The 23-year-old is daughter of the rector of St Paul s, the Rev Canon Jim Carson, and his wife Heather.

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1 Much has been achieved through Millennium Development Goals, Bishop of Sheffield Lisburn volunteer with the African Children s Choir in home parish visit Music graduate Lisa Carson will be bringing an all singing, all dancing group of friends with her when she visits her home parish of St Paul s, Lisburn, on December 14. For Lisa is a singing teacher with the African Children s Choir, currently touring Northern Ireland, and St Paul s is on the Choir s busy Christmas Concert programme. Lisa has been a volunteer with the Choir since September last year, and has been on the road with this, the 41 st African Children s Choir, since January. Lisa Carson. She has toured in no less 10 American states, including Alaska, and four of Canada s western provinces. The Choir s UK tour will finish in mid-january, when Lisa, a former pupil of Hunter House College, plans to resume her studies, working towards a postgraduate degree in music therapy. The 23-year-old is daughter of the rector of St Paul s, the Rev Canon Jim Carson, and his wife Heather. When she was studying at Edinburgh University, Lisa accepted an invite to watch the African Children s Choir in concert, and was so captivated by the experience she wanted to be part of it. My degree was in music and I felt that God had given me the skills to become involved, Lisa said. Page 1

2 She applied for a volunteer position and after several s, telephone and Skype interviews she was offered a job. From September until December last year, she worked hard to fundraise and in January flew Lisa with some of her Choir before the concert at the Waterfront to Seattle for a Hall on December 11. week s training before joining the Choir in San Francisco for the start of the tour. The Choir was founded 30 years ago by Ray Bennett, who lives in Canada but is originally from Coleraine. Its first tour raised enough money to fund a children s home. A second choir was raised from the home, and every year one, sometimes two Choirs go on tour. The Choir s parent body, Music for Life, works in seven African countries. Proceeds of the tours and generosity of sponsors and donors ensure continuing care, education and development of returning Choir children. To date over a thousand vulnerable children have been through the Choir programme and the funds they have generated have provided the opportunity of education and hope for many thousands like them in some of the most desperate and needy areas of Africa. Lisa described the children in her Choir as amazing. This project is all about unlocking the potential of children and taking them out of darkness, poverty and hardship and giving them hope and education, she said. We are trying to share the hope of these children with audiences around the world. They are energetic, enthusiastic, joyful and thankful for everything they have. They have such loving hearts for God. I am supposed to be teaching them but I have learned so much from them, they are inspiring. Page 2

3 Lisa said her year with the Choir had been an amazing experience, but admitted being on the road all the time isn t as glamorous as some might think. It can be quite tough. Because I live out of a suitcase I wear the same clothes nearly every day. We are constantly on the move and stay in four different places a week, but it s fun and you adapt. God has blessed me in all sorts of different ways and I can see that in everything I do. The 18 children in Choir 41 are all from Uganda and their ages range from eight to 12. Uganda is a country close to Lisa s heart as St Paul s, Lisburn, has a partnership with the Diocese of Kajiado and Lisa was part of a parish team which visited Kajiado in She hopes to return to Uganda sometime in the future, perhaps to visit some of the children to whom she has been an Auntie for the past 12 months. Remaining dates for African Children s Choir concerts in Northern Ireland are: December 13 Jethro Centre, 7pm December 14 St Paul s, 6.30pm December 17 The People s Church, 7.30pm December 18 St Patrick s and St Brigid s Primary School, 7.30pm. Ticket details and further information are available on the African Children s Choir website. Anyone wanting to see Lisa and the Choir in St Paul s Lisburn should contact Heather on for tickets. HIA Enquiry: Catholic Church admits 'catastrophically' failing child abuse victims BBC NI - The Catholic Church has admitted that some children in its care were "tragically and catastrophically" failed. Fr Tim Bartlett, representing the Diocese of Down and Connor, was giving evidence to Northern Ireland's Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry. It is currently examining claims of abuse at a County Down boys' home. "The diocese would not wish to offer any excuse at this stage. Only apologise," Fr Bartlett said. 'Very evil people' He told the hearing at Banbridge courthouse that the concept of caring for vulnerable children was "noble". However, he accepted that some children were abused because of the actions of some Catholic Church figures and the inactions of others. Page 3

4 Fr Bartlett told the inquiry that "good people made very fundamental mistakes and some very evil people capitalised on that and manipulatively, used that situation for the most grotesque ends." Fr Tim Bartlett apologised for the Catholic Church's role in child abuse as he gave evidence to the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry on behalf of the Diocese of Down and Connor The Down and Connor priest was greeted warmly by some survivors of abuse at the end of his testimony. Fr Bartlett works as an episcopal vicar for education in Diocese of Down and Connor and is also a member of the Catholic Council for Social Affairs. The HIA inquiry was set up in 2013 to investigate child abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period, up to A total of 13 Northern Ireland institutions are being investigated. It is currently examining abuse claims at Rubane House boys' home, which was in the Diocese of Down and Connor. The home was operated by the De La Salle religious order. Plaque in honour of first Black Santa is unveiled Belfast Telegraph - Belfast's first Black Santa has been honoured at the unveiling of a Blue Plaque at St Anne's Cathedral. Dean John Mann, who currently fills the role of the city's traditional Black Santa, paid tribute to Dean Samuel Crooks who started the charity collection outside the cathedral in Page 4

5 When Dean Crooks started the collection, he wore a distinctive dark cloak, and was immediately dubbed Belfast's Black Santa, an affectionate nickname that has been applied to his successors. "Dean Sammy Crooks believed in the generosity of the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland, and they never failed him," he said. "That generosity of spirit has continued for almost four decades, and I feel privileged today to launch the 38th consecutive sit-out for charities on the steps of St Anne's." A tribute was also paid by former Church of Ireland Primate Lord Robin Eames who was a close colleague of Dean Crooks. From today, Dean Mann and his cathedral colleagues will stage a sit-out daily at the cathedral, except Sunday, until Christmas Eve The proceeds will be given to a range of local charities and needy causes in the developing world. A cathedral spokesperson said: "Dean Sammy was a charismatic man. He could be straight-talking and he was intolerant of time-wasting, but he was also warm, jovial, compassionate and welcoming." Dean Crooks raised huge sums of cash for charity over the years, a tradition carried on by successive deans Jack Shearer, Houston McKelvey, and now John Mann. Dean Crooks was awarded the OBE in 1981 but soon after his retirement he died in a road accident at the age of 66. Paying tribute, his son Sam said: "Every year my father was amazed that people gave so much to those less well-off in the worst of the Troubles." The Blue Plaque for Dean Crooks has been provided by the Ulster History Circle, a group formed in the 1980s to honour people who have contributed significantly to Northern Ireland's history. Winners of C of I World War 1 short story competition The Church of Ireland Historical Commemorations and Centenaries Working Group has announced the winners of its First World War Short Story Competition for year olds run this year. The entries were judged anonymously by a selection panel chaired by the renowned author Glenn Patterson and including the historian Prof. David Hayton; Bishop John McDowell, Chairman of the Church of Ireland Historical Commemorations Page 5

6 and Centenaries Working Group and Dr Paul Harron, the Church of Ireland Press Officer. First prize of 1000 goes to: Carys Aldous Hughes for An Inhumane Humanity - The judging panel praised this story for the originality of its prose and because it makes the reader think. It is a story which keeps the reader highly focused on a particular character in certain circumstances. The reader becomes powerfully engaged with the narrator so that they identify effectively with the subject. The judges felt that the writer had fully imagined the story in a convincing way. Runner up prize of 300 goes to: Alice O Donnell for One Woman s War - The judges were impressed by this well written, highly engaging and touching story inspired by the writer s Great great Aunt who was a nursing assistant during the First World War. Highly Commended prize of 200 goes to: Kathryn Anne Frazer for Recall - The judges enjoyed the author s interplay between diary entries and specific events during and after the War creating a poignant and well conceived piece of writing. In addition, the following short stories were selected on their merit for online publication on the Church of Ireland website early next year: Silenced Thoughts by Emma Jones The Hills by Enya O Connell Hussey On the Sound of a Gun by Christy Grattan Hear them Cry by Helen Moriarty Salve Regina A Series of Advent tide Services Sung by Peregryne Appropriate to Advent, Peregryne, the vocal ensemble directed by Dr Stuart Kinsella, will sing a week of music reflecting on the mother of Jesus from Sundays 14 to 21 December, including four rarely heard Salve Reginas by composers of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Consisting of three services in three Dublin churches, these will be sung at Compline on both Sunday 14 December at in Whitefriar Street Carmelite church and on Friday 19 December at in the medieval setting of St Audoen s church. The series will conclude on Sunday 21 December at with a theological and choral reflection on the mother of Jesus in St Saviour s church, Dominick Street. Page 6

7 The works include both four and five part Salve Reginas by Josquin de Prez (c. 1450/5 1521), and two examples from the Eton choirbook by John Browne (fl.c.1490) and William Cornysh, senior (c ). All are most welcome. The poster depicts Our Lady of Dublin, the early 16th century wooden sculpture of the Madonna and child, thought to have been taken from the Cistercian abbey of St Mary s west of Capel Street at the Reformation, and now located in Whitefriar Street church. Further details are available online at: Clogher appointments The Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd John McDowell, has announced three appointments to the Chapter of St Macartan s Cathedral Clogher and St Macartin s Cathedral Enniskillen. The Revd Canon John Stewart, who is rector of Derryvullen South and Garvary Parishes, has been appointed Chancellor, the Revd Brian Harper, rector of Magheracross, has been appointed Prebendary of Tyholland, and the Revd Mark Watson, rector of Trory and Killadeas, is to become Prebendary of Devenish. Commenting on the appointments, the Dean of Clogher, the Very Revd Kenny Hall said: It is very appropriate that Chancellor John Stewart as Registrar of the diocese should become Chancellor in recognition of his many years of service to successive Bishops of Clogher. I also welcome the new appointments to the Chapter of our Cathedrals. The Revd Mark Watson has served in the diocese for a number of years and is involved in many aspects of the community which shapes the life of Co Page 7

8 Fermanagh. The Revd Brian Harper, although a more recent arrival in Clogher, has a great deal of pastoral experience in the Church of Ireland and has quickly gained the confidence of his fellow clergy, as seen in his recent election as a Clerical Honorary Secretary of the Diocesan Synod and Diocesan Council. Much has been achieved through Millennium Development Goals, Bishop of Sheffield tells House of Lords Fighting the "evil giant" of climate change and ending violence against women and girls should be among the key themes for new global development goals from 2015, the Bishop of Sheffield has told the House of Lords. The Rt Rev Steven Croft said there had been "major" achievements as a result of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by world leaders in The eight goals range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/Aids and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of Bishop Steven told peers that although much remains to be done, the achievements of the MDGs should be celebrated and communicated to the world. "Extreme poverty has been reduced by half, there has been clear progress in the battles against malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, " he said. "Access to drinking water and sanitation has been improved. The political participation of women has increased, 90% of children in developing regions are attending primary school. "These are major achievements and should be celebrated and communicated much more effectively than is the case." Bishop Steven told peers he is a passionate supporter of establishing new global development goals once the MDGs end next year. These new goals need a fresh vision reflecting global interdependence and sustainable growth for all, he said. Page 8

9 Vital themes should include the need to battle the "evil giant" of climate change and to seek carbon reduction as a major goal for the next generation, he said. "If we fail to place this sustainable development front and centre the effects on life on earth will be profound," he warned. He added that gender justice must be a "stand alone" goal with a target to end violence against women and girls. Other vital themes include better ways of responding to man made and natural disasters and building resilience in the poorest communities as well as a goal of a fair global economic system and targets for global tax justice. To read the full speech: Page 9