22.12.2011
Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Dublin to collect at Black Santa appeal
Archbishop Michael Jackson and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will join forces this Thursday 22 December to help raise funds for charity. Both Archbishops will be collecting outside St Ann’s Church on Dawson Street, Dublin, as part of the annual Black Santa Appeal.
The 2011 Black Santa sit out at St Ann’s Church got underway last Friday, 16 December. It will continue right up until Christmas Eve. The Vicar of St Ann’s, Revd David Gillespie and Revd Martin O’Connor are being joined by clerical colleagues from around the diocese to collect outside the Dawson Street Church from 11am until 6pm each day. Different choirs sing each lunchtime and on Christmas Eve the Steadfast Band will join members of the St Ann’s parish choir.
The Black Santa sit out is modeled on a similar appeal, which has been run by successive Deans of St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast for many years. It became known as the Black Santa appeal because of the long heavy black cloaks worn by the clergy to ward off the cold.
The money collected this year will be distributed to St Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army, the Simon Community, Protestant Aid, Trust and the Church of Ireland Overseas Aid.
Archbishop Jackson and Archbishop Martin will be outside St Ann’s from 2.15 pm until 2.45 pm this Thursday.
ENDS
For further information contact:
Vicar St Ann’s, Revd David Gillespie – (086) 0267528
Diocesan Communications Officer, Lynn Glanville – (087) 2356472