A historic life-size Nativity display will return to Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral this year with the help of The Catholic Foundation.
The exhibit, donated by State Auto Insurance to the diocese’s Museum of Catholic Art and History in August 2023, has been displayed on the Cathedral’s front lawn for the past three years. The 80-piece set regularly draws visitors day and night and will return this Advent and Christmas season.
READ: State Auto donates historic Nativity to diocese’s Catholic museum for display at Cathedral
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are required to maintain the life-size Nativity. Expenses include assembly, electricity to light the display, disassembly and storage.
A St. Joseph Cathedral parishioner reached out to Father Jan Sullivan, cathedral rector, and The Catholic Foundation, where she formerly served as a board member. The Foundation offered to help fund the Nativity.
“The Catholic Foundation and its leadership in Loren Brown is dedicated to supporting the Catholic community of central Ohio,” Father Sullivan said. “As our downtown neighbor, The Foundation has a special interest in St. Joseph Cathedral and the continuing Catholic presence in downtown Columbus and our outreach to the central Ohio community.
“It also gives us at the Cathedral the opportunity to welcome folks to our historic church, which has been on this corner of E. Broad Street since 1866—160 years—and invite them to experience its beauty, hear the sacred music of the season as presented by various choirs and musical groups from throughout Columbus, and pause to consider the heart of the Christmas message.”
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The Nativity also serves as an extension of a key priority for Bishop Earl Fernandes: evangelization. The Catholic Foundation regularly supports the bishop’s pastoral priorities, including through helping fund the Nativity display.
“It has an opportunity to be an extension of now inviting people into the church—literally, into the building—to see the beauty of it and then start to feel that presence. And maybe, then, they’ll take the next step,” said Loren Brown, president and CEO at The Catholic Foundation.
“It really is a way of evangelizing. That’s why we’re behind it, and it’s part of one of our pillars as a Catholic foundation—vocations, evangelization—to fund those initiatives. That’s why we’re involved.”
In addition to a step-down grant, this year’s display was supported by a group of donors at The Catholic Foundation who hold donor-advised funds. Donor-advised fund holders can make grants for the preservation of the Nativity.
An endowment fund for the Nativity is forthcoming. Faithful can contact The Catholic Foundation for information on helping maintain the exhibit through an endowment, which provides long-term financial support.
For the past few years, hundreds of individuals have followed the display to its new location at St. Joseph Cathedral. Observers gather on the E. Broad Street sidewalk, stopping to admire the life-size display.
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Bishop Fernandes can be regularly spotted outside chatting with visitors, welcoming them and sharing stories. Choirs come and offer seasonal music.
The Nativity was first displayed in 1962 outside of the State Auto building at 518 E. Broad St. in downtown Columbus and dubbed a “Christmas card to the community.” The tradition began even earlier, in 1931, with a display of evergreens and lights on the building’s corner.
“In that same spirit, the Cathedral approaches the privilege of continuing this beloved tradition as we celebrate the birth of Jesus,” Father Sullivan said.
“I hope the presence of the Nativity … can provide for those who visit a moment of calm reflection on the true meaning of these days of merriment, as we celebrate the great mystery of God among us, drawn by the humility of God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. So great is His love for us that He became one of us, so that we, in turn, might become one with Him.”
To learn more and support the historic Nativity display, visit Giving • The Catholic Foundation of Ohio.