The Annual Church Christmas Crib Walk, now in its 21st year is taking place in Kilkenny City on this St Stephens Day.
The annual event, is now in its 21st year and Father Willie Purcell, who is leading the event says its a significant year for the tradition…
“this year is very significant because it’s the 21st year of the walk, it’s connecting in with the 800th anniversary of the establishment of the first crib by St. Francis of the Assisi, and also our walk and our prayers are very much in keeping with the people of the Holy Land in their situation of war and and they’re very much in our hearts and our thoughts this year because we’re praying for peace in the Holy Land.”
The walk will set off from the Friary Church from 11am this morning and then go to St. Patrick’s Church,
over to St. John’s and down to St. Kenneth’s Cathedral. From there they will go to St. Kenneth’s Church to the Black Abbey and on to St. Mary’s Cathedral before finishing at the Town Hall.
Each walker will receive a Bethlehem cross and Father Willie Purcell says, “this is again to unite us with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land.”
He says this is a great tradition in Kilkenny.
“You know for hundreds of years people after Christmas would visit the cribs in the city. And you know it’s particular to Kilkenny because I’ve never really heard of it in any other county but every year after Christmas people would with do the crib walk their families and this year we’re still holding on to the position because it’s important to hold the traditions and to keep those traditions alive especially the hearts of young people who will carry it into the future.”
