Holy Family Parish Displays 90 Nativity Scenes

By Alfonso Aguilar
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 12/19/02)

As part of the parish’s Christmas celebrations, Holy Family in Dale City is showing an impressive collection of 90 Nativity scenes from around the world, which reflect the internationality of its congregation.

The collection belongs to Father José Eugenio Hoyos, administrator who began his collection 15 years ago. The majority were bought by Father Hoyos during trips around the world and others were gifts from parishioners and friends.

The collection includes mangers from Algeria, Tanzania, Italy, El Salvador, Bolivia, the United States, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Greece, Paraguay, Mexico, Poland, Guatemala, Cameroon, Malaysia, Morocco, Ireland, Vietnam, Haiti, Japan, France, Palestine and Colombia, Father Hoyos’ country of origin.

The oldest one was made by Argentinan artisans in 1857. Another genuine antique was made in Chile in 1872. The largest is an American Nativity with 12 pieces, some of them approximately 40 inches high. The smallest, made of silver in Germany, is no longer than two inches, nestled inside a red jewel-box.

"The Nativity from Palestine is olive wood and was carved in the Holy Land where Christ was born 2002 years ago," said Father Hoyos explaining the story of each Nativity to parishioners. "The Congo Nativity is elegantly carved from rosewood, stained black and polished to a sheen, and the Colombian Nativity was designed by internationally acclaimed sculptor Fernando Botero."

For Father Hoyos, each one is a treasure, each one has its own history and each one represents something special to him. His collection of churches from all over the world is also very special to him.

For parishioner Gabriela Barrientos of Colombia, the collection is "amazing, beautiful." Barrientos is one of many parishioners who while in Buga, the city where Father Hoyos was born, bought a Nativity scene for Father Hoyos’ collection.

"I think there is no better gift for him than a Nativity scene or a replica of a church," Barrientos said. "A Nativity scene makes him the happiest man in the world."

While serving as the U.S. ambassador in Paraguay, Cole Rick heard that the priest’s collection didn’t yet have an example from this South American country, so he sent one by mail.

At last Sunday’s Mass, a Mexican family, blessed by Father Hoyos, promised to bring him a Nativity scene from Sonora on the ocassion of a Christimas trip to see relativies in this northern state of Mexico. Other parishioners promised to do something in order to see their countries included in the collection.

The collection has been growing every year. Father Hoyos said that next year the exhibit will need a third wall, the one to the left at the main entrance, and probably a fourth if his collection of churches is included.

The exhibit is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at Holy Family Church in Dale City (14160 Ferndale Road, Dale City, Va.).  

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