The Museum of South Texas History (MOSTH) will feature the “Bishop Emeritus Raymundo Peña Nativity Scene Collection,” a spotlight exhibit displaying 120 nativity scenes until Sunday, January 7, 2024.
Born in 1934 and ordained as a Catholic priest in 1957, Father Raymundo Peña was named Bishop in Diocese of Brownsville in 1976. On his passing in September 2021, the Bishop willed his collection of nativity scenes to the Museum of South Texas History 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.
During the inaugural year of putting the collection on display, 88-year-old Daria Martínez Ramírez walked into the museum to celebrate Fiesta de Nochebuena with her daughter Alicia Cardoza but 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 2024, with a special Día de los Reyes celebration Saturday, January 6, 2024.
May 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 7, 2024, which is included in the regular museum admission fee. For more information on the exhibit, please contact Exhibits & Collections Coordinator Melissa Peña at mjpena@mosthistory.org or (956) 383-6911. Visit mosthistory.org/events for the latest information.
About Museum of South Texas History
MOSTH is located downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown over the decades through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. In 2003, following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century. 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.
