Bridgewater Artist's Chicago Nativity Flies To The Vatican As Gift For Pope

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater artist R Michael Palan is making international history once more as one of his nativities was chosen to be showcased at the Vatican in Rome for the holidays.

Palan's Chicago Nativity will be among 100 other Nativities on display in Italy from Dec. 8 through Jan. 6, 2026.

His nativity has come full circle since 2017, when he was commissioned to make a Chicago version by a collector named James Govan, who had more than 500 nativities.

Palan's nativity is a two-dimensional rendering of the Chicago skyline and features 75 little people along with angels flying high into the air.

While the buildings are flat, Palan said, "You sort of get the impression that it's fully dimensional, but the buildings are actually flat, and they're layered behind each other."

It also features a Picasso sculpture in the piece.

"It's kind of unique. When you think of nativities, you don't think of a cityscape. But I'm sort of surprised when I look at it, it really looks like pious or regal. It almost looks to me like it is religious, even though it's just skyscrapers," said Palan.

The nativity was presented as a gift to Loyola University in 2017 and remains on permanent display at the Loyola University Museum of Art in Chicago.

"At the time, I had no way of knowing that one day there would be an American Pope from Chicago," said Palan.

Last week, Palan's nativity was flown overseas to Italy to be on display through the holidays. At the end of the exhibit at the Vatican, a print of the nativity will be presented to Pope Leo as a gift.

"I'm saying, I'm retired. I just sort of took this year off. But it's just a very good way to sort of end my career as a nativity artist. So I'm proud," said Palan.

This is the third year in a row that Palan's nativities have been chosen to be showcased at the Vatican.

In 2024, his nativity based on the historic 19th-century Star Barn in Elizabethtown, PA, was showcased. Read More: Bridgewater Artist's Nativity To Be Showcased At The Vatican In Rome

In 2023, Palan's American nativity was chosen to be showcased. The scene had American touches to represent America, such as Joseph being dressed in coveralls, and there was a sign for Route 66 in the background. Read More: From A Bridgewater Basement To The Vatican In Rome: Nativity To Be Showcased

Palan and his wife, Karen Loccisano, have been crafting nativities since 2011 in the basement of their Bridgewater home and have had their work showcased across the country, including Pennsylvania, Connecticut, South Carolina, Chicago, IL, and Washington, D.C.

The couple has been creating memorable works of art for years. They met while working as illustrators for Highlights magazine. They eventually branched off to illustrate children's books and design Christmas ornaments for Kurt S. Adler. Read More: Bridgewater Husband-Wife Duo Crafts Exquisite Nativity Scenes

Then in 2011, the couple saw a Presepio (the Italian word for Nativity) at the Carnegie Museum of Art and were inspired to create their own.

Since then, Palan and Loccisano have worked out of their basement to create these beautiful works of art.

"It goes from our unfinished basement, from there, to a Grand Place," said Palan in a previous interview.

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