Elves, Hobbits and the Wizard Gandalf are some of the characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", who are going to stand around the Christmas Crib at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Kielce, Poland. The parish parson, Father Grzegorz Marszalkowski, who is also the guardian of the Capuchin Friars Minor Monastery in Kielce, said that the idea of a Nativity Scene inspired by the works of Tolkien came from one of the monks, Jerzy Stopa, fascinated by the books. It took the monk, a chaplain in an oncological hospital, three years to make the figures and decorations, which he busied himself with in his free time. The figures are partly wooden and partly plaster, while elements of the decorations have been made from - among other things - modelling clay and industrial foams. The whole scene will take about 30 square metres of surface and will be revolving round its axis. Instead of Angels, there will be Elves in the scene - Arwen among them - and hobbits will replace the shepherds who came to see the newly born Jesus. The world of Evil will be symbolised by the Nazgul, the Ringwraiths. Jerzy Stopa has also created the Wizard Gandalf. The Tolkien characters will accompany the Infant Jesus, Virgin Mary and St. Joseph around the Manger. There will also be the figures of the creator of the first Crib and the patron saint of the church in Kielce, St. Francis of Assisi, as well as Father Pio, Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and King John III Sobieski, who first invited the Capuchin Order to Poland. The grand opening of the Crib will take place on Saturday evening (Christmas Eve). It will be followed by a concert of Christmas carols, performed by the choir of young clerics from Cracow, and a lecture by Professor Piotr Lenartowicz (who is also a Roman Catholic priest), entitled "The Role of Fairy Tales in Discovering the Truth". The Crib will be open for the public until July 2, 2007, on Sundays and church holidays between services.
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