Lexington Catholic church takes ‘gospel stand’ with nativity scene behind border wall

With half of its parish community Hispanic, Lexington’s St. Paul Catholic Church has taken a stand with its parishioners and the gospel this Christmas.

The Short Street church has placed a sign in front of its building welcoming immigrants and refugees, and there is more solidarity with the Hispanic community on display inside. The church’s indoor nativity scene features a baby Jesus alone behind a metal barrier much like detained children at the U.S.-Mexico border that are separated from their families.

JR Zerkowski, the church’s director of Interfaith Ministry, said the nativity scene is not meant to be a political message, but rather a “gospel stand.”

“A few people want to politicize this, which is unfortunate because this involves human dignity and the gospel,” Zerkowski said. “It has nothing to do with the president or the government, just how we treat one another.”

The message of St. Paul’s nativity scene is intended to stay true to the gospel in that what people do to others, they do to Jesus, Zerkowski said.

As of Oct. 5, 400 children have been separated from their families at the Mexico border since July 2018, according to the Associated Press. With a large portion of its parishioners Hispanic, Zerkowski said, the border wall is “very, very real for us.”

Zerkowski hopes the nativity scene leads to conversations about fixing the immigration system and keeping families together.

The nativity scene will stay up through Jan. 5. Zerkowski said the church has received an “overwhelmingly good” reception to its message.

“I’ve had many people say we nailed the gospel, that we stood up for the message of Jesus and did it in a public way,” he added.

One woman commented on the church’s Facebook post about the nativity scene, thanking the congregation for its stand. “We cannot worship the child in the manger while turning our backs on the child at the border,” she said.

During its Christmas Eve and Christmas Day masses, the church sang the “Carol of the Refugee.” One line of the carol reads, “The children are crying, in fear they awake, their parents kept from them, their hearts hurt and break. They’re Jesus, these children, just left there to cry; they’re Jesus, these children, and God asks us ‘why?”

St. Paul Catholic Church has previously taken a stand during Pride Month, as it openly welcomed all LGTBTQ+ visitors.

Zerkowski wants people who feel they don’t have a home to know they are welcomed at all times at the church.

The same banner welcoming refugees and immigrants is inside the church with the text in Spanish.