St. Peter Church hosts nativity exhibit, bazaar this weekend
St. Peter Church will have a small number of nativity sets on sale this weekend, but the church will display over 175 of them.
St. Peter is hosting a nativity set exhibit and a bazaar from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the multipurpose room of the church, 1891 Kaneville Road in Geneva.
Peggy Gurbal and Mary Jaeger, both Geneva residents and St. Peter parishioners, got the idea of the display from reading about two women in California who have created a traveling exhibit of nativity sets. The women charge admission and the proceeds go to the homeless. Visit www.noroom.org to see more about the California women's efforts.
"We wanted to have the exhibit and bazaar prior to Thanksgiving, and we hope it helps put the right perspective on the season," Gurbal said. "We're celebrating Christ's birth."
The nativity sets will be on loan from parishioners. One person is bringing a collection of 75. A small number belong to the church or the parish school and are displayed every year.
"So many people have shared their special stories," Gurbal said. "For example, what the set meant to their parents, or they recall how one of their children played with the figures."
Gurbal said the nativity sets vary greatly in size. Some are antique, some are new, and others are imported from countries such as Germany or Greece.
The weekend event will also offer the sale of jewelry, baskets, pottery, scarves and yes, nativity sets, and other products made by artisans in developing nations.
The items are for sale through a Catholic Relief Services program called "The Work of Human Hands." All proceeds are returned to the people who made the items.
Advent calendars and wreaths will also be on sale. A large watercolor painting of Jesus and his mother at different stages of life by Lorraine Ochsner of Geneva will be on sale via silent auction. A portion of these proceeds will go to the St. Peter food pantry, which serves the community. Donations for the pantry will also be accepted.
"It all goes to the poor," Jaeger said. "None of it goes to the parish. The poor are very much here; they are all around us. But they are not always seen because people hide their circumstances."
The church estimates that the St. Peter food pantry serves about 600 families a month.
For information, call the parish at (630) 232-0124.
Bring latkes: You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy a great latke, or potato pancake, or to attend a local pre-Hanukkah party.
The Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors group will have its pre-Hanukkah party and pot luck meal from 12:15 to 3 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave.
The event will feature holiday foods and music (musicians are welcome to bring their instruments), along with crafts and other activities for children.
Guests are invited to bring latkes (potato pancakes), fruit, sweet treats, or other food, but it isn't necessary.
Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights. This eight-day festival begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown Dec. 4, and ends at sundown Dec. 12.
Those planning on attending should send an e-mail to mry98@aol.com and include information on how many will be attending, and what food is being brought.
Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors is composed of Jewish individuals and Jewish and interfaith families in central Kane County and nearby towns.
For information, visit www.fvjn.org, or e-mail info@fvjn.org.
ngier@dailyherald.com