Connecticut
O Little Town of Bethlehem: Connecticut Town Celebrates Christmas All Year Long
A rural town connects beautifully to the miraculous event so long ago.
“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie,” begins a beloved Christmas carol sung since 1868, paying homage to Jesus’ birthplace.
But have you heard of Bethlehem, Connecticut?
It’s a favorite destination because of its Christmas connection. With approximately 3,400 residents, modest in size like its ancient namesake once was, the rural town of Bethlehem has two places that connect beautifully to that miraculous event of the Nativity.
The Nutmeg State’s Bethlehem is home to Regina Laudis Abbey, a community of cloistered Benedictine nuns founded after World War II. Here, the nuns have a magnificent early-18th-century Neapolitan crèche, displayed in a restored barn nearly as old and donated specifically to house this Nativity scene. Both the crèche and barn received a meticulous four-year restoration completed less than two decades ago by experts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
This is no small Neapolitan crèche. It spans 16 feet wide and 6 feet deep. The Nativity scene takes place before a backdrop mural of an 18th-century seaside and an azure sky.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph are at the heart of the crèche where our Savior’s birth is set vividly in a Neapolitan mountainside village — complete with angels hovering in wonderment and awe and scores of villagers react in different ways to the overwhelming presence of the Holy Family.
Simple peasants close to the Holy Family stand in awe and mingle with the Three Kings. Some villagers stop to contemplate Jesus’ birth. Others go on with everyday life as if nothing unusual or life-changing is happening.
The animated scene’s 68 figures and 20 animals of carved wood, ceramic, metal and plant fiber stand up to 16 inches high. They’re dressed in their original period dress that the Metropolitan Museum specialists also carefully restored to pristine condition.
From all indications and evidence, this crèche was a gift to Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia on his coronation in 1720. In 1948, it was brought to America and then in 1949 the woman who then owned it donated it to the abbey to preserve and display it.
Also on the abbey’s grounds is a simple, life-size Nativity scene of the Holy Family, located in a simple shed, with Joseph dressed in a checked farmer’s jacket. Abbey visitors might even spot a sheep or two.
Later during the Christmas season, you might want to watch the 1949 film Come to the Stable that tells the story of Regina Laudis Abbey and whose main characters, two nuns played by Loretta Young and Celeste Holm, are based on the actual Benedictine nuns who came from France after World War II to establish it. It’s a much neglected classic.
Church Highlights Nativity All Year
In nearly a straight line, less than 3 miles from the abbey and a few yards from the center of town, the Church of the Nativity remembers the birth of Jesus year-round. Now a part of Prince of Peace parish, the church was built in 1992 of fieldstone and wood and specifically designed to suggest or look like a large crèche. The church is topped with a star that is lit at night and directs people to the sacred edifice like the star directed the Magi.
The focal point of the church vestibule is a life-size manger scene. The figures were carved from a single pine tree by a Maine artist.
A panorama of the town of Bethlehem is etched high on the glass behind the Holy Family. Etched on another glass panel are the Three Kings, depicted following the star to adore the Newborn King.
In the nave, the church’s interior of stone, wood and large beams intentionally add to the manger atmosphere — as do the words “O Come All Ye Faithful” that stretch and beckon from high behind the altar.
The Nativity atmosphere continues all year. The Knights of Columbus built a 20-foot crèche on the parish’s front lawn.
Another Major Nativity
A little over 500 feet away is the Bethlehem Post Office, which, of course sees lots of extra traffic at this time of year — people enjoy getting their Christmas cards postmarked from “Bethlehem” and envelopes stamped with a Christmas greeting from the town.
Those who do visit these two Nativity treasures can continue singing Little Town of Bethlehem’s later verses:
How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him still, The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem Descend to us, we pray Cast out our sin and enter in Be born to us today O come to us, abide with us Our Lord Emmanuel!
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Visiting hours for the abbey crèche: Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Winter Closure: Jan. 7-Easter Sunday; free.
Connecticut
Police investigating double homicide in Hartford
Police are investigating a double homicide in the Frog Hollow section of Hartford, officials said.
According to officials, police were notified by citizens of a large fight that happened on Madison Street near Zion Cemetery just after 7 p.m. When officers got to the scene, they found a man in his 30s unresponsive and suffering from a stab wound.
The man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
While at the scene, investigators learned that two others were taken to an area hospital via private car.
One of them was another man in his 30s suffering from a gunshot wound and was in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead. A 17-year-old was the second one taken to the hospital via private car, but his injuries were non-life-threatening, officials said.
According to officials at the scene, investigators do not believe the public is in danger and are reviewing surveillance footage in the area as part of the investigation.
Neither man has been identified by officials at this time.
No arrests have been made at this time, police said.
Connecticut
Immigrant advocates urge Connecticut to prepare after Supreme Court TPS ruling
Immigrant advocates in Connecticut are calling on state leaders to prepare for the possible loss of legal protections for thousands of people after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitians and Syrians.
TPS is a federal program that allows people from countries facing war, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States. The Trump administration has argued that conditions in some countries have improved enough that the protections are no longer necessary.
For organizations that work with immigrants, however, the ruling has triggered fear and uncertainty.
“The Haitian community, in particular, is reeling,” said Maggie Mitchell-Salem, executive director of Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, commonly known as IRIS.
Mitchell-Salem said the number of Syrians affected by the decision is much smaller than the number of Haitians nationwide, but she argued that the impact goes beyond statistics. Her organization has led resettlement efforts for Syrian refugees in Connecticut since the federal government offered TPS status amid the Syrian civil war in 2012.
“Numbers don’t matter,” she said. “A single person being impacted by inhumane racist immigration policies is a person who’s impacted, and we should care.”
A community preparing for uncertainty
Mitchell-Salem said immigrant advocacy groups and local officials are already discussing how to help families who could face difficult decisions if the Trump administration decides to end TPS protections.
Among the biggest concerns are families that could be separated if parents lose their legal status or face deportation.
“We’re working with municipalities, with any community leaders that we can, who are coming up with plans on what to do to help individuals here,” she said.
She urged families whose immigration status may be at risk to create preparedness plans and designate trusted relatives or friends who could care for children if necessary.
“The state of Connecticut has one on their website,” she said. “We urge everyone who has a family situation that is no longer stable to fill that out.”
Looking to Massachusetts as a model
Mitchell-Salem said Connecticut should consider following the example set by Massachusetts leaders, who responded to the Supreme Court ruling by holding a press conference, reassuring TPS holders of their rights, announcing legal clinics and creating an emergency response fund.
“What I think is beautiful about what Massachusetts did is that it signaled you are valued, you are part of our community, and we care about you,” she said. “For that, I would love to see Connecticut do something similar.”
At the same time, she cautioned that there are limits to what states can do if federal protections ultimately end.
“I think the state of Connecticut is right to really think about what remedies are truly possible,” Mitchell-Salem said.
Warning against scams
Mitchell-Salem said one of her organization’s biggest concerns is that desperate immigrants could become targets for fraud.
“What we’re most concerned about is that because people will be so desperate that there are those that will take advantage of them,” she said.
IRIS has been posting information in English, Haitian Creole and Arabic warning immigrants that there are “no magic solutions” and encouraging them to seek advice only from trusted legal organizations and immigration attorneys.
A call to action
Mitchell-Salem said the Supreme Court’s decision should prompt action not only from government officials but also from the public.
“Flood congressional phone banks, call Congress every single day, tell them what you think,” she said. “Get your friends in states that are less blue than Connecticut to do the same.”
She said public pressure has altered the course of other administration policies and could again influence federal immigration decisions.
“This isn’t an issue that’s just a blip that’s going to go away,” Mitchell-Salem said.
Connecticut
Lamont signs law in Norwich to stop pay to contractors violating wages
Connecticut is taking a step to make sure workers are paid fairly.
On June 30, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act 26-17, which enables the State Comptroller to issue a stop work order and withhold state funds to contractors that are not properly paying their employees.
The bill was signed on the construction site for Greeneville Elementary School, which is one of the four new elementary schools being built in Norwich. The State of Connecticut is reimbursing the city for 80% of the project, and the law applies to “any place where the state is making a payment,” Lamont said.
Wage theft can take many forms
It matters because wage theft can take many forms, from money taken from base pay, to money not given in benefits, Kimberly Glassman, director of compliance and government affairs for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, said.
Local 478 also has a presence in the Norwich school building project, with 10 to 20 union members working at each site daily, Glassman said.
What do state leaders think of the Greeneville site’s progress?
Lamont is impressed with how quickly the work is going.
“They told me that the walls went up in the last two weeks, so a lot of progress is happening,” he said.
During the bill signing, Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh touted the importance of using union labor and the value of project labor agreements.
“We are on time and on budget,” he said.
After the bill signing, Singh said its possible the Greeneville School building could be complete as soon as the first quarter of 2027, he said.
“They’re not wasting any time,” Singh said.
State Rep. Derrel Wilson attended the original Greeneville School as a kid, and still lives in Greeneville. He was credited as being one of the driving forces for getting the workers bill passed.
“It’s exciting seeing this revitalization for our neighborhood, seeing active construction and watching individuals rebuild our community,” Wilson said.
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