Published Date:
09 April 2008
Derry Eurovision winner Dana is to perform in front of Pope Benedict at a pre-Mass concert in the New York Yankee's stadium.
The concert, which will take place on April 20, will be attended by 60,000 people representing all 195 dioceses in America.
Among the other artists performing will be Harry Connick Junior and Il Divo.
The event will be the culmination of the Holy Father's first visit to America as Pontiff.
Pope Benedict will spend two days in Washington D.C and two in New York.
Dana first met with Pope Benedict in 2004, just one year prior to his election to the Pontificate.
In 2004, she became the first woman to be awarded the highly acclaimed San Benedetto (St. Benedict) Award in Subiacco, Italy, for her work as MEP in upholding Family and Life.
She was personally congratulated by the then Cardinal Ratzinger, who in turn was chosen as the fifth recipient of the award in 2005 and was subsequently elected Pope Benedict later that year.
Dana sang for Pope John Paul 11 on several occasions.
She first performed for the late Pontiff in 1987 when she led 86,000 young people in singing her composition "Totus Tuus" in the New Orleans Super Dome.
The Derry songstress also sang for John Paul 11 during World Youth Day in 1993 and 1995.
The full article contains 230 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
09 April 2008 1:57 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Derry
