Local clergymen unite in Nenagh charity fundraising appeal

FORTY-three years ago this Christmas, the then Dean of Belfast, the Very Rev’d Sammy Crooks held a sit-out for charity outside his Cathedral.

FORTY-three years ago this Christmas, the then Dean of Belfast, the Very Rev Sammy Crooks held a sit-out for charity outside his cathedral.

To keep out the cold, he wore an Anglican black cloak. The response to his appeal was so good that the local newspaper nicknamed him ‘The Black Santa,’ because of his black cloak.

This Christmas, a group of local clergy including Very Rev Rod Smyth, Rev Paul Fitzpatrick; Father Des Hillery, Fr Rexon Chullickal and Fr Michael Geraghty; the Archdeacon of Killaloe, Rev Terry Mitchell and the Rev Stephen Foster, Cloughjordan Methodist Church, will hold a Black Santa sit-out for charity at the Market Cross Nenagh.

The charities being supported are CARMHA (Connection and Recovery in Mental Health and Addiction) and the Nenagh Special Needs Summer Camp.

Both are very worthy charities. Please look out for the clergy in their trademark black cloaks and give generously.

They will be collecting on this Thursday, December 17th, from 2pm-5pm; Friday, December 18th, 6pm-8pm, and Saturday, December 19th, 2pm-5pm.