latin Mass community. It is also used by the Hispanic community and by St. Brigid School.
