On a cold, windy December night, families bundled in coats and scarves gathered beneath café lights at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bryantown, Maryland, to watch children portray the Nativity, with live animals and music forming the backdrop.
Held Friday, Dec. 19, the Live Nativity drew parishioners and visitors from across Southern Maryland for an evening of prayer, performance, and community collaboration centered on the birth of Christ.
The event opened with a prayer led by Father Rory T. Conley, pastor of St. Mary’s, and unfolded across the parish grounds as children portrayed shepherds and members of the Holy Family while live animals stood nearby.
Now in its fifth year, the Live Nativity began in 2020 and has continued to grow, according to organizer Victoria Hayden, who coordinated the event with parish volunteers and community
“We have different schools that participate each year, and it’s really beautiful,” Hayden said.
This year’s event featured musical and theatrical performances by students from St. Mary’s Bryantown, St. Peter’s Catholic School in Waldorf, and St. John’s Catholic School in Hollywood. Families gathered around a fire pitand tables were set beneath café lights while food trucks and vendors served refreshments throughout the evening.
Despite blustery weather that forced organizers to scale back some planned elements, including a prayer tent, the event proceeded as scheduled.
“The wind was so bad, but thank God it slowed down,” Hayden said.
The Southern Maryland programs of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington collaborated closely on the event, providing hospitality and outreach support and sharing information about resources available to families experiencing food insecurity and housing instability.
Lisa Case, Southern Maryland outreach manager for Catholic Charities, helped bring approximately 30 residents from the Angels Watch Shelter to the Live Nativity by bus. Families typically stay at the shelter for three to six months, she said.
“We wanted families to be able to come out and enjoy the event,” Case said.
Volunteers staffed the Southern Maryland Food Truck, which provided complimentary hot chocolate throughout the evening.
Case said community support remains essential in meeting the needs of families served by Catholic Charities, particularly amid ongoing economic challenges and food insecurity. She said those wishing to help can support the Southern Maryland Food Bank through donations or volunteer service, and noted that the Angels Watch Shelter also welcomes community involvement through family sponsorships and meal support.
Members of the parish’s Knights of Columbus assisted with logistics, including managing a large fire pit and directing traffic and parking. Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative donated lighting, while the Charles County Police Department provided road signage. Local businesses also contributed services and equipment, with Tri-County Rentals donating tents and T & T Sweeping Port O Let Service providing portable restrooms. Animals featured in the Live Nativity, including a donkey and an alpaca, were provided by Mary’s Go Round Petting Zoo.
Among those attending were George and Kathy Dameron, parishioners of St. Cecilia’s Parish in St. Mary’s City, who said they came to support the event and experience a live Nativity for the first time.
“I’ve never really been to a live Nativity before, so I thought it would be fun,” George Dameron said.
The Damerons said events like the Live Nativity reflect the close-knit nature of Catholic life in Southern Maryland, where parishes are often only a few miles apart and regularly support one another.
“There are so many different parishes, and each one has its own personality,” George Dameron said. “Everybody has something to offer, and together it feels like one big family.”
Children played a central role in the reenactment. Siblings Fiona, Justus, Helena and William Cobb, who are homeschooled, volunteered to portray figures in the Nativity story despite the cold temperatures.
