Dana at the Gospel Bayfest

I was interested to read of the first ever Gospel Bayfest: The Morecambe Bay Festival of Gospel Music. ‘Top gospel artists from the UK’ will feature. According to the website, these include the Aryton Brothers, whose music I love, and Roger Carswell. I’m unable to vouch for Roger’s singing, but he’s no stranger to Martin Top, and is a wonderfully clear and engaging preacher. The others I’ve not heard of, but I have no reason to doubt that the festival-goers of Morecambe are in for a treat.

The event is hosted by Dana. If you’re under forty, I should explain that her full name is Dana Rosemary Scallon, and she is a skilled Irish singer, Eurovision winner and former presidential candidate. She strikes me as a puzzling choice to host a gospel event; on her website, she is selling CDs for $19.99 of her and a Roman Catholic priest singing songs about Mary allegedly appearing in Mexico in 1531, to which Catholics can pray their rosaries.

For another $19.99, you can buy a CD of Dana’s called Mother of Mercy: A Rosary of Healing with Luminous Mysteries – by Dana and Father Kevin Scallon. The blurb for this 2-Disc Set invites customers to ‘Pray this beautiful Rosary for spiritual, physical, or emotional healing’. The more savvy of her fans can buy all her prayer and rosary albums for the special price of just $89.99 direct from her website.

I have no problem with musicians selling their albums. I also believe Roman Catholics have the right to worship whoever they want in the manner they see fit. But my prayer for the Morecambe Gospel Bayfest is that Dana will hear the genuine gospel of free grace and come to the Christ of the Bible. The event’s programme says she will be sharing about ‘her achievements and incredible journey’. As far as I can tell, she has not yet arrived at the correct destination. She has no need to pray to Mary for spiritual healing; Jesus Himself says ‘come unto Me’.  

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay