Dozens of sets on display during parish's annual
'No Room at the Inn' event

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — It’s one of the most iconic images in the Christmas story: Jesus Christ, the son of God, being born in a humble manger, surrounded by hay and animals.

Across the world, families celebrate Jesus’ humble beginning with Nativity sets.

At St. Sebastian Parish in Dearborn Heights, dozens of Nativity sets were on display for the public to see Dec. 5-6 as the parish celebrates Advent and the coming of our Lord.

“Last year, we had 85 different Nativity images; this year we’re hoping for more,” said Clare Girard, co-chair of St. Sebastian’s No Room at the Inn Display, in an interview before the event. “We just wanted to allow people a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle, to spend some time and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.”

No Room at the Inn originated in California, she said, when people from all sorts of churches and denominations set up Nativity sets in an act of Christian solidarity.

This year was the second annual event at St. Sebastian, where Nativity scene collectors brought in pieces from around the world, including a brief write-up on the history behind the pieces.

“We especially like it when people can write up a history about the origin of the set,” Girard said. “We had one set where the owner’s daughter was backpacking in Italy and brought back a beautiful Fontanini set. A lot of pieces bring back such great memories of going to Grandma’s house or visiting family members.”

The Nativity scenes were set up in St. Sebastian’s gym, where visitors could see the wide variations of a scene that’s familiar to just about everybody.

“Last year, we had 80 sets, and there wasn’t one duplicate,” said Karen St. John, who also co-chairs the display. “They’re all different sizes; some are small, some have figures that are 15 inches tall. Some are the traditional mantle pieces, but we also had a gourd from Peru with the figures inside the gourd.”

The event is meant to emphasize the meaning of the Christmas season, which is why there is no admission fee. However, people were encouraged to bring a donation to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul if they would like.

“Last year, we had a place for people to drop money for St. Vincent de Paul,” Girard said. “We raised more than $300 and some people brought food as well. We also had some coloring pages of the Nativity scene, and we love seeing the kids see all the displays.”

St. Sebastian’s No Room at the Inn doesn’t feature any sets from other denominations yet, unlike the original event in California. But Girard hopes the event will become a Dearborn Heights tradition as people start to get into the Christmas mood.

“We welcome everyone to come and see the sets and bring their own sets to show off,” Girard said. “I’ve tried to get members of other churches to participate, because we all share a desire to focus on the reason for the Christmas season. Now is the time people are starting to get in the Christmas spirit, and we want to help people celebrate the focus of the day.”