The diocese of Ossory is to commemorate the life of an iconic and pioneering Bishop to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birthday.
Bishop Peter Birch was born on September 4 1911 in Jenkinstown in County Kilkenny.
He was ordained in 1937 and later became a staff member at Saint Kieran's College in Kilkenny and Saint Patrick's College in Maynooth.
He was appointed co-adjutor Bishop of Ossory in 1962 taking over the position full time in 1964.
Bishop Birch was known as a champion of the poor.
Within months of him becoming Bishop of Ossory he set up Kilkenny Social Services, which was the very first Social Services organisation in Ireland at the time.
Since then the Kilkenny Social services has become the biggest organisation of its kind in the country.
There are 16 centres scattered throughout the diocese with a professional staff of nearly 50 people and well over 900 volunteers.
Bishop Birch was also very much involved in helping the Travelling community and the work of the social services also helped the poor, the lonely and those with disabilities.
He was Bishop of the diocese for 17 years until his death in 1981.
According to a commemoration committee spokesperson the commemorative events are taking place on September 11 because of Kilkenny’s participation in the All Ireland Hurling Final.
The commemorations will open with a special mass that will be held in Jenkinstown church at 12:15pm on September 11, which will be celebrated by the Bishop of Ossory Bishop Seamus Freeman.
At 2:30pm, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy will lead a walk around Bishop Birch's home village of Jenkinstown, while in the evening, author Tim Pat Coogan, who was a personal friend of Bishop Birch's, will give a talk on his life and times.