Morgantown/Honey Brook DECEMBER 10, 2025
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St. Mary of Providence Center To Host Holiday Events
BY FRANCINE FULTON
See Poole Forge pg 4
See Star pg 8
See St. Mary pg 5 and Sister Brenda McHugh. Photo by Francine Fulton
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community organizations and businesses.
Exploring the Star of Bethlehem
Visitors will be able to take self-guided tours of the site’s historic 18th-century Welsh Ironmaster’s Mansion, which will feature holiday trees and exhibits designed by local community organizations and businesses. Visitors will be able to vote for their favorite, and the winner will be issued the People’s Choice Award. “Raven Ridge Wildlife Center will have wildlife ornaments,
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hree special holiday activities have been planned at St. Mary of Providence Center, 227 Isabella Road, Elverson, on Saturday and Sunday, Dec . 13 and 14. Events will include tours of the Potts mansion, which will be decorated for the Christmas season; a Jingle and Mingle Christmas Celebration; and Cookies with Santa. The Potts mansion, known as Langoma, is a historic 76-room mansion built in the 1890s by ironmaster Col. Joseph D. Potts for himself and his sons’ families. It was originally intended as a double mansion but is now used by the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence as a retreat and retirement Decorating the international tree with ornaments that feature the flags of around the world are (clockwise, from bottom left) Betty Tomeo, center. The mansion is known for countries Kate Hannum, Tereze Burdett, Sasha Tkachuck, Liz Oulton, Lorraine Bobst
Live music, a bonfire, seasonal refreshments, a Christmas Marketplace and horse-drawn wagon rides will be featured during Christmas at the Ironmaster’s, which will be presented at Historic Poole Forge on Friday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m.; on Saturday, Dec. 13, from noon to 8 p.m.; and on Sunday, Dec. 14, Holiday trees throughout the Ironmaster’s from noon to 5 p.m. Mansion will be decorated by local
VOL XXXIII • NO 45
Everyone is familiar with the star that appeared over Bethlehem in the Christmas story, which was said to have led the wise men to the Baby Jesus. But many questions remain about the celestial event. A discussion about the topic, titled “Star of Bethlehem,” will be presented by astronomer and pastor Peter Detterline on Sunday, Dec. 14, at noon in Detterline Hall at St. Peter United Church of Christ (UCC). Detterline served as director of the Boyertown Planetarium for 35 years, where he presented astronomy programs to people of all ages. “We used to have a ‘Star of Bethlehem’ program at the planetarium, and we would talk about some possibilities,” he noted. “(This program) is a little different. It’s more on the religious end along with the scientific end.” The Star of Bethlehem has been discussed through the years, with some believing it to be a sign from God, while others have suggested that it was a comet or a grouping of planets, called a conjunction, which occurred during the time of the wise men’s journey. One biblical reference to the star comes from Matthew 2:1-2, which states, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.’” Using his expertise and knowledge of modern astronomy, Detterline plans to discuss the events that may have inspired what happened in the sky long ago.
BY FRANCINE FULTON
BY FRANCINE FULTON
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