Paul KeenanA Catholic and a Church of Ireland parish in Belfast will mark a ‘Crafty Christmas’ this year thanks to an ecumenical project which challenged them to complete full-size knitted Christmas trees for each other in time for the festive season.
The initiative, tapping into the arts and crafts skills of ordinary parishioners from St Oliver Plunkett’s Parish, Lenadoon, and the Good Shepherd, Monkstown, required participants to knit individual green squares which are to become layers of the trees, and decorations to adorn the woolly creations for display in the respective churches.
According to Lenadoon parishioner Sally Brennan, there has been great support for the cross-community initiative.
“The whole parish got behind it so enthusiastically,” she told The Irish Catholic. “Some ecumenical projects try to be high-brow, but this called on the skills people have, and it was a practical and ordinary idea, that’s why so many people got involved.”
Sally pointed out, that the project does not end with the finished trees.
“When Christmas is finished, the squares will be joined together to create blankets to be sent to communities in the developing world,” she said.
Once the tress are finished, ‘Crafty Christmas’ participants will visit each other at their respective parishes to view the results of their labours.