(La Porte, IN) - There’s an upcoming night dedicated to a life-like miniature church that’s even more special during the Christmas season, as the annual Night at the Giese Church is scheduled for Saturday, December 16th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the La Porte County Historical Society Museum.

 

The public is invited to see what’s been described as amazing and a long-time holiday tradition in La Porte. Cookies and cocoa will be provided, with admission to the event being by donation.

 

The church has more than 200 parishioners and a choir, but this New England-style church is mechanical and a gift to God for making it home safely from World War II.

 

According to local historians, it was during the Battle of the Bulge that Otto Giese made a pact with God to do something special if he made it home to LaPorte safely.

 

He worked with craftsmen and corporate heads locally to design and build the church with parishioners, including mothers and their babies, in every pew.

 

The sound of church bells, typical for that time period, rings out at the push of a button followed by recordings of "Heaven and Nature Sing," "Joy to the World," and other songs church choirs typically sing at Christmas.

28 wooden choir members, powered by a conveyor and holding lighted candles, make their way down the aisle.

 

Next, a belt-driver minister also made of wood, comes out from behind the altar with a recorded message about the true meaning of the season before kneeling in front of an image of the last supper.

 

Originally, the church, during the season, was on display outside a funeral home Geise operated at Chicago and Harrison Streets in LaPorte.

 

After retiring in 1978, Giese donated the church to the museum, where it’s been out for the public to see ever since.

 

Giese was 90 when he died in 2002.

 

Since 1994, the church has been computer-powered instead of via mechanical parts, due to them becoming difficult to replace as time passed on.