By Megan Decker
Staff Writer
FRANKENMUTH — Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland has loaned a three-piece Nativity scene for display at the Michigan Capitol.
The Nativity was placed on the lawn during a ceremony at noon on Friday, said Lori Libka, communication assistant at Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland. The Nativity will be placed on the ground each day at 6 a.m. and will remain until 11 p.m. each night for seven days.
Bronner’s has loaned the Nativity to St. John Church and Student Center of East Lansing and church volunteers will work out a schedule to ensure the Nativity is set up each morning and taken down each night.
Commercial salesman Craig Fick of the parish came to Bronner’s and worked with the business to find the three-piece holy family Nativity set that meets the size requirements set by the state.
State Sen. Rick Jones recently led efforts to place a Christian Nativity scene outside the Capitol during the holiday season.
According to an article published by Mlive, an earlier effort by an out-of-state resident to place a Nativity in front of the Capitol fizzled after that man was unable to find local assistance to take down the display each night, as required under Capitol rules.
Jones announced in November that he was resurrecting the effort after hearing that a Detroit chapter of The Satanic Temple would set up its own holiday display on the Capitol lawn.
“We were glad that we were able to provide this (Nativity),” Libka said. “Our primary focus (as a company) is to keep Christ in Christmas.”