Santa's greatest gift? God's love, says Canton Township 'helper'

NORTH CANTON − Believing in Santa is not a rejection of the Christmas story but rather the confirmation of it, says a man who has devoted himself as a "helper."

Frank Kohring of Canton Township said he sports an authentic white beard and the famous red suit as a way to share the good news of Jesus' birth.

"Gifts are always a wonderful thing," he said. "When we talk about (gifts), you have to look at God giving us the gift of his son. In Christ, the gift is salvation. "

The member of St. Mary/St. Benedict Catholic Church and past Grand Knight of Holy Martyrs Council 4733 recently shared the story of his ministry with the Community of Praise Charismatic Catholic Prayer Group, which meets at Walsh University's Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel.

The group is affiliated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Diocese of Youngstown and an Apostolate of Magnificat of Stark County.

Kohring said the Christmas tradition of gift-giving is a reflection of God's love for his creation.

"When you look into the eyes of children. There's an indescribable connection," he told the gathering. "It makes me think of Mother Teresa. Any time she was involved in treating the sick and dying, she always looked them right in the face, and in doing that she became one with them, in Jesus."

Kohring shared that he was encouraged by a friend two years ago to consider becoming a Santa's Helper.

"It kind of came out of nowhere," he said. "I didn't have beard. I did have a goatee. He said, 'You have a white goatee and sparkly eyes; you'd probably make a great Santa.' I didn't know if I could even grow a beard. I had questions. How much does a suit cost? Do I have to get fatter? There were lots of questions."

Be a light

Kohring noted that opportunities to serve God and other others abound if we are open to it.

"We get invitations all the time," he said. "We're invited to grow in Christ. How many times don't we respond? We need to look at ways we can respond and how can we take the grace that God has given us and look for ways to take that to others."

Kohring said Christians are called to be a light to the world, adding that his ministry boils down to Jesus' instructions:

" Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength ... and love your neighbor as yourself."

"A lot of people are struggling," he said. "They don't feel they have anything to share because they don't know themselves."

Korhing's wife, Sally, said her husband initially took on the role of Santa's Helper for their 34 grandchildren. They are the parents of eight children.

"He decided he wanted to do it to explain the connection of Christmas to Jesus," she said. "That he wasn't there just to bring gifts. He wanted to tell them about Jesus. It was just something that grew."

Things changed when he did the same for a Knights of Columbus Christmas party and someone there posted a photo of him on social media. It got the attention of a photography company which offered Kohring a position as a Santa's Helper fill-in at several malls in the Pittsburgh area.

"They were all beautiful sites," he said.

When asked how he was able to maintain a positive attitude during 11-hour days as a Santa's Helper, Kohring said whether a child has a $5,000 list, or is asking for help for a sick parent, he treats each one with patience, kindness and compassion.

"Years ago, I thought I was going to have a clown ministry. I was prepared to do it, but that's not what kids need," he said. "When the Lord wants you to do something, he'll work it out."

Kohring added that while he can't overtly share his faith when he works at malls, "My big thing for the kids is for them to know they they're loved; that Santa loves them, their parents love them."

"There are so many things that happen every day, all you can do as a Santa is try to turn their negatives into positives," he said. "The world is so intolerant of love and hurting, anything we can do to make it better is a good thing."

From St. Nicholas to Santa

"Frank is the epitome of the spirit of Christmas," prayer group cofounder Cheryl Langford said. "Santa Claus is not a 'job' for him. It is a spirit of love and giving that he passes to every child that comes to him with such wide-eyed wonder."

The western tradition of Santa Claus is based on an eastern bishop, St. Nicholas of Myrna.

"Santa Claus" comes from the Dutch pronunciation of St. Nicholas − "Sinter Klaas."

Born to a wealthy Greek family in Patara, Turkey, on March 15, 270, A.D., Nicholas spent his inheritance to help the poor.

An early leader of the burgeoning Christian church, Nicholas died on Dec. 6, 343, A.D., which is his feast day.

He is known as the patron saint of children, sailors, pawnbrokers, brewers, and penitent thieves.

"The mission is the same," Kohring said. "The original Santa and his giving is the extension of Christ's love. What I do has been well-received. It's a humbling thing. I hope that I can share some love along the way."

The legend of Santa Claus in the U.S. goes back to Washington Irving, when he referred to St. Nicholas as the patron saint of New York in his 1809 book, "A History of New York."

Newspaper artist Thomas Nast's illustrations in the early 1900s is the basis of the modern image, which was further popularized by Coca Cola ad in the 1930s.

Kohring said that because the spirit of Christmas is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, it's actually easier for Christians to believe in Santa.

"As we know, Santa's Christmas magic is the love of Christ," he said. "I pray that everyone who puts on a Santa suit can reflect the love of Christ ... My goal is to be Santa everyday − even without the suit."

Kohring can be reached at SantaFrankk@gmail.com.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Santa embodies God's love, says local 'helper' Fred Kohring