By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
St. Francis is generally credited with arranging the first living nativity scene in 1223 C.E., near a monastery in the medieval village of Greccio, in what is now Italy. Since then, living nativities, recreations of the events around the birth of Jesus, are performed throughout the world. For 45 years, a family in Sherborn has been offering their own dramatic living nativity to the public.
Richard and Joan Downing of Sherborn had a large family consisting of a combination of biological, adopted, and foster children. According to a September 11, 2023 article in the "Nation Catholic Register" by Michael McDonald, one of their foster children, Wanda, "had heard of Christmas but didn’t understand it." Wanda was deaf and had mental health challenges. The family decided to act out the Christmas story. A beautiful tradition was born, and it continues to be revered by locals ever since.
The living nativity is now run by Lisa and James Shanahan. Lisa is one of Richard and Joan's foster children. Police deftly handled traffic and road crossings in the woodsy neighborhood near the intersection of route 16 and Western Avenue, where the living nativity is held. As attendees got closer to the farm field, they could hear Christmas songs sung by Dover/Sherborn's Noteworthy A Cappella Group and saw fires burning in rusty barrels to keep everyone warm. Delicious hot chocolate, warm Dowse's apple cider, and festive cookies were offered to the audience.
The nativity proceeded with a recorded narration, local volunteers, a cow, a donkey, and a dog, and a set including a village scene, the inn in Bethlehem, and the manger where Jesus was born with the north star above it. The story began with the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive a child, the son of God. At first, Joseph, Mary's betrothed, was confused and sought to divorce her. However, he received a message from an angel in a dream that Mary was with child through the action of the Holy Spirit. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to register for the census, couldn't stay at the inn because it was full, and ended up sleeping in the barn, near the animal's food trough, or manger. Jesus was born there. His birth was announced by angels, and shepherds, kings, and local villagers, including a drummer boy, came to see the baby.
The whole production was run smoothly, with various actors in costume waiting in the shadows until they played their parts. A crowd of approximately 300 people enjoyed being out at dark and in the cold to have some refreshments, sing joyful Christmas songs, and watch the timeless story unfold in tableau in a natural setting. In all, the event was a rare free public performance meant for families to spend time together in the outdoors and focus on the religious meaning of Christmas.
