Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
Saturday 17 December 2005
Charity at Christmas
One of the more successful festive initiatives of modern times has been what has come to be called the ?Black Santa Appeal? when, in the days leading up to Christmas, the Dean of Belfast and members of the Chapter of St Anne?s Cathedral, Belfast, sit out in Donegall Street to receive donations for local charities. Last year £250,000 was raised and yesterday (Friday) the Dean of Belfast, Dr Houston McKelvey, began the 2006 sit out which will continue from 9 am until 5 pm each day until Christmas Eve.
The sit out was conceived by the late Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd Samuel Crooks, who, concerned at the emphasis on the necessary but costly building programme, decided to stand in the street outside the cathedral and seek support for the poor and charitable causes. The practice was continued by his successor, the Very Revd Jack Shearer and has now become an established part of Christmas in Belfast
Most of the money which is collected is given personally by people who come especially to Donegall Street and contributions are made by individuals, families, schools and work places. But such is the reputation of the sit out that cheques arrive by post from much further afield. All the money which is gathered is given to local charities with a proportion set aside for Christian Aid.
Similar events take place elsewhere in the Church of Ireland. In Dublin there is a clergy sit out, led by Canon Tom Haskins, at St Ann?s Church, Dawson Street, which begins today (Saturday) and which will continue from 9 am until 6 pm each day until Christmas Eve. On Tuesday the Rector of Wexford, the Revd Maria Jansson, and the Administrator of Rowe Street Church will begin a four day fast outside St Iberius? Church in aid of local and international charities.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will broadcast a sequence of readings and music for Advent with the Revd Tom Gordon and Canon Billy Marshall. In the afternoon in Dublin there will be carol services in St Patrick?s and Christ Church cathedrals for which tickets are not required while in Belfast ?Carols for the City? will be held in St Anne?s Cathedral. As in Dublin, there will be two carol services in St Fin Barre?s cathedral, Cork, tomorrow (Sunday) and Wednesday. Tomorrow (Sunday) evening at 7 pm in St Ann?s Church, Dawson Street, the Dublin Civic Carol Service will be held. The readers will include the Lord Mayor, the Archbishop of Dublin and leading members of civic life who, together with the congregation, will enjoy mulled wine and mince pies afterwards.
As well as the familiar cathedral and civic carol services there are a host of other seasonal celebrations involving the Church of Ireland. For example, tomorrow (Sunday) at 5pm there will be an Open Air Community Carol Service in Enniskerry village, Co. Wicklow, with parish choirs from Powerscourt, St Mary?s and Curtlestown and the Enniskerry Gospel Choir. In Christ Church, Dromard, Co. Sligo, there will be a service of carols by candlelight for the very good reason that the church has no electricity. Something different again will take place in Christ Church, Leeson Park (now the home of the Romanian Orthodox parish of the Holy Cross) where there will be a Joint Vespers of Carols, Anthems and Readings with the Orthodox Choir and the Choir of St Bartholomew?s Parish.
On Monday evening in Christ Church Cathedral the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Diocesan Carol Service for which tickets are required.
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