'Pilgrimage Jr.' will tailor Nativity story for a younger audience in Delmont

Organizers for the annual Delmont Pilgrimage, a live display that walks participants through a reenactment of the Nativity story, are making some additions to the annual holiday event.

Generally speaking, the pilgrimage is a quiet affair, as attendees listen and reflect on the religious significance of the Christmas.

Over the years that has meant some families, particularly those with young children, have shied away from attending, according to organizer Denni Grassel.

“It’s totally silent, and a 2-year-old is not going to sit there for 30 minutes and be reflective about the story of Jesus’ birth,” Grassel said with laugh. “One mother told me her toddler just wasn’t going to stay quiet that long, and she didn’t want to disrupt the other families.”

Grassel and pilgrimage volunteers wanted a way to bring the event’s message to younger children, and this year they will debut the “Pilgrimage Jr.” on Dec. 2.

“Instead of starting at the log cabin and doing the whole thing, kids will first get a chance to meet Mary and Joseph,” Grassel said. “They’ll lead the kids to the donkey and talk about their trip to Bethlehem.”

Actors portraying the various characters in the Nativity will frame the story in a way that appeals to younger children.

“Kids will be able to pet the donkey and our camel, they’ll be able to meet the wise men. It will just be oriented more toward younger ones,” Grassel said.

Pilgrimage staff also partnered with Cornerstone Ministries in Murrysville on the new event.

Cornerstone staff member Joanne Fritz, who coordinates the church’s “Wednesday Night” activities and runs its children’s clubs, said the church brought a group of children to the 2022 pilgrimage.

“We met afterwards and Denni wanted to get our thoughts on running a children’s ministry and what that would look like in the context of the pilgrimage,” Fritz said. “Everything about it is wonderful but we thought it missing a key aspect, which was to have more things that are child-oriented.”

Pilgrimage and Cornerstone members worked to make tweaks to what would eventually become “Pilgrimage Jr.”

“They’re going to host a 30-minute children’s activity in the community room at the Delmont library,” Grassel said. “Then we’ll have a bus take them to Trinity United Church of Christ, where they can talk a little more with Mary and Joseph, and there will be a train display, restrooms and food.”

Pilgrimage Jr. will take place in mid-afternoon on the first day of the regular event.

Grassel said that while organizers are excited at expanding the pilgrimage, they want to take it slowly.

“We want to see the response from the community first,” she said. “If they’re enthusiastic, we’ll look at doing it on both days next year.”

Tickets for the “Pilgrimage Jr.” are expected to go on sale in late summer. The cost will be $12 for adults and $6 for children 12 and younger.

For more information, see DelmontPilgrimage.com.