Father Salvador Marquez-Munoz’s nativity scene is stopping traffic, literally, outside the rectory located at 1350 West Twinsprings Street in Siloam Springs. The house, which is located a short drive from St. Mary Church where Father Marquez-Munoz is pastor, has been decked out with the life-size figures since Dec. 2.
“People have been driving by, little kids will come in for a closer look,” he said.
Last year, Father Salvador put out just the infant Jesus. When this year rolled around, parishioners encouraged him to expand his collection. Some even donated the money to help round out the scene, which includes shepherds, an angel, sheep and the three wise men in addition to the Holy Family.
“I still don’t have any donkeys or oxen,” he said. “Maybe next year.”
Originally, he wanted to buy life-size figurines but upon discovering just one statue can cost as much as $1,000, that plan quickly dismissed. Instead, he got the idea to use mannequins and he found them far more affordable.
“The most expensive one was only $130,” he said. “The whole thing cost maybe $1,000.”
Parishioners helped sew costumes for some of the figures, for others, he ordered clothes and wigs from an online costume store. The crowning touch was the wooden stable, which had been constructed for the parish’s float into a community parade.
“They asked me if I could find a use for it and I said ’Yes! Of course!’ I was wondering where I was going to get someone to build me one,” he said.
Seeing the many hands that have helped construct the scene has brought Father Marquez-Munoz as much joy as the number of visitors who continue to visit the display both day and night. He said his goal of bringing people back to a Christian mindset in this holy season is being met.
“Last year when I had just the baby Jesus, it looked like an abandoned child,” he said. “I thought: Isn’t that what a lot of us do this time of year? We abandon Christ and focus on other things.
“I want this display to help remind us to go back to what Christmas really means, the true beauty of the nativity.”
The nativity can be seen through Dec. 31.
