<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">I can only say that throughout the many Catholic countries that I have visited in my travels, and even in my own Episcopalian church in the U.S., creches from Mexico are highly prized and admired. In fact, two years ago the Vatican itself used a Mexican creche as its own official Christmas greeting.<BR>
There is a church in Rome (on a street parallel to the Corso) noted for its in-situ well and much visited by parishioners who flock there to get some of the well's water, that holds a "presepios" -nativity scenes- exhibition around Christmas. The creches exhibited there are stunning, and invariably contain a few from Mexico. There is also a Roman "presepio" society whose members seek and preserve noteworthy creches, and its members bestow much praise on the ones from Mexico.<BR>
I have seen Mexican creches made out of corn husk, thread, sand, all sorts of stones and paper, gold, silver, glass, ceramics, tin, etc., and during a Christmas visit to the famed "Bazar Sabado" in Mexico City, I just couldn't resist purchasing a creche carved at the top of a toothpick, the intricate details of which can only be discerned through a magnifying glass!<BR>
Well, a belated Christmas wish to all of you in this list and the very best wishes for PEACE and goodness in the coming year.<BR>
Liz<BR>
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