This Christmas season marks the debut of the Baby Jesus at the Virginia State Capitol’s historic Bell Tower.
For the first time in memorable history, a Nativity Scene will be displayed on the same property that hosts the Virginia legislature and the governor’s mansion and executive offices, on Friday, December 9, 2022, from 11 a.m. until noon.
The Virginia State Capitol Nativity is one of many scheduled to be erected at state capitol buildings across America this Christmas, proof that the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ is alive and well in 2022.
Enshrining the Constitutional rights of freedom of religion, freedom to assemble, and freedom of speech, the gathering will be led by Father James O’Reilly of St. Bridget’s Catholic Church. It will feature Christmas carols, Bible readings, and prayer that all Virginians will have a safe and blessed Christmas holiday.
Doug Lynch, Grand Knight of the Monsignor Francis J. Byrne Council of the Knights of Columbus, is one of the founding organizers of this event and he hopes that the celebration will be expanded in the future.
“Virginians have long celebrated their freedom to exercise their faith, even as far back as the lead-up to the American Revolution,” stated Lynch. “In June 1776, the Virginia House of Delegates adopted the Virginia Constitution, which contained the Virginia Declaration of Rights. When crafting the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was inspired by the Virginia Declaration’s vision of natural rights. Other states would borrow from Virginia when drafting their own state constitutions, and James Madison, Father of the Constitution, reportedly referred to the Virginia Declaration when framing the U.S. Bill of Rights.”
The event will take place at the Bell Tower at the Virginia State Capitol, 101 N 9th Street, in Richmond.
