St Alban’s Pupils Explore Nativity at OLEM

Pupils from St Alban’s Catholic Primary School, Cambridge, enjoyed a special opportunity on Monday morning to deepen their understanding of the Nativity story and its significance within Catholic tradition.

As part of a planned workshop, two groups of children visited Our Lady of The Assumption and The English Martyrs (OLEM), where a beautiful and prominently displayed Nativity scene served as the focus for an engaging and faith-filled learning experience.

The school had invited Francesco Connola, the artist responsible for the display to speak to the pupils about the origins of the Nativity scene, drawing particularly on traditions from Catholic countries such as Spain and Italy, where many of the figures in the crib have their roots. The children were fascinated to discover the meaning behind several characters, including the shepherd carrying a sheep across his shoulders, and the figure known as Benino. Francesco explained that Benino, shown asleep, can symbolise humanity’s dormant spiritual state before the birth of Christ.

The workshop was enriched further by an intervention from Mgr Eugene Harkness, who spoke to the children about the fisherman figure holding a fish. He introduced them to the Greek word for fish, ΙΧΘΥΣ (Ichthys)— an acronym used by early Christians as a five-word creed:

• I – Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous): Jesus

• Χ – Χριστός (Christos): Christ

• Θ – Θεοῦ (Theou): God’s

• Υ – Υἱός (Huios): Son

• Σ – Σωτήρ (Sōtēr): Saviour

This simple symbol offered the early Christian community a discreet but powerful way to profess their faith.

The children also enjoyed assisting the Francesco as he demonstrated how to create a small Nativity scene at home, offering them a hands-on opportunity to engage creatively with the tradition.

The visit proved to be both culturally enriching and spiritually meaningful, giving pupils a deeper appreciation of the Nativity and its symbolism within the Catholic faith. St Alban’s staff expressed their gratitude to OLEM, Mgr Eugene, and the artist for providing such a valuable and memorable experience for the school community.

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