Lord Mayor launches the Black Santa sitout
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, has launched the Dean of Belfast’s third Black Santa Christmas sitout for charity at St Anne’s Cathedral. He is pictured below (centre) with the Very Revd John Mann and the Bishop of Connor, The Right Revd Alan Abernethy.
From now until Christmas Eve, Dean Mann will be joined on the cathedral steps by cathedral clergy, the Bishops of Connor and Down and Dromore, and members of the Cathedral Chapter.
As usual, most of the money collected will be distributed to local charities, with a portion going towards overseas work. This year there will be a separate collection to be donated to the Philippines Appeal.
Dean Mann said: “As we begin the Black Santa sitout again this year we are very conscious of needing to support local charities as we always do, but we are also very aware of the situation in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world.
“Money donated during the Christmas sitout will be divided in the way it usually is, with most going to small local charities and some going towards overseas development, but we will keep a separate collection for anyone who wishes to give specifically to the Philippines Appeal.”
This will be the 37th Black Santa sitout, a tradition started in 1976 by Dean Sammy Crooks who, concerned at the emphasis being placed on necessary and costly building programmes at the cathedral, decided to stand on Donegall Street in front of the cathedral and beg for the poor and charitable causes.
The sitout takes place from 9.00 am–5.30 pm every day now until Christmas Eve with the exception of Sunday December 22.
Reflecting on his annual challenge, Dean Mann said: “I have not risked checking the weather forecast, I just hope it doesn’t rain. But whatever the weather, I look forward to meeting lots of people on the steps of the cathedral in the coming days.”