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Priest of 1,000 Nativity scenes

Father Tom Connolly at St. Charles Catholic Church has more than 1,000 Nativity sets, tapestries and pictures and he will display them in a Nativity Fair at his parish hall Thanksgiving weekend. He displays them very artfully on draped, tiered tables. He has been collecting Nativity sets since 1971 and has sets that range from miniature to large, old and new. He has purchased many from around the world. (Dan Pelle / Spokesman-Review)
Father Tom Connolly at St. Charles Catholic Church has more than 1,000 Nativity sets, tapestries and pictures and he will display them in a Nativity Fair at his parish hall Thanksgiving weekend. He displays them very artfully on draped, tiered tables. He has been collecting Nativity sets since 1971 and has sets that range from miniature to large, old and new. He has purchased many from around the world. (Dan Pelle / Spokesman-Review)

The Rev. Tom Connolly of St. Charles Parish launches the Christmas season each year by sharing what he has with Spokane: 1,000 Nativity scenes made of tapestry, concrete, nails and ceramics that he has collected from around the globe. The priest smiled as he recalled how the collection began. “My brother and I bought a Nativity set for our parents when I was in ninth grade,” he said. “Some years later they bought a Nativity for me when I was in Korea.” The set featured the Holy Family in traditional Korean garb, and Connolly was captivated by it. But he didn’t start collecting in earnest until he was studying in Rome and came across an intricately detailed Nativity made of terra cotta and cloth/Cindy Hval, SR. More here.

Question: Describe your favorite Christmas decoration?

D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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