COVID-19 may have put paid to many events in 2020, but clergy at Barnard Castle’s parish church were determined the show must go on for one of the biggest services of the year.
The crib service normally attracts between 500 and 600 people to St Mary’s Church on Christmas Eve tea time.
And while the current Tier 3 restrictions make such a gathering impossible, Revd Canon Alec Harding has ensured the service will go ahead – with a little help from members of the Castle Players, the imaginative use of puppets and a script written by players’ chairman Laurence Sach.
Cast and crew spent a day filming scenes from the Nativity in the church which will form part of an online service to be streamed at 4pm on Christmas Eve.
Revd Harding said: “The crib service is usually one of the biggest services of the year, with many children dressed up as characters from the Nativity – we have lots of Marys and Josephs.
“We promised we would try to create some memories and this is a way of doing so.”
The crib service is one of a number of events the church has switched online as a result of the pandemic.
This month’s Christingle service – another hugely popular event – was live streamed from the church, while carol services with children at Montalbo and Green Lane schools are planned via the Zoom platform.
“This is still something of a new venture for us using the wifi installed in the church,” added Revd Harding.
“For Christingle, we were allowed to have members of the choir to help with the singing and people were encouraged to make a virtual Christingle at home.”
The crib service will be streamed via the church’s Facebook page on Christmas Eve.
