James Mulgrew appointed Papal Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great

Mr & Mrs Mulgrew with Bishop John Arnold

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James Mulgrew, better known as the comedian Jimmy Cricket, has been appointed a Papal Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great for his work for charity over many years.

The investiture was held at a special mass at St Patrick's RC Church, Rochdale, celebrated by the Bishop of Salford, Rt Rev John Arnold and was attended by Lord David Alton and Don Maclean (both Papal Knights), his family and friends.

The citation from Bill Lees, who is the principal proposer of the Papal Knighthood reads: "Rudyard Kipling once wrote 'If you can walk with Kings ...nor lose the common touch'. This sums up Jimmy, who has appeared on the Royal Command Performance, yet has kept his feet firmly on the ground.

"He has a natural ability to make people laugh, which in itself is a rare talent, but there is more to this man than just the gift of humour. He is a shining example to us all as someone who shows care and compassion to his fellow man."