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Irish bookmaker sponsors church confession box

By
JANE WALSHE,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Thursday, April 29, 2010, 9:34 AM
Updated Thursday, April 29, 2010, 9:42 AM

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Paddy Power donated $15,000 to sponsor a church confession box, “The Paddy Power Sin Bin”
Photo by PA Archive/PA Photos


The Irish bookmakers, Paddy Power, have paid over $15,000 to sponsor a church confession box, “The Paddy Power Sin Bin.”
 
Our Lady and St Etheldreda’s Church, in Suffolk, England, were trying to raise $99,000 for church refurbishments, including an altar and font, and a well-meaning fundraiser phoned Paddy Power looking for donations.
 
The fundraiser thought that a company with such an Irish sounding name might be open to sponsoring a Catholic Church.
 
They did not expect Paddy Power himself to answer the phone and commit to such a generous and original donation.
 
"Paddy Power was captivated by the thought of a new confessional box,” said Father Michael Griffin, a priest at the church.
 
He went on to say that everyone “liked a flutter” and that gamble was only a sin if it meant a family would have to go without food.
 
 “From our point of view it's a great fit to sponsor a confession box in a church nestled in the galloping heart of British horse racing,” said Power.
 
"We hope that, over time, confessing your sins in the Paddy Power confession box will become a tradition for Newmarket race-goers."
 
World famous horse jockey, Frankie Dettori was first to use the confessional, which features a small plaque reading “The Paddy Power Sin Bin.”
 
The Communications manager for Paddy Power attended midday mass at the church.
 
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 [a race meeting] on Saturday.”

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1 Comment

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| Apr 30, 2010, 02:55 PM EDT
Might as well go to the nearest telephone booth; do they have them anymore?
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