Great turnout for special annual Crib Walk in Kilkenny, joining Santiago De Compostela

Kilkenny's annual Church Christmas Crib Walk took place on Saturday, December 31 beginning at the Friary Church.

This year, the walk joined the community of Santiago De Compostela, which celebrated Holy Crib Day. On this day, pilgrims converge on the ancient crib of Santiago de Compostella to ask for health and happiness for the year ahead as they make their pilgrim way through life.

Fr Willie Purcell, who lead the walk said it was great to join with hundreds, maybe thousands of pilgrims who made the pilgrim walk of the cribs of the shrine of Compostela.

"This is something we have been doing for years, but this year adds a special dimension to the event," he said.

A blessed medal from the ancient shrine in Santiago was given to each walker.

"We begin at the Capuchin Friary on Friary Street because about 1223AD, something marvelous happened," said Fr Willie.

"St Francis made a living crib, an enactment of the birth of Christ near the town of Greccio on Christmas Day, and so popularized the making of a crib scene in our homes, workplaces, churches, hospitals, schools, and shops at Christmas. And so, out of Greccio was made a new Bethlehem!

"Francis stood before the manger overcome with joy, and Mass was celebrated over the crib. After the celebration, Francis insisted that care be taken of the hay and the animals, reminding us to take care of every created thing even after we no longer need it."

The annual Crib Walk of the Churches in Kilkenny is a reflective walk on the meaning and traditions of church cribs in Kilkenny. Each church has its own tradition in its Christmas Crib, and its design and structure often reflect not only the community of the present, but the communities of the generations gone before who formed and built the various church cribs.