By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Charlie Cocco moved closer to the manger to get a better look.
The 6-year-old boy watched intently as church members portraying Mary and Joseph depicted the birth of the baby Jesus during one of the most blessed events on the Christian calendar: Christmas Day.
Costumed parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sea Isle City re-enacted the birth of Jesus in a live nativity scene that transported Charlie Cocco and other members of the audience back in time some 2,000 years ago.
This was the second year in a row that St. Joseph Church staged the nativity scene, which has quickly become one of the centerpieces of the holiday celebration in Sea Isle.
The event began Saturday night inside the church sanctuary with the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she would conceive a boy who would be known to the world as “the son of God.”
The audience then moved outside the church as the re-enactment continued in the hay-filled barnyard stable depicting the humble birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem.
As he stood just feet away from the manger, Charlie couldn’t take his eyes off of one of the white-robed shepherds in the re-enactment – his father, Patrick Cocco.
“I really liked the shepherds,” Charlie said. “It was so cool.”
Patrick Cocco, of Ocean View, smiled when he heard his son’s comments.
For Patrick Cocco, the entire re-enactment was simply “great” because of the large turnout from the community. Hundreds sat inside the church sanctuary for the opening scene and then watched quietly outside as the live nativity unfolded in a realistic-looking manger complete with barnyard animals.
“It was exceptional,” said Gerry Deery, a Sea Isle resident who attended the re-enactment with his wife, Rosemary.
Gerry Deery noted that he has seen other live nativity scenes, but thought the one staged by St. Joseph Church was the best depiction yet of the birth of Jesus.
“In many ways, it really set the tone for the spirituality of the holiday,” he said.
“It really warmed our hearts,” Rosemary Deery added.
The Deerys’ daughter, Mary Beth Libro, served as the narrator for the live nativity, describing pivotal moments surrounding the birth of Jesus for the audience members.
The parishioners who served as the actors had no speaking roles. Joseph and Mary were played by real-life husband and wife Kevin and Dana Morris.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio, a member of St. Joseph Church, portrayed the Bethlehem innkeeper who told Mary and Joseph there was no more room at his place for the night and suggested they sleep in a nearby barnyard.
Marie Mulholland, Ginger Radzieta, Myka Morris and Flora Morris of the group Cherub Angels sang classic Christmas songs and provided musical accompaniment throughout the night.
The audience members sat just a few feet from the parishioners who portrayed Mary and Joseph, the three Wise Men, shepherds and the angels.
Adding to the realism of the manger scene was a collection of live animals, including sheep, goats, donkeys and even two camels.
Addressing his remarks to the “dear friends and families” of the church, St. Joseph Pastor Perry Cherubini wrote a personal message in the song book for the live nativity scene. He expressed his hope that the event would “touch your hearts with joy and peace.”
“Christmas is much more than a holiday. It’s a Holy Day. It is a time when Jesus was born to be the Light of the World,” he wrote. “It is a time when our God shows up to bring us a message of hope and to offer us the unlimited gift of grace and salvation through Jesus Christ.”
Father Cherubini closed his remarks by saying that his prayer, as church pastor, is that everyone would share the story of “God’s unfailing love for the world” as it was depicted in the live nativity.
“(Share) this good news with everyone, so that they, too, can find hope, joy, peace and love in Jesus – our newborn king.”
