St. JPII nativity reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas

A 2017 photo of the live nativity scene at St. John Paul II High School. This year’s live nativity event is scheduled to run Sunday, Dec. 1 through Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 6-8 p.m. See more photos below.

Father Peter Martinez | for STC
 

For Veronica Maxwell and her family, the Live Nativity at St. John Paul II High School has been a family tradition to kick off the Christmas season for many years. 

“The Live Nativity has always been very special to me,” marveled Maxwell. “Even when my kids were younger we always had to come by to see the angels, Mary and baby Jesus.  What a better way to remind us why we celebrate Christmas.”

Maxwell, chair of the high school’s Parent Teacher Organization, is spearheading this year’s live Nativity, which will start Sunday, Dec. 1 and run through Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 6-8 p.m. each evening. The nativity is free to the public, but donations are accepted.

St. John Paul II High School senior Daniel Urbina (left), Veronica Maxwell, Parent Teacher Organization chair and senior Madelyn Burton review technical notes for this year’s Live Nativity event, scheduled to run Sunday, Dec. 1 through Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 6-8 p.m. There is no admission charge for the event and it is open to the public. Rebecca Esparza | STC

The Live Nativity has been held at the school since 2006.  Maxwell first became involved when her oldest child was a freshman at St. John Paul II. Currently, her daughter Annisa is a senior and Alec is a sophomore at the school.

Although no formal numbers have been kept on how many cars go through the live Nativity every year, Maxwell believes last year saw record attendance.

“We probably saw several hundred cars each night last year. It was definitely our busiest year ever,” she said. “For those who have never been, we ask you try to get there early in case you want to drive through again. We have had more than a few families come through several times.”

Maxwell explained the entrance to the Live Nativity begins at the Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School gates. Guests are offered cookies and hot chocolate to enjoy as they drive through. It is suggested guests might want to bring a blanket or jacket to enjoy the Christmas music as they experience the Lve Nativity.

“Expect to be amazed,” she marveled.

Besides requiring a large cast of actors, there are many more volunteers behind the scenes who make this production come to life, including hundreds of family members, siblings, parents, grandparents and friends of St. John Paul II students.

“Almost every student at John Paul signs up to participate. This year, some students were asking when they could start signing up before we even started working on the event,” Maxwell said. “A lot of them have had older brothers and sisters who have participated. It has become a family tradition here at the school. The main scenes are designated for seniors. We try to give everyone who asked to play one of the Mary’s or Joseph an opportunity to do that at least one of the evenings.”

The “Welcoming Mary” and “Angel Gabriel” are chosen by the previous year’s actors. This year, St. John Paul II seniors Madelyn Burton, 17, and Daniel Urbina, 17, will portray the pivotal roles.

“I was very honored to be chosen this year and I’m excited because I’ve been an angel for the past three years,” Madelyn smiled. “I’m praying for good weather and since I’m the “Welcoming Mary” who holds my arms up for two hours straight, that I have the strength to do a great job.”

Daniel is happy to fill the role of Angel Gabriel and understands it may come with a unique set of challenges.

“I’m the one who is high up on the ladder, wearing a big set of wings, so I hope it’s not too windy,” he chuckled. “But honestly, being up there while cars are passing by, it is quite reverent and beautiful.”

“It puts you into the Christmas spirit. It reminds everyone of what the true meaning of Christmas is and gets you into the mindset of honoring the birth of Jesus,” Madelyn added.

Evelyn Burton, Madelyn’s mother, beamed with pride about her daughter’s participation in this year’s live Nativity.

“We are honored that Madelyn has been asked to be the “Welcoming Mary,” she said. “All of the high school students giving of their time and talents to present this to our community is beautiful.”

Maxwell said the dedication of the students, whether behind-the-scenes, as angels, shepherds, or primary actors, is unparalleled.

“These kids are amazing. They come in after school, eat a quick dinner, put on their costumes and attend a service in the chapel, right before they need to get into place. Then they stand, sit, or kneel for two straight hours without complaining. We’ve had some great weather and some really cold nights. The students get out there, do what they need to do and then come back to do it all over the next night,” she said.