Paddy Power Sponsors Church Confession Box

OutlawPete

Frank Dettori opened it earlier today at a church in Newmarket ... Pic1 | Pic2

Paddy Powers Sponsors Church Confession Box

A Catholic church confession box has been sponsored by a bookies.

Paddy Power, the Irish betting firm, has paid £10,000 in the deal with Our Lady & St Etheldreda Church in Newmarket, Suffolk, after being approached by its fundraising committee.

Newmarket is widely regarded as the home of British horse-racing.

Paddy Power spokesman Ken Robertson told Mail Online: 'It was just before Christmas when we got an unsolicited call from a man on the fundraising committee at the church.

'He said Newmarket was the home of flat-racing in Britain and he asked would we sponsor an event to help pay for a new confession box .

'I half-jokingly floated the idea that if we paid for the confession box could we put our name to it - and he spoke to the priest, who was well up for it.'
The box, which has green curtains branded with Paddy Power's logo and the words 'Sin Bin' on the outside, was officially opened yesterday by jockey Frankie Dettori.

The Italian rider was married in the church, and was the first to say confession there yesterday.

Mr Robertson, who is the firm's communication manager, attended the confession box's official opening yesterday and the 12pm mass that followed.

He said: 'I met with a few of the parishioners and they were upbeat about it.

"Some even said they would pop in and say confession on their way to the Guineas (race meeting) on Saturday.'

Fr Michael Griffin, Our Lady & St Etheldreda's priest, told The Daily Telegraph: 'It was suggested by a parishoner that we should ask Paddy Power for help because of its horse-racing connections. We were very pleased when they generously agreed.

The diocesan spokesman Fr Mark Hackeson added: 'There is nothing morally wrong with gambling unless it deprives people of what is necessary to provide for their needs and that of their dependants.

'We regularly raise funds through raffles and that is also a form of gambling. This money was freely given for a specific purpose and had been earned legally.

Source

stellarartois

Thanks for the news update....

landsleaving

Is gambling not a sin anymore?

Woohoo, I'm goin' to Vegas!

stellarartois

landsleaving wrote: »

Is gambling not a sin anymore?

Woohoo, I'm goin' to Vegas!

Are you expecting people to thank you for this post?

biko

That's fecked up, advertising inside a church.

Irish_wolf

AckwelFoley

stellarartois wrote: »

Are you expecting people to thank you for this post?

Are you expecting people to thank you for yours?

PirateShampoo

OutlawPete have you ever considered creating your own news website?

El Siglo

I wonder what the Protestants will do? Hard to top that.
I wish Dermot Morgan was alive to see this.

ironictoaster

stellarartois wrote: »

Are you expecting people to thank you for this post?

Are you expecting people thank your post for being a smart ass?

Anyways, PP will sponser anything these days. They sponsered the soles of a boxer's shoes a while ago. You could see PP's logo after he got KO'd!

AckwelFoley

El Siglo wrote: »

I wonder what the Protestants will do? Hard to top that.

Tattoo Ian Paisley's face like a Maori Warrior

PeterIanStaker

creggy wrote: »

You could see PP's logo after he got KO'd!

:D:D:D:D Ha ha thats class! Wonder did they collect money on the opponent who Ko'd him?

stellarartois

snyper wrote: »

Are you expecting people to thank you for yours?

No are you?

PeterIanStaker

snyper wrote: »

Tattoo Ian Paisley's face like a Maori Warrior

Ulster Says Haka!

stellarartois

creggy wrote: »

Anyways, PP will sponser anything these days. They sponsered the soles of a boxer's shoes a while ago. You could see PP's logo after he got KO'd!

I don't think this is true.

Bolag_the_2nd

stellarartois wrote: »

I don't think this is true.

No stellarartois, it has to be, we dont lie in after hours.;)

stellarartois

oh good one!

landsleaving

stellarartois wrote: »

Are you expecting people to thank you for this post?

No, I was expecting people to respond like you did. I'm not posting in After Hours for the compliments. I'm hoping they bring in a no thanks button soon. Then I'll really make some bad posts.

My name is URL

stellarartois wrote: »

I don't think this is true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcyiskNIiBI

Big Ears

stellarartois wrote: »

I don't think this is true.

A bookie did attempt to do this when Julius Francis fought Mike Tyson(nearly a decade ago now) but I don't think it ever went through. Francis did get knocked out though.

starbelgrade

Is it a proper confession box, or just a horsebox?

Blobby George

I heard that they are running a book on the amount of reported cases of clerical sexual abuse in 2011.

stellarartois

Blobby George wrote: »

I heard that they are running a book on the amount of reported cases of clerical sexual abuse in 2011.

Dont think this is true either.

UrbanSea

Anyone read that PP were trying to sponsor Tiger Woods for huge money there a few months ago when it came out about his affairs because so many of his sponsors were dropping him?
I can picture the add now. Anyone see the add where it's 'Paddy power can't get you that email back,but we can refund your bet'

'Paddy Power can't get you your wife back,but we can refund your bet'
Love it:D

mikom

Little Johnny goes into the confession box and says, "Bless me father for I have sinned".
The priest replies angrily, "You better not be cheating on me, you little bastard!"

brummytom

biko wrote: »

That's fecked up, advertising inside a church.

+1. Just doesn't seem right at all

Stephentlig

This is not true is it? :mad::rolleyes:

well apart from the truth of it all, the second pic made me laugh, I mean come on, whats the point in having that screen there? it hardly looks secretive does it?:rolleyes:

Pax Christi
Stephen

starbelgrade

I think it's great - the church could do a lot more sponsored advertising...

The 'blood of christ' sponsored by Diagio.. "the Lord said, take this blood & drink it sensibly".

Ash Wednesday, supported by Marlboro.

The Eucharist replaced with Hunky Dorys.

etc

geeky

I seem to recall a story from the bible where Jesus chased a bunch of money-changers out of the Temple in Jerusalem. Wonder what he'd make of Paddy Power...

Stephentlig

geeky wrote: »

I seem to recall a story from the bible where Jesus chased a bunch of money-changers out of the Temple in Jerusalem. Wonder what he'd make of Paddy Power...

Good post Geeky, I think we all know what he'd think, I'm praying right now that the church will move in here and get rid of it.

Pax Christi
Stephen

starbelgrade

Stephentlig wrote: »

Good post Geeky, I think we all know what he'd think, I'm praying right now that the church will move in here and get rid of it.

And what would he make of the church's vast wealth? And the Vatican's multi billion wordwide investment portfolio?

Stephentlig

starbelgrade wrote: »

And what would he make of the church's vast wealth? And the Vatican's multi billion wordwide investment portfolio?

Thats not what the topic is about, but if you wish to pm me with your questions as I've dealt with many people such as yourself then please feel free to do so.

Pax Christi
Stephen

starbelgrade

Stephentlig wrote: »

Thats not what the topic is about, but if you wish to pm me with your questions as I've dealt with many people such as yourself then please feel free to do so.

I've no wish to be dealt with, but thanks for the offer.

Stephentlig

starbelgrade wrote: »

I've no wish to be dealt with, but thanks for the offer.

Forgive me starbelgrade, if you felt my post was intimidating perhaps I should of worded it better to convey a more peaceful mood, but my post was said with the best of intentions.

Pax Christi
Stephen

starbelgrade

Stephentlig wrote: »

Forgive me starbelgrade, if you felt my post was intimidating perhaps I should of worded it better to convey a more peaceful mood, but my post was said with the best of intentions.

Fair enough. I'll still decline though - nothing personal, I just prefer open forum discussions to PM discussions, which I always avoid.

Stephentlig

starbelgrade wrote: »

Fair enough. I'll still decline though - nothing personal, I just prefer open forum discussions to PM discussions, which I always avoid.

well you see I'm the opposite, I always feel that if someone is truly searching for an honest answer or discussion they'll do so no matter what.

I dont like the public ones especially on AH, as I'm one Catholic to a million ( over exaggerated number ) people who have a variety of beliefs and just have an insatiable desire to talk nonsense and I'd have a fairly mad job responding to it all. I come here to AH for a good laugh, not to defend myself from every dick tom and harry, but if they are interested and have questions they can e-mail me or pm me and I have no probs with responding respectfully.

Pax Christi
Stephen

starbelgrade

We both come here for a laugh then. Best leave it at that & get on with it.

CrazyRabbit

Man: Forgive me Father for I have sinned. I stole some food yesterday.

Priest: Say three hail Mary's, two Our Father's & pray for forgiveness.

Man: Will that allow me into heaven Father?

Priest:Well, I'd give you odds of 7/4.