Press Releases
STATEMENT FROM THE REVD DAVID PALMER, RECTOR OF RAMOAN PARISH CHURCH, BALLYCASTLE
"We received a request from Royal Black Preceptory (RBP) 492, Ballycastle, to have a special service one afternoon in May 2001. After consulting with my vestry I decided that I would not feel comfortable allowing the church to be used for a special service for any outside group whose aspirations are both political and religious. Such a special service, outside of our normal services of divine worship, would specifically identify myself and all our parishioners with that organisation. We wish to emphasise that we do not want to create any ill feeling between ourselves and the RBP but simply to emphasise that our church respects a wide range of cultural diversity and Christian traditions."
NOTE: Royal Black Institution
The Royal Black Preceptory ( Imperial Royal Black Chapter of the British Commonwealth ) was established in 1797 in the aftermath of the 1795 Battle of the Diamond. Its history is closely tied to that of the Orange Institution.
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