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When Saint Alphonsus ‘Sings’ at the Vatican...

...A Redemptorist Christmas at St. Peter’s square

st alphonsus and crib 2025 in st peters sq vatican

Saint Peter’s Square has become a place of deep Redemptorist memory and joy on Monday evening 15th December 2025. In the Vatican’s Nativity scene for Christmas, Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori appears at the very heart of the crib, seated at a harpsichord and appears to be singing the song that have shaped generations of faith: Tu scendi dalle stelle. For the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and especially for the people of Pagani and the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore–Sarno, this is more than an artistic tribute. It is a moment of recognition of a saint whose message continues to speak powerfully to the Church and the world.

A gift from the Diocese to the universal Church

The Nativity scene installed in St Peter’s Square comes from the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore–Sarno, where Saint Alphonsus spent his final years and where his mortal remains rest today. The crib brings together faith, history and local culture, with architectural elements inspired by the Paleochristian Baptistery of Nocera Superiore, traditional courtyard houses and the familiar stone and colours of Campania. Speaking about the meaning of this Nativity, Bishop Giuseppe Giudice, Bishop of Nocera Inferiore–Sarno, stressed that the message of Saint Alphonsus echoes strongly from this crib. He described Saint Alphonsus as one of the greatest gifts that the diocese could offer to the whole Catholic world — a saint whose pastoral heart, theological clarity and closeness to ordinary people remain deeply relevant today. Placed among children, shepherds and village life, Saint Alphonsus is shown not as a distant figure, but as a pastor close to prayer, music and daily human experience. A pendulum clock beside him recalls his simple habit of stopping every hour to say a Hail Mary, a small but telling sign of a life rooted in constant trust in God.

A song that still touches hearts

At the centre of the scene, we see Saint Alphonsus ‘sings’ Tu scendi dalle stelle, the Christmas carol he composed in 1754 so that even the poorest could understand and celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation. Written first in local dialect and later translated into Italian, the hymn expresses the wonder of a God who chooses poverty, humility and closeness.

On Monday at 17.00 (Vatican time), as thousands of pilgrims and visitors gathered in St Peter’s Square, the choir sang Tu scendi dalle stelle, filling the Vatican with a warm and unmistakable Christmas atmosphere. The familiar melody drew people together, turning the square into a place of shared memory and joy.

st alphonsus and crib 2025 in st peters sq vatican iii