Diocesan News23 Nov 15

Thinking Inside the Box

Three local clergymen are to stage a sit–out in a container in Eglinton next weekend to raise awareness of the plight of refugees.

The cross–community sit–out is the brainchild of Church of Ireland Rector of Faughanvale, Rev Paul Hoey. He got the idea after hearing a radio report about a group of 20 refugees who were living in freezing conditions in a container in Eastern Europe.

Rev Hoey discussed the refugee crisis with local Presbyterian minister, Rev Lindsay Blair, and Faughanvale priest Father Noel McDermott, and the three men agreed to stage a round–the–clock sit–out in the heart of Eglinton, outside the village’s credit union, to highlight the issue.

The clergy will take it in turns to ‘live’ in the container over the weekend – including at night–time – with the exception of Sunday morning when they’ll be holding services in their own churches.

Mr Blair hopes members of the community will visit them at the container to learn more about the plight of refugees and hopefully make donations to Trócaire and Tear Fund – two agencies which are supporting refugees on the ground in the Middle East. Volunteers from all three churches will be on hand to help distribute literature about the refugee crisis, which is expected to get worse over the winter.

Rev Lindsay Blair of Eglinton Presbyterian Church (on left) and Rev Paul Hoey, Rector of Faughanvale (missing from the photo is Fr Noel McDermott, who will also be taking part in the Container sit–out).

The churchmen’s sit–out will begin at 4 o’clock on Friday afternoon and continue until 5pm on Sunday. It’ll be followed by a short service in St Canice’s Church in Eglinton at 5.30pm on Sunday evening.