Text Size

20221207 MOSTH Nativity webThe Museum of South Texas History (MOSTH) will feature the “Bishop Emeritus Raymundo Peña Nativity Scene Collection,” a spotlight exhibit displaying 120 nativity scenes.

Born in 1934 and ordained as a Catholic priest in 1957, Father Raymundo Peña was named Bishop in 1976. On his passing in September 2021, the Bishop willed his collection of nativity scenes to MOSTH and to the Historic Brownsville Museum.

For many years Bishop Peña displayed the nativity scenes year-round. He considered them not just a seasonal theme, but a reminder of God’s divine love. He enjoyed sharing them with those who visited, using them as a medium through which to express his faith. Inspired visitors often gifted Bishop Peña with additional nativity scenes.

When 88-year-old Daria Martínez Ramírez walked into the museum in 2021 to celebrate Fiesta de Nochebuena with her daughter Alicia Cardoza, she was immediately drawn to the nativity scenes.

“I knew Bishop Peña since the 1970s,” she said. “I got to know him through the years, and I knew about these nativity scenes.”

A tireless advocate for immigrants and the poor, Bishop Peña lived by a personal creed that became his motto: “do everything with love.” With that love, the museum showcases the collection throughout the month of December and into early January 2023.

May we all love each other this holiday season. Happy Holidays from the Museum of South Texas History.

“Bishop Emeritus Raymundo Peña Nativity Scene Collection” will be on exhibit until Sunday, January 8, 2022, which is included in the regular museum admission fee. For more information on the exhibit, please contact Exhibits and Collections Coordinator Melissa Peña at mjpena@mosthistory.org or (956) 383-6911. Visit mosthistory.org/events for the latest information.

MOSTH is located downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. For more information about MOSTH, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like on Facebook and Instagram, follow on Twitter, find on YouTube or call (956) 383-6911.

Login