Francis Pharcellus Church

American newspaper editor, 1839–1906. 1 explained quote.

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“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

Francis Pharcellus Church · 1897

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“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

Francis Pharcellus Church · “Is There a Santa Claus?”, unsigned editorial in The Sun (New York) · 1897 · Journalist

Replying to an eight-year-old who asked if Santa was real, Church argued that love, generosity and wonder are real even though no one can see them, and that Santa Claus is real in the same way.

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About Francis Pharcellus Church

Francis Pharcellus Church was a Civil War correspondent and later an editorial writer for The Sun in New York. He wrote hundreds of unsigned editorials, but is remembered for one: his 1897 reply to eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, which is the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language. It was published unsigned, and his authorship was only revealed after his death.