19.02.2024
Black Santa Funds Distributed to Dublin Charities
Dublin’s Black Santa appeal continued to spread goodwill yesterday (Sunday February 18) as €55,000 was distributed to local charities. The funds were collected during the annual sit out at St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, in the days before Christmas and representatives of the charities joined parishioners for a service of thanksgiving where they received their cheques.
During Choral Matins the lessons were read by Dr Ruby Morrow, secretary to the Select Vestry, and Major Gordon Fozzard, Chaplain of Dublin Homelessness Service of the Salvation Army.
In her sermon, the Revd Natasha Quinn–Thomas, Curate Assistant in Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla outlined her ‘Five Fs of Lent’ which she devised as part of her ministry with school children.
The first F relates to the length of Lent – 40 days and 40 nights during which we carve out time from our daily lives to find space to be in closer relationship with God.
The second F is for Fasting and what we give up or take up to get closer to God. The third is Favour to which she returned later. The fourth F is Forgiveness and the fifth is Faith.
Focusing on Favour, she explored the generosity of giving. “This community which lies in the heart of Dublin has given with generous hearts. We have demonstrated through the appeal that we are charitable, that we want to help people in need in our community. This is our obligation to mission and our obligation to help those in our community to develop a deeper relationship with God and ultimately with God’s kingdom here on earth,” Ms Quinn–Thomas observed.
She added: “By giving we receive even more. Through this appeal we have received even more,” she explained adding that her first visit to St Ann’s was on the first day of the 2023 Black Santa Sit Out with the pupils of Castleknock National School. “When I was outside singing and dancing, what I received was the joy of people passing by, their encouragement of the children and watching the children grow in confidence… Those people who gave financially that day received so much more in happiness and the gratitude of the children collecting the money,” she said.
She said that this favour had demonstrated that St Ann’s has a Christian heart for mission and its people were keen to give so that they may receive a greater gift which is uniting God’s kingdom on earth. She urged the congregation to explore the Five Fs over the coming 40 days and nights and continue to demonstrate the gift of love and giving in the heart of the city.
Speaking after the service, the Vicar of St Ann’s, Canon Paul Arbuthnot, thanked all who helped coordinate the sit out.
On behalf of the charities who benefited from the appeal, Sandra Younge of the Brabazon Trust thanked the people of St Ann’s for their generosity in giving so much time and energy to running the appeal each year. She said the donations were appreciated by all the charities and added that she knew that the donations would be wisely spent to the benefit of all the people who used their services.
The charities supported included: the Salvation Army, the Simon Community, Alice Leahy Trust, Protestant Aid, St Vincent de Paul, Solas Project, Focus Ireland, the Samaritans, LauraLynn, Barnardo’s and other local charities. A contribution was also made to Dublin and Glendalough’s Shine a Light for the Diocese of Jerusalem Appeal.