The birth story of baby Jesus, the Nativity, has been told for more than 2,000 years. Various representations of the Holy Family have brought controversy around the world and even within the U.S. and yet, in the Middle East where it all began, the non-Christian Palestinians control the beloved Bethlehem, profiting from all who desire to experience the place of his birth, and near by his death.

For more than 50 years, the Knights of Columnbus of Iberia Parish have recreated the Nativity with area residents playing the roles contained in the scriptures. Originally portrayed each year at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, it now rotates around the parish. A visit with volunteers Christine Gaspard and Tim Boudreaux this week was a reminder, the story is still being told.

When did the KCs start with the tradition of the live Nativity?

TB — I’m 67, I was probably 11 or 12 when it first went on. My brother was the original Gabriel. The Knights of Columbus Council 1208 at St. Peter’s started it but it kept getting bigger and bigger and was finally too big for their council to handle alone. They asked the other Iberia councils to help them. I remember years ago when it was at St. Peter’s and the street was closed down. It was so packed cars couldn’t get through.

CG — When I was a child, it was held inside the church with live animals coming inside the church. but then it was moved outside.

Why did you stop having it at St. Peter’s Catholic Church?

TB — Besides blocking Highway 182, the crowds had started dwindling and it was too much work to put it up and tear it down every day. It was labor intensive and we didn’t get the people like we once did to justify the effort. About five years ago one of the members donated an 18-foot tandem trailer that we could mount the set on permanently. And, it could be moved from place to place. We do it two days out of the weekend, this is the fifth year we’ve moved it.

Do other churches in the area have the same thing?

TB — We are one of the few, and for a while the only church that had a live Nativity, with a baby 0 to 3 months.

Do you still have live animals?

TB — We haven’t been using animals for several years. We used to get them from a man in Loreauville, but he got sick and we had to stop. We wanted to cater to more children and the goats and sheep would kick. The animals don’t always do what they’re suppose to do. The costumes we have are on loan right now to the Cathedral of St. John for their pageant. They’ll be back by the 14th, cleaned and ready for our cast members.

How many people does it take to put this on every year?

We start the week before setting up with about six people. We’ve done it so much, we can do it with our eyes closed. We’ll haul the trailer to the church and we have some wings that we put on when set up. Simon’s Glass on Main Street would come put a sheet of glass in front of the manger to keep the Holy Family warm and dry. Since we move it around, we bought some permanent plexiglass. To put it on, there are probably about 25 or 30 people in the cast and crew nightly. We rotate the characters, except Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

CG — The Gaspard family has had three great-grandchildren as baby Jesus. My neice and nephew have been Mary and Joseph with their children. My husband, Kelvin, has been behind the scenes for 13 years.

Who wrote the script?

We made it up. But its from the Bible. When we started there was no script, only music. Now we have a narrator.

Live Nativity Scene

5:30 p.m. Dec. 21 & 22,

(45-min. shows for 3 hrs nightly)

St. Marcellus Church • 6100 Avery Island Road

Knights of Columbus Iberia Parish