2nd Annual Springfield, IL Nativity Scene Unveiled
Posted by Thomas More Society (December 9, 2009 at 6:01 pm)
December 2, 2009 the second annual Nativity Scene was unveiled in the Capitol Rotunda in Springfield, Illinois. The scene is a joint effort of the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee and the Thomas More Society.
The unveiling ceremony featured representatives from a variety of denominations joining in prayers and song in celebration of the birth of Our Lord. As in 2008, the event was a great success.
Speakers at the event included Chairman of the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee Daniel Zanoza, Thomas More Society President and Lead Counsel Tom Brejcha, who serves as legal counsel for the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee and Executive Director of the Illinois Family Institute Dave Smith.
The Nativity Scene serves not only as a beautiful reminder of the hope of Christ in the public square, but also as a rallying point for other Illinois citizens seeking to erect expressions of the Christian faith in the public square. Working in conjunction with the Thomas More Society, the Committee seeks to provide legal and practical assistance to these groups.
“As stated, our secondary goal is to inform and encourage citizens of Illinois and, for that matter, all Americans, that the expression of faith in the public square is still alive and well,” added Zanoza. “I’m probably more excited about the 2009 Nativity Scene because we plan to make this an annual event.”
The Springfield scene has drawn quite a lot of reaction, first from a Jewish group that erected a Menorah in the Rotunda, then an atheist group putting up an declaration of atheism, a display on religion by the ACLU and finally, and most absurdly, a Festivus pole. For those unfamiliar, Festivus is a fictional holiday that originated on the television show Seinfeld.
Check out the media coverage below as well as the programs from both this year and last year’s ceremonies. [Photo by AP/Seth Perlman]
Media Coverage
- Dan Zanoza’s Letter to the Editor—State Journal-Register
- Nativity scene, Festivus pole returning to state Capitol—Pantagraph.com
- Nativity Scene To Again Stand In Illinois State Capitol Rotunda—Press Release from Dan Zanoza
- Our Opinion: What’s point of Capitol Nativity scene?—Op-ed from the State Journal-Register