Nativity scenes collected by Fr. Ken Schuckman on display this month at Catholic Care Center
By Jennifer Sanders
In Advent, festive decorations pop up almost everywhere; many of them secular in nature, full of smiling Santas and mischievous elves. Far too often, such displays can obscure the true purpose of the season. Meanwhile, the nativity scene aims to remind Catholics – and everyone else – why we celebrate the Advent and Christmas seasons. This diorama is a focal point of our holiday celebration.
Fr. Ken Schuckman, retired priest of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, is especially fond of depictions of the nativity and their important message during this time of year. As a first-year teacher in 1976, Fr. Schuckman purchased his first nativity scene at an after-Christmas clearance sale.
He paid $100 for the hand-carved set, an extravagant purchase on a teacher’s salary at the time. He said he was drawn to the set and knew he wanted one for his apartment. In the years that followed, Fr. Schuckman continued to collect nativity scenes. Some came from after-Christmas sales, others were gifted to him from family, friends, and parishioners, and some were brought to him from foreign countries, including Germany and Israel.
Today, Fr. Ken has collected more than 100 complete nativity scenes, each with its own unique details and beauty. Last year in his final year of service as chaplain to Ascension Via Christi St Joseph Hospital, he hosted an exhibit of his collection at the hospital one day during Advent. Now in his retirement, and as a new resident of the Priest Retirement Center, Fr. Ken has donated his collection to the center and is collaborating with its staff to host a five-day event to share the collection with the faithful of the diocese.
From Dec. 18 through 22, Catholic Care Center and Fr. Ken will host “Joy To the World: Nativity Scenes from Around the Globe,” where the entire collection will be on display. Hours for the exhibition run 10:30 a.m.-noon/1-7 p.m. on Dec. 18 and 21, and 10:30 a.m.-noon/1-3 p.m. on Dec. 19, 20, and 22.
For information visit www.catholiccarecenter.org/events.
Jennifer Sanders is director of marketing and clinical liaison for the Catholic Care Center.