Gold Medal for Danny McElligott

'At Our Lady of Hal, Camden Town, London on Sunday 23rd July at the Parish 12noon Mass, Mr Daniel 'Danny' McElligott was presented with the Gold Medal of the Archconfraternity of St Stephen for over 50 years as a member of the Archconfraternity and as an altar server. The medal was presented to Danny by Bishop James O'Brien. What is also remarkable is that most of those 50 years he was a server in the Camden Town parish, the only break being when he was doing his National Service in the RAF.

Although born and brought up in this part of London, Danny and his family were not actually parishioners. What drew them here was the famous 'Kays Irish Music Shop' next door, where his parents bought the local newspapers from Co. Cork and Co. Kerry, where they originally came from.

Danny was enrolled into the Guild in 1948 when he was 15 years old, when it was established in the parish by Fr Van Zuyt. Our Lady of Hal Church used to be known as the Belgian Church, as it was given over to the care of Belgian refugees after WW1 and was staffed by the Scheut fathes until 1982.

Over the fifty years Danny has given so much dedicated service to the parish in many different capacities. In recognition of this service over the years he has received the Guild's Silver Medal, a Bene Merenti and been made a Knight of St Gregory.

Although the Guild was established in 1948. no new members had been enrolled recently. It seemed appropriate that the first should have been Susie Green who has already been an altar server for seven years in the parish, as she is a similar age to Danny when he received his first medal back in 1948.

Also present at the celebration Mass were Fr John Conneely (Administrator of Camden Town), Fr Dennis Touw - National Chaplain to the Guild, Fr Keith Stoakes - Diocesan Chaplain and Mr Michael O'Leary - Secretary of the Guild.'