Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Charity Sit Outs
Dublin’s Black Santa Appeal is preparing to take to the streets again this Christmas outside St Ann’s church, Dawson Street. There will be a new face this year with the arrival of the new Vicar, Canon Paul Arbuthnot, but he will be guided by the team, some of whom have been running the Dublin appeal for over 20 years. Volunteers will start collecting outside St Ann’s on December 15 and will continue until Christmas Eve. The official launch will be on Monday at 1pm and the Archbishop will join the Vicar.
After a gap of two years, choirs will make a welcome return to the sit out. The choir of Kildare Place National School will be there on the launch day and many others will join the volunteers to sing carols at lunchtimes.
The charities being supported this year are the Salvation Army, the Simon Community, Alice Leahy Trust, Protestant Aid, St Vincent de Paul, the Samaritans and other local charities. You can donate via the parish website (www.stann.dublin.anglican.org) or in person at the church via cash or card.
In Belfast, the annual Black Santa Sit–out for charities, founded by Dean Sammy Crooks in 1976 and continued by Deans Jack Shearer and Houston McKelvey, takes place on the steps of St Anne’s cathedral in the weeks before Christmas every year. Dean Stephen Forde will begin his fifth Black Santa Sit–out on Monday.
Two leading clerics in Clogher Diocese will be wrapping up warm as they prepare for 12–hour charity sit outs.
On Wednesday last, Archdeacon Brian Harper was taking part in his annual charity sit out at the gates of Magheracross parish church in Ballinamallard alongside his colleague in Ballinamallard Methodist Church, the Revd John Beacom. The sit out took place from 8am to 8pm, and this year they are supporting Tearfund and its work with Ukrainian aid agencies and the Water Drops project, building water storage tanks in Kajiado diocese where drought is a major problem.
Then on Thursday, Dean Kenneth Hall will take part in his first charity sit out at the gates of St. Macartin’s cathedral, Enniskillen, from 9am to 9pm for local, national and international charities. The charities supported by the Dean’s sit out include Water Drops, Air Ambulance NI and St Macartin’s Cathedral Outreach Fund.
In Dublin, St John’s church, Park Avenue, Sandymount, will host its annual Carols by Candlelight service today (Saturday) at 4pm. A collection will be taken up for the Capuchin Day Centre.
Tomorrow (Sunday) there will be a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in St Patrick’s cathedral. Dublin, at 3.15pm and at 3.30pm the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in Christ Church cathedral. At 7pm the Dublin Civic Carol Service will be held in St Ann’s church, Dawson Street.
On Wednesday at 7pm in Calary Church, Co. Wicklow, the traditional candlelight Carol Service will resume and will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies in the Church Room. This year there will be special guests Adeleh Davis on trumpet, soprano Maria Gorman and the parish choir. There are no tickets required for the event, just turn up.
A series of Advent Talks are being held in St Flannan’s cathedral, Killaloe, during Lent. The talks will be on the theme on the theme of ‘bring to light the things now in darkness’ and the next talk, at 7:30pm on Tuesday, will be given by medical health campaigner, Leona O’Callaghan.
Published in the Friday edition of The Irish Times