Buizingen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Don Bosco Buizingen’s Christmas service featured a nativity built from Den Herberg beer barrels. Former pastor Rik Devillé’s community, active since losing parish status in 2023, drew a full church.
As VRT News reported, the Christmas service at Don Bosco Buizingen, in the Province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, featured an unusual nativity scene. Rather than a wooden stall, the baby Jesus was placed in a small house made from empty beer barrels donated by Den Herberg Brewery, located nearby. This structure was created specifically for the event.
Why did Don Bosco Buizingen use beer crates for its 2025 nativity?
Nancy Speeckaert explained that the plan for the nativity scene started with a clear goal. The team wanted more than a traditional crib. They were looking for an image with deeper meaning. During a brainstorming meeting, one participant said he had once built a room using empty beer barrels. That idea stood out. The group then contacted the Den Herberg brewery and was allowed to borrow a barrel.
“In the Christmas story, Joseph and Mary are turned away because there’s no room at the inn. They end up in a stable. We built a nativity scene with beer crates marked ‘The Inn.’ Our inn is never too full. How symbolic can that be?”
laughs Nancy.
“That’s how we keep writing our own story.”
The Don Bosco Buizingen parish is regarded as one of the local history areas of Buizingen, located in the region of Flemish Brabant. For many years, it was known simply as the parish of Pastor and Human Rights Advocate Mr Rik Devillé. It lost its official parish status in 2023 after disagreements regarding women’s roles during church services with Church authorities.
Since then, the former parish has continued to exist as an independent Faith Community. The Alternative Nativity Scene was displayed at the Christmas Service held in December 2025. This initiative fits into a broader pattern in Belgium beginning in the early 2020s.
