Sheila and Mike to ‘Sing For Africa’
BOHERBUE CONCERT TO SUPPORT FR MARTIN’S WORK IN SWAZILAND
BOHERBUE Church will resound to a feast of festive music at the 7.30pm Vigil Mass on Saturday, December 15, when Sheila Fitzgerald and Mike Sheehan will stage a ‘Sing for Africa’ fundraiser for Fr Martin McCormack’s projects in Swaziland.
Fr McCormack, who is home in Ballydesmond for six weeks, will celebrate the Mass and will himself perform some wellloved Christmas carols.
Sheila and Mike will be joined by Boherbue Parish Choir, children from the local national school, and harpists Ciara Hartnett, Isobel Hynes and Sarah O’Keeffe.
“It’s wonderful to come home and reconnect with your hospitality and humour; no matter where I am in the world, I am proud of my heritage and the place that inspired me to be a missionary. I do what I do because people generously support my work in Swaziland” Fr Martin told the Corkman.
“As soon as I get back to Africa in mid-January, there will be a long queue of young people looking for school fees. It’s impossible to help everyone who comes; last year 300 came to me in the first two weeks of the school year,” he explained.
“The generosity at our various fundraisers last Christmas was astounding and so appreciated, the difference it makes to the lives of those I minister to is extraordinary, and I thank you all sincerely,” he added.
Projects completed in the past year include five soup kitchens in rural primary schools which feed 2,000 twice daily; three new classrooms; four schools painted; and electricity and 12 blocks of toilets installed for children, including special needs units.
Sheila and Mike, who have recorded numerous CDs and DVDs over the years, mark this festive season with the release of a new single, ‘Silver Bells’, which can be heard on all radio stations from this week.