JOURNAL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GLASGOWMAY 2015 70p

Lord, Let Glasgow Flourish by the preaching of ThyWord and the praising of Thy Name

Smiles inCranhill

Year of Mercy

page 5

Marriageblessingpage 13

pages 8–9

SCIAF appeal for Nepal

BLESSTHISHOUSEGLORIOUS sunshineensured an extra warmglow as residents ofNazareth House wereformally welcomed to theirsplendid new care home inCardonald.

Archbishop PhilipTartaglia was on hand tobless the spacious andaccommodating housewhich is home to 62 elderlyresidents and a team ofdedicated staff. It replacesthe older facility which hasstood for over a century.

The Archbishopencouraged everyone to setthe highest standards ofcare and aspire to achievethem in the spirit ofChristian charity.

Full story – page 3

THE Scottish CatholicInternational Aid Fund isappealing to Scots to do-nate whatever they canto help survivors of theNepalese earthquake.

The charity has launched anemergency appeal followingthe massive quake whichclaimed thousands of lives,and left many more injured,homeless and in need of ur-gent help. £50,000 was dis-patched immediately.

Within hours of the erup-tion, SCIAF’s partners werealready helping rescue peopleand had provided tarpaulinsfor survivors to sleep under.They are also giving food,clean water, blankets andsoap.

SCIAF director AlistairDutton said: “The prayers,

day as many people were out-side when the quake hap-pened.

“Rescue is the first priority.Lots of people have lost theirhomes and are out on thestreet or in open spaces, so wewill be looking to providethem with food and temporaryshelter.”

The devastation hasstretched medical services inthe impoverished and unpre-pared Himalayan nation tobreaking point.

Hospital beds inKathmandu are full, forcingother sick and injured peopleto seek makeshift treatment inthe street alongside thousandsof displaced survivors whosehomes were destroyed.

Speaking from Kathmandu,Eleanor Trinchera of CaritasAustralia said: “I have neverseen so much devastation.

While the streets are rife withactivity and chaos as peopletry to find loved ones andfriends, the city is paralysedwith destroyed buildings,blocked roads, intermittentpower and rolling after-shocks.”

On Mount Everest, thequake triggered a huge ava-lanche which flattened thebase camp, killing 17 and in-juring 61 in the worst disasterto hit the mountain. Many ofthe dead are local sherpas.

Pope Francis expressed hissolidarity with all affected bythe disaster and sent assur-ances of prayers for the deadand those who grieve theirloss.

solidarity and generosity ofthe Scottish people are crucialto SCIAF’s response.

“I would urge everyone tojoin us in praying for the de-ceased and their loved ones,and give what they can so thatwe can get aid to those whoneed it most and help themmake a full recovery in theweeks and months ahead.

“We are liaising closelywith Caritas in Nepal and willdo whatever we can to helpthem.

Fr Pius Perumana SJ, the di-rector of Caritas Nepal, basedin the capital Kathmandu, saidit was the worst earthquake hehad ever experienced in anarea which is not immune tolarge tremors.

He said: “Thank God it wasduring the day and on a holi-

� SCIAF chief’s cycle pilgrimage – page 10

By Vincent Toal

Picture by Paul McSherry

FOCUS2 • FLOURISHMAY 2015

Friday 1st:Mass forVocations, Turnbull Hall(7pm)Saturday 2nd: Mass for 60thanniversary of parish, StBrigid’s, Toryglen (6pm)Tuesday 5th–6th:Meeting ofBishops’ ConferenceScotlandFriday 8th: P7 Mass, StAndrew’s Cathedral(10.30am)Sunday 10th:Mass for YouthSt Vincent de Paul, StAndrew’s Cathedral (2pm)Monday 11th: P7 Mass, StAndrew’s Cathedral(10.30am)Tuesday 12th:Confirmations, St Vincent’s,Thornliebank (7pm)Sunday 17th: FirstCommunions, St Anne’s,Dennistoun (11.30am)Monday 18th: P7 Mass, StAndrew’s Cathedral(10.30am); Meeting of SCESexecutive (4pm)Tuesday 19th: Lunch withSecondary head teachers(1pm); The Wizard of Oz, StStephen’s Primary, Dalmuir(7pm)Wednesday 20th: P7 Mass,St Andrew’s Cathedral(10.30am)Thursday 21st: Lunch withSecondary head teachers(1pm); Confirmations, StMaria Goretti’s, Cranhill(7pm)Friday 22nd:Mass ofThanksgiving for NETMinistries, St Andrew’sCathedral (6.30pm)Sunday 24th:Mass ofPentecost with Neophytes, StAndrew’s Cathedral (3pm)Wednesday 27th:Mass forUnion of Catholic Mothers,St Margaret’s, Clydebank(7pm)Thursday 28th:Mass ofDedication for SafeguardingService, St Andrew’sCathedral (7pm)Friday 29th: P7 Mass, StAndrew’s Cathedral(10.30am)Sunday 31st: Confirmationsat St Kessog’s, Balloch(11.30am)

diaryArchbishop’s

MAY 2015

FortyhoursadorationSunday 3rd MaySt Catherine’s, BalornockSt James, CrookstonSunday 10th MaySt Vincent’s, ThornliebankSunday 17th MaySt Patrick’s, DumbartonSunday 24th MaySt Columba’s, Hopehill RdSacred Heart, CumbernauldSunday 31st MaySt Roch’s, Garngad

WHENEVER we feelweighed down bypastoral work, we can betempted to rest howeverwe please, as if rest werenot itself a gift of God.Our weariness is

precious in the eyes ofJesus who embraces usand lifts us up.Whenever a priest feels

dead tired, yet is able tobow down in adorationand say: “Enough fortoday Lord”, and entrusthimself to the Father, heknows that he will not fallbut be renewed. Let usnever forget that a key tofruitful priestly ministrylies in how we rest and inhow we look at the waythe Lord deals with ourweariness.

DO I know how to rest byaccepting the love,gratitude and affectionwhich I receive fromGod’s faithful people?Do I know how to seek

help from a wise priest?Do I know how to take abreak from myself, fromthe demands I make onmyself, from my self-seeking and from my self-absorption?Am I preoccupied with

how I should speak andact, or do I entrust myselfto the Holy Spirit, whowill teach me what I need

to say in everysituation?

PEOPLE love their priests,they want and need theirshepherds! The faithfulnever leave us withoutsomething to do, unlesswe hide in our offices orgo out in our carswearing sun glasses.There is a good and

healthy tiredness. It is theexhaustion of the priestwho wears the smell ofthe sheep… but alsosmiles the smile of afather rejoicing in hischildren or grandchildren.If Jesus is shepherding

the flock in our midst, wecannot be shepherds whoare glum, plaintive or,even worse, bored.

THERE is also wearinessof ourselves – wantingyet not wanting, havinggiven up everything butcontinuing to yearn forthe fleshpots of Egypt,toying with the illusion ofbeing somethingdifferent. I like to call thiskind of weariness “flirtingwith spiritualworldliness”.Only love gives true

rest. What is not lovedbecomes tiresome, and intime, brings about aharmful weariness.Let us ask for the grace

to learn how to be weary,but weary in the best ofways!

From Pope Francis’Chrism Mass homily,2 April 2015

Tiredness of priestsTHE Good Shepherd isnone other than Jesus.

The Good Shepherd knowshis sheep. He calls them. Helays down his life for hissheep – seeks out the lost andcarries them to safe pastures.

The Church looks to Jesusthe Good Shepherd as sheprays for vocations. TheChurch wants her priests to belike Jesus the Good Shepherd.

This year marks for me 40years of priestly ordination.

My story as a priest is oneof learning how to be likeJesus the Good Shepherd. Iwas well prepared, but I wasnot ready-made. Jesus had toshow me how to follow him.

And you, my dear brothersand sisters, you had to teachme how to be a shepherd. I amstill learning after 40 years,learning from Jesus and learn-ing from you.

After 40 years, I want tothank God and ask him to con-tinue to show me a Father’sunderstanding and love sothat, despite my sins and fail-ings, I can still aspire to besomething like Jesus the GoodShepherd.

After 40 years, I am bothjoyful and humbled that Iserve as a priest. I am still fullof wonder at the Eucharist andthe Sacraments. I am still ex-cited by the challenge of find-ing new insights and newwords to preach the Gospel.

More than ever, I feel theresponsibility to be a shepherdand pastor who shares the bur-dens of his flock and who re-sponds to them with a lovingheart.

After 40 years, I want to askforgiveness of anyone I havehurt or disappointed. I want tothank the people I have servedfor their goodness and under-standing.

I praise God for calling meto be a priest. Despite recentill-health, I am thankful that Iam still strong and fit enough

“How wonderful it is to besurprised by God’s call, toembrace his word, and to walkin the footsteps of Jesus, inadoration of the divine mys-tery and in generous service toour neighbours! Your life willbecome richer and more joy-ful each day!”

After 40 years, I can testifyto the truth of the Pope’swords.

Despite the limitations ofmy own humanity, I am con-stantly surprised and delightedby working for the Lord as apriest.

So I do not hesitate to callall young people to followJesus. And I do not hesitate tocall young men to followJesus in the priesthood andallow him to make them intogood shepherds just like him.

And after 40 years, I can as-sure you personally of the pro-tection and intercession ofMary, the Mother of Jesus,who did not hesitate to say inresponse to God’s call, Let itbe done to me.

for work. But I have to ac-knowledge the fact that, at 64years of age, I am nearer theend of my active life than thebeginning.

And my dearest wish is thatthere will be enough priests tocare for this diocese into thefuture.

Our story of vocations tothe priesthood in recent yearsshows that the challenge isdaunting for young men.

In his message forVocations Sunday, PopeFrancis mentions “uncer-tainty” and “worries about thefuture” and “daily problems”as factors which may putyoung people off – “to thepoint where they think that isit not worth the effort to getinvolved, that the God of theChristian faith is somehow alimit on their freedom.”

But Pope Francis goes on:“Dear young friends, never beafraid…The Gospel is themessage which brings free-dom to our lives; it transformsthem and makes them all themore beautiful.

To mark World Day of Prayer forVocations on Good Shepherd Sunday,ARCHBISHOP PHILIP TARTAGLIA issued apastoral letter highlighting the joy andchallenge of priesthood in the context ofhis own 40th anniversary of ordination

Archbishop Tartaglia surrounded by priests at Chrism Mass in St Andrew’s CathedralPicture by Paul McSherry

Archbishop Winning ordaining Philip Tartaglia, kneeling right,at Our Lady of Good Counsel on 30 June 1975

Constant delight being priest

NEWS 3FLOURISH • MAY 2015

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ROADSHOWArchbishop PhilipTartaglia has assured thegrieving family of KarenBuckley that the Churchin Glasgow is praying forthem in the wake of theirdaughter’s brutal death.

The body of the CaledonianUniversity student was dis-covered four days after shewent missing on a night out inGlasgow’s west end. A 21year-old man, AlexanderPacteau has been charged withher murder.

“Karen’s cruel death hasshocked and saddened us all,”

and John, and her brother,Kieran, the Archbishop re-vealed: “They spoke abouttheir disbelief and horror atKaren’s murder. They couldnot fathom why anyone wouldwant to hurt her and kill her.

“They looked for comfort intheir faith. They were holdingon to the hope that Karen wasnow in heaven with the Lord,safe and happy.

“When I asked them what Icould do, they insisted on onething – prayer. We joinedhands as we sat together andsaid some prayers.”

Karen, 24, was the youngestof four children in the Buckleyfamily from Mourneabbey,County Cork. She was doing apostgraduate course in occu-pational therapy, having al-ready qualified and worked asa nurse.

“The power of death seemsinexorable, unanswerable,”Archbishop Tartaglia re-flected. “However, the lastword is not death, but life. Therisen Jesus is our hope.

“He is hope for Karen. He ishope for her devastated griev-ing family who will carry theheavy cross of Karen’s deathfor a long time.”

Archbishop Tartaglia said atMass in St Andrew’sCathedral on Sunday 19 April.

Speaking about meeting her“devastated” parents, Marian

A DAY of celebration andthanksgiving marked theofficial opening of a newcare home at NazarethHouse, Cardonald.

Within the state-of-the-artbuilding, the highest qualitycare is provided for 62 frail,elderly residents, many ofwhom have dementia.

And key to that provision isthe model of Christian lovepassed down the generationsand reflected in the core val-ues of the Sisters of Nazareth– love, justice, hospitality, re-spect, compassion and pa-tience.

The latter has paid off as thedream of a new home was firstproposed around the time ofthe 2002 centenary of Sisters’arrival in Glasgow.

ProvidenceTo see it take shape, along-

side the old building, is thefruit of much planning,fundraising, hard-work andprayer.

So it was fitting that theopening on Thursday 23 Aprilcentred on the celebration ofMass with Archbishop PhilipTartaglia the principal cele-brant.

He said: “This residence ispart of God’s providence forus – a place where love, kind-ness, respect, forgiveness andhospitality are at home.”

The Archbishop encouragedeveryone to ensure “wall-to-

molished to make way for thenew, our excitement built asthe new home took shape, andreached fever pitch when theroof was put on.

GuessShe thanked especially peo-

ple from across Glasgow whohave supported the Sisters intheir work down the years,and prayed for all who livedand worked in NazarethHouse over the past century.

Among the guests at theMass and blessing wereGlasgow’s deputy LordProvost, Gerry Leonard, andleader of Glasgow CityCouncil, Gordon Matheson, aswell as area MSP Johann

Lamont and local councillors.Concelebrating with

Archbishop Tartaglia wereBishops Joseph Toal, JohnKeenan and John Mone –whose brother Fr Willie is res-ident in the new home – MgrJohn Gilmartin, local parishpriest, and some of the resi-dent priests.

The Archbishop acknowl-edged the long-establishedlinks between Nazareth Houseand the archdiocese, with re-tired and infirm priests bene-fiting from its care in a secureand spiritually uplifting envi-ronment.

wall respect” within such a“splendid” project.

And in a climate where careof the elderly is under in-creased scrutiny, he suggestedthat Nazareth House Glasgowshould be prepared to “go be-yond the call of duty” in car-ing for its residents.

“At times it may seem likean intrusion into good work,but it is no bad thing that carehomes are subject to thoroughregulation,” he said.

“There is nothing to befeared in setting the higheststandards and aspiring toachieve them in the spirit ofChristian faith and the rich vi-sion of care which inspired thefounding of the Sisters ofNazareth over 150 years ago.”

Sister Anna Maria Doolan,regional superior, welcomedeveryone to the celebrations,including the contractors whocreated the new building over18 months, and members ofNazareth Care, the charitabletrust which oversees some 13Nazareth Homes acrossBritain.

“The Sisters first came toGlasgow in 1902 and openedthe magnificent red sandstonebuilding on Paisley RoadWest in 1906 as a home to 238residents, including 60 ba-bies,” Sr Anna Maria pointedout.

“Although it was sad towatch the end of a chapter, assome of the original was de-

Dangers ofassistedsuicideJOHN Deighan will give a talkin St Andrew’s, Bearsden, onThursday 28 May at 7.30pm inwhich he will respond to thearguments commonly used toadvance assisted suicide.

After 16 years asparliamentary officer for theCatholic Bishops’ Conference,Mr Deighan has taken up anew post as chief executiveofficer for the Society for theProtection of Unborn Children.

He has been heavily involvedin organising the efforts toprevent euthanasia andassisted suicide beinglegalised in Scotland since thecreation of the ScottishParliament.

His talk comes as MSPs atHolyrood consider a revisedassisted suicide bill with amedia campaign building topromote it.

Nazareth House offers wall-to-wall care

Comforting heartbroken family

“As a built environment, thenew home has been designedto offer the best physical sur-roundings for older people andtheir needs,” the general man-ager, Linda O’Neill, said.

“But meeting the needs ofthe elderly is about far morethan their physical care, andall our staff understand andappreciate this.”

As the words of the closinghymn of the Mass expressed,this is a house where God’sblessing of love, joy and peaceis very much at home.

By Vincent Toal Mass of Thanksgiving in Nazareth House chapelbefore official openingPicture by Paul McSherry

Karen Buckley

Grieving parents Marianand John with son Kieran

� GENERALELECTION:Bishops’pastoral letter– page 6

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G52 Churches Togetheris growing in strengthand numbers.

Their Walk of Witness onGood Friday drew the best at-tendance yet.

Scores of people walkedfrom Our Lady and StGeorge's church, Penilee,along Paisley Road West toHillington Park Church inCardonald.

Rev John MacGregor had

arranged a thoughtful servicein which all six churcheswhich make up the group par-ticipated.

It incorporated readingscovering the themes of for-giveness, hope, compassion,loneliness, trust and new be-ginnings.

The presence of a fewyounger people amid themainly silver-haired congre-gation gave visible expressionto that hope.

AFTER 15 years of supportingpupils in St Patrick’s Primary,Anderston, Sr AnnetteMcCartan has retired from thelively school on the edge ofGlasgow city centre.

The children showed theirappreciation for the popularSister of Mercy’s work andcommitment by raising fundsfor her community’s missionproject in South Africa.

Rising to the challenge theyoungsters achieved theirtarget of £2000 while learningmore about the Sisters’ workin the township of Addo nearPort Elizabeth.

The Sisters of Mercy havebeen in the area for almost tenyears, providing catechesis

witnessed so much hard workbeing done to build up thecommunity and supportfamilies for whom Glasgow isa new home.

“We are a multinationalschool with 24 languagesspoken, so you can justimagine the effort that goes into bringing people togetherand ensuring the best learningopportunities.”

She added: “I want to thankthe children, their families andall the staff at St Patrick’s fortheir friendship over the yearsand for this magnificent gift of£2000 to support the Sisters ofMercy mission in SouthAfrica.”

and sacramental preparationcourses, as well as summerschools for the children of theregion’s mainly seasonalworkforce.

Sr Patricia McMahon, whoworks in a local prison wheremany of the inmates have beenincarcerated as a result ofliteracy problems and pooreducation, told the St Patrick’spupils about her work and thechildren she helps support.

For Sr Annette, whoseassociation with St Patrick’sstretches back to her ownchildhood, leaving the schoolwas a real wrench.

“This is a great school withwonderful children,” she said.“Over the past 15 years, I have

Sr Annette, right, with pupilsand Sr PatriciaPicture by Paul McSherry Farewell Sr Annette

Pope’s message to Croy kidsAlthough he’ll not bethere, Pope Francis haspromised his prayers tothe children of HolyCross, Croy, as they pre-pare to lead the CorpusChristi processionthrough the village.

While preparing for theirfirst Holy Communion – tak-ing place this month – thepupils of Holy Cross and StAndrew’s primary schoolswrote to the Pope inviting himto the annual processionwhich takes place this year onSunday 7 June.

In reply, a Vatican secretarywrote to parish priest Fr JoeSullivan “appreciating the de-voted sentiments” thatprompted the invite.

parts his Apostolic Blessing.”While disappointed that

Pope Francis will not make itto Croy, the children were de-lighted to receive his blessing– adding to the abundantgraces offered in HolyCommunion.

Mgr Peter Wells added thatPope Francis “will rememberyou, the children and the layfaithful of your parish in hisprayers.

“Invoking upon all of youjoy and peace in Our LordJesus Christ, he cordially im-

Walk of witness

NEWS 5FLOURISH • MAY 2015

A TROUPE of young dancershas proved a big hit in OurLady and St George’s parish,Penilee.

The self-styled ‘What’s thePointe?’ answered anydoubters with a series ofperformances which havehelped raise some £3000towards paying off the costsof the parish hall.

On successive nights, last

month, the youngsters wereon tip-top form as theyentertained enthusiasticaudiences with assuredsteps and balletic poise.

While some of them takepart in ballet classes, othersare self-taught – all areeager to put their best footforward to ensure thefundraising efforts maintaina quickstep tempo.

Penilee pointes

Smiles back on faces at St Maria Goretti

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Easter fire

After a few years ofdecline and 12 monthson from the merger withSt Philip’s, Ruchazie,there’s plenty to smileabout at St Maria Gorettiparish, Cranhill.

For, as well as extending itsboundaries, it has extended itsoutreach and drawn more peo-ple in to the church.

“The church that was oncein darkness has been lit up,”Ella McManus stated, withwords to match the Easter sea-son.

“There’s a renewed com-mitment to be involved in thelife of the parish.”

Her assessment benefitsfrom the experience of manyyears living in Cranhill and isechoed by other parishioners.

Stephen McCall admittedthat he had stopped attendingSt Maria Goretti’s, althoughhe has a 40-year affiliation

ues from St Philip’s – as wellas old faces, like JohnDocherty who carries on thework of the foodbank – haseased their heartbreak.

MissionAmong the other gifts St

Philip’s has handed on arefamilies of the NeoCatechumenal Way – likeSebastiano and Maria Fontanaand their son Giuseppe, whowere sent on mission toGlasgow’s east end from Italyby the Pope.

“We are here to help, al-though a lot of our work is in-visible as it involves reachingout to people who are quite faraway from God and theChurch,” said Sebastiano.“But we are part of the parishas parishioners.”

All agree that the catalystfor bringing people togetherand renewing the sense ofcommunity – already evidentin well-established socialfunctions in the popular parishhall – has been Fr JohnSweeney, the parish priest.

“We needed a shepherd,someone to guide us and keep

us together, and he has proveda wonderful leader,” saidStephen.

“He has helped people intheir faith and his enthusiasmfor living the Gospel is draw-ing people in.”

While he appreciates thesentiments and recognises theprogress made, Fr Sweeney isconscious that there is more tobe done.

Pilgrimage“We are asked to evange-

lise, to spread the faith and besigns of God’s presence to ourneighbours,” he said.

“That demands that we allcontinue to work together, getto know each other better,build up the life of the parishand in that way show the faceof God’s loving mercy toeveryone we encounter.”

By happy coincidence, theJubilee Year of Mercy comesas the parish celebrates the60th anniversary of St MariaGoretti church.

Among the activitiesplanned is a pilgrimage toRome and Nettuno – the homeof their patron.

with the parish.“The link between the

schools and the parish hasbeen renewed and that givesus hope for the future,” hesaid.

“Seeing younger parentscoming to church with theirchildren raises the spirits.”

For former parishioners ofSt Philip’s, the transition tobecoming part of the extendedparish has helped by the wel-come they have felt. But asense of loss still lingers.

“Every morning we walkpast where the church used tobe on our way to Mass andthat breaks our heart,” saidCathie Flannigan and EllenBoyce. “When it was beingdemolished, we walked thelong as we just didn’t want tosee it.”

But gradually the womenare feeling more at home. Thepresence of some familiar stat-

PARISHIONERS of SacredHeart, Bridgeton, enjoyed aday of retreat at thebeginning of Holy Week atthe Carmelite monastery inDumbarton.

Along with parish priest,Mgr Paul Conroy, they madethe most of the peacefulsetting to reflect and pray.

As well as welcomingthem and providing

hospitality, the nuns sharedsome of their spirituality andthe life of Teresa of Avila the500th anniversary of whosebirth is marked this year.

At the end of this month,parishioners from StMargaret’s, Clydebank, willalso travel the short distanceto Dumbarton for a dayretreat.

Carmel way for day

A NOVEL benefit of old Christmastrees has come to light at StGregory’s parish, Wyndford –burn it on the Easter fire.

The results are quitespectacular, as the flames lit upthe night sky.

Perhaps this ‘confusion’ of thegreat Christian feasts mightwarm more people to participateat the Easter Vigil.

GOOD SHEPHERD: Fr John Sweeney surrounded byparishioners of all generations at St Maria Goretti’sPicture by Paul McSherry

By Vincent Toal

FOCUS6 • FLOURISHMAY 2015

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dignity involves the freedomto assemble, to worship andto manifest our beliefsopenly.

Religious liberty must benon-negotiable in a free soci-ety and we should make sureour candidates support it.

PeaceSuccessive UK Govern-

ments have made plans to re-place and upgrade ournuclear weapons capacity.This is despite the consider-able costs involved and in theface of persistent moral ob-jections, to say nothing of in-ternational agreements wehave entered into which com-

mit us to work against theproliferation of suchweapons.

While recognising eachcountry’s right to defend it-self, the existence of nuclearweapons, and their possibleproliferation, continue to rep-resent a grave threat to thehuman family.

Pope Francis reminds usthat peace is better fosteredby greater equality – not leastby fairness towards the poor,refugees and migrants –rather than by increasedspending on arms.

EvangelisationThe Gospel compels us to

engage actively in the worldand convert human affairs.Sadly, some politicians whoprofess a Catholic faith re-main silent – or even surren-der – in the face of graveethical injustice.

As Catholics, we can neverseparate how we act fromwhat we believe without un-dermining what we believeand damaging who we are.

The time has come for anew generation of Catholicsto join political parties and todedicate ourselves to politi-cal service in a way that re-mains faithful to the Gospelof Jesus Christ.

SPUC Scotland Pro-lifechain in Edinburgh onSaturday 25 April

WHILE each of us alonewill decide whom tovote for, the teachingsof the Church can offerus a guide as we at-tempt to reach an in-formed judgement thatadvances the commongood.

For centuries Christianvalues underpinned our lawsand customs, but forChristians today the politicalcomplexion of Parliament issecondary to the values andbeliefs of those who sit in it.The candidates we send toParliament go there as ourrepresentatives. The valuesthey hold will shape theirunderstanding of what isgood for our country.

Before casting our vote,we have a duty to informourselves of the moral val-ues of our candidates. Weshould think and pray beforewe choose, considering es-pecially the followingpoints:

LifeThe dignity and value of

every human being shouldbe at the heart of politics.The sanctity of human life,protected from its beginningto its natural end, is not asingle issue. It is the funda-mental issue, for if humanlife is not sacrosanct then noother human right makes anysense at all.

Laws which permit abor-tion, euthanasia and assistedsuicide are profoundly un-just. We do not want to ac-cept the continued existencein our society of such funda-mental violations of humanrights and we commit our-selves to work peacefullyand tirelessly to oppose andto change them.

FamilyCommon sense and much

research tell us that childrendo best when they are raisedby a mum and dad who aremarried to each other. Thisideal is not always possiblein reality and we applaudand support families whoachieve remarkable things in

the most difficult of circum-stances.

We should encourage ourpoliticians to defend the in-stitution of marriage and thefamily as the basic unit ofsociety on which so muchdepends. Pope Francis hasalso reminded governmentsnot to require poor countriesto introduce laws redefiningmarriage before they can getfinancial aid, because this isunjust and unfair.

EconomyThe first consideration for

any economic policy shouldbe the dignity of the person,not the pursuit of profit.

In these turbulent financialtimes, Pope Francis has beena prophetic voice, warningthat economies stripped ofethics trample human dig-nity. “Unbridled capitalism,”he says, “has given us thelogic of profit at any cost,and of exploitation withoutlooking at the person.” Theexistence of so many foodbanks offers a depressingvindication of the Pope’swarning.

Human FreedomAcross the globe, the right

to religious freedom andfreedom of worship areunder threat. In some coun-tries, Christians are put todeath simply for professingfaith in Jesus Christ.

In this country, an intoler-ant form of secularism wantsto remove religion from thepublic square. True human

Votes in a General Election help set thedirection of society. In their recent pastoralletter, the Bishops Conference of Scotlandasked people to assess candidates onattitudes to key ethical concerns and to getmore involved in promoting the common good

Values at heart of society

NEWS 7FLOURISH • MAY 2015

IN the wake of the ongoingslaughter of Christians inparts of Africa and theMiddle East by terroristsclaiming association withthe Islamic faith, thePontifical Council forInterreligious Dialogue hasurged renewed commitmentto dialogue with Muslims

Posing the question whichis on many lips, “Is therestill space for dialogue withMuslims?” the council’sresponse is emphatic: “Yes,more than ever!”

The great majority ofMuslims do not identify withthe acts of barbarism, thecouncil points out, adding:“To kill in the name ofreligion is not only anoffence to God, but it is alsoa defeat for humanity.”

In a statement issued lastmonth, the Pontifical Council

stated: “In recent days, wehave witnessed aradicalisation of communityand religious discourse, withthe consequent risks ofincreasing hatred, violence,terrorism and the growingand commonplacestigmatisation of Muslimsand their religion.

“In such a context, we arecalled upon to strengthenfraternity and dialogue.

“Believers haveformidable potential forpeace, if we believe thatman was created by God andthat humanity is a singlefamily; and even more so ifwe believe, as we Christiansdo, that God is Love.

“Continuing to engage indialogue, even whenexperiencing persecution,can become a sign of hope.”

Emphatic ‘Yes’to dialogue

munity who oversee the activ-ities of the local Gen 3 group.

“The idea of the concertcame from the girls who allplayed their part in making itsuch a great success,” theysaid.

Bridges“As well as raising funds to

support our communities inSyria and Lebanon, theevening highlighted the gift ofunity – people working to-gether, overcoming obstaclesand building bridges of friend-ship.

“The effect was powerfuland the link between whatpeople in Syria are living nowand the experience of the ori-gins of the Focolare, also dur-ing a war, emerged verystrongly.”

They added: “We are mostgrateful to all who took part inthe concert and supported thefundraising effort.”

“However, we feel insidethat we really need to listen tothe voice of God, to distin-guish his voice in all the noisethat we hear.

“We still have the hope thatthis small flame within us willnever die and we won't loseour unity together.”

The girls’ message wasreminiscent of the spirit ofunity which characterised thefledgling Focolare communityin the northern Italian town ofTrent during the SecondWorld War. “We want to tryand live more for the peoplearound us, where there is moredestruction,” the girls af-firmed.

“We want to help these peo-ple get through the sufferingthey live, that they find peace,because they are really tired ofthis life.”

In little acts of kindness,they have tried to keep hopealive, bringing light into thedarkness.

Last Christmas, they filledbaskets with food which theydistributed among the mostneedy of their neighbours.

“We tried to bring Jesusinto each home,” they said.“We really felt that we'vemanaged to unite ourselveswith each person's sorrow andto bring them joy.”

Claudia and Patricia are partof the Glasgow Focolare com-

FROM a simple ideashared by girls who meetregularly throughFocolare in Glasgowcame an unexpectedsuccess.

A concert staged to supportyoung people whose liveshave been shattered by the on-going war in Syria raised£1500.

The evening of music, songand prayer on Saturday 21March involved the girls, theirparents, the wider Focolarecommunity and a local choirworking in harmony.

But the most powerful inputwas a video message sent ear-lier that day by some of theGen 3 girls of the Focolarecommunity in the Syrian cap-ital Damascus.

ImpactRecorded on a mobile

phone during a power cut, itsimpact on the Langside audi-ence was profound.

“The situation that we livehere in Syria is very difficult,”the girls said. “Everythingaround is just destruction.Everything that we feel, thenoise from the bombing, thetears that we see, the cries forthe martyrs, for the childrenthat die.

“Sometimes we think thatonly suffering and sadnesswill be ours.

Glasgow girls generatesupport for Syrian families

By Maria Gilmore Gen 3 groupat concert inGlasgow

Associates ofFocolare in Syria

News andviews for

0141 226 5898flourish

@rcag.org.uk

FEATURE8 • FLOURISHMAY 2015

JESUS CHRIST is the face of theFather’s mercy.

These words might well sum up themystery of the Christian faith. Mercyhas become living and visible in Jesus ofNazareth, reaching its culmination inhim.

The Father, “rich in mercy”, after hav-ing revealed his name to Moses as “aGod merciful and gracious, slow toanger, and abounding in steadfast loveand faithfulness”, has never ceased toshow, in various ways throughout his-tory, his divine nature.

Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, hisactions, and his entire person reveals themercy of God.

We need constantly to contemplatethe mystery of mercy. It is a wellspringof joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvationdepends on it.

At times we are called to gaze evenmore attentively on mercy so that wemay become a more effective sign of theFather’s action in our lives.For this reason I have proclaimed

an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy asa special time for the Church; a timewhen the witness of believers mightgrow stronger and more effective.

The Holy Year will open on 8December 2015, the Solemnity of theImmaculate Conception…the fiftieth an-

niversary of the closing of the SecondVatican Ecumenical Council.

With the Council, the Church entereda new phase of her history. The CouncilFathers strongly perceived, as a truebreath of the Holy Spirit, a need to talkabout God to men and women of theirtime in a more accessible way.

It was a new phase of the same evan-gelization that had existed from the be-ginning. It was a fresh undertaking forall Christians to bear witness to theirfaith with greater enthusiasm and con-viction. The Church sensed a responsi-bility to be a living sign of the Father’slove in the world.

How much I desire that the year tocome will be steeped in mercy, so thatwe can go out to every man and woman,bringing the goodness and tenderness ofGod! May the balm of mercy reacheveryone, both believers and those faraway, as a sign that the Kingdom of Godis already present in our midst!

Mercy is the very foundation of theChurch’s life. All of her pastoral activityshould be caught up in the tendernessshe makes present to believers; nothingin her preaching and in her witness to theworld can be lacking in mercy.

The Church’s very credibility is seenin how she shows merciful and compas-sionate love.

Perhaps we have long since forgottenhow to show and live the way of mercy.The temptation, on the one hand, tofocus exclusively on justice made us for-get that this is only the first, albeit nec-essary and indispensable step. But the

Church needs to go beyond and strivefor a higher and more important goal.On the other hand, sad to say, we

must admit that the practice of mercyis waning in the wider culture. Insome cases the word seems to havedropped out of use. However, withouta witness to mercy, life becomes fruit-less and sterile, as if sequestered in abarren desert.

The time has come for the Church totake up the joyful call to mercy oncemore. It is time to return to the basicsand to bear the weaknesses and strugglesof our brothers and sisters. Mercy is theforce that reawakens us to new life and

instils in us the courage to look to the fu-ture with hope.

In the present day, as the Church ischarged with the task of the new evan-gelization, the theme of mercy needs tobe proposed again and again with newenthusiasm and renewed pastoral action.

It is absolutely essential for theChurch and for the credibility of hermessage that she herself live and testifyto mercy. Her language and her gesturesmust transmit mercy, so as to touch thehearts of all people and inspire themonce more to find the road that leads tothe Father.

Consequently, wherever the Church ispresent, the mercy of the Father must beevident. In our parishes, communities,associations and movements, in a word,wherever there are Christians, everyoneshould find an oasis of mercy.

We want to live this Jubilee Year inlight of the Lord’s words: Merciful likethe Father. The Evangelist reminds us ofthe teaching of Jesus who says, “Be mer-ciful just as your Father is merciful” (Lk6:36).It is a programme of life as de-

manding as it is rich with joy andpeace. Jesus’s command is directed toanyone willing to listen to his voice. Inorder to be capable of mercy, there-fore, we must first of all dispose our-selves to listen to the Word of God.

This Holy Year will bring to the forethe richness of Jesus’ mission echoed inthe words of the prophet: to bring a wordand gesture of consolation to the poor,to proclaim liberty to those bound bynew forms of slavery in modern society,to restore sight to those who can see nomore because they are caught up inthemselves, to restore dignity to all thosefrom whom it has been robbed.

The preaching of Jesus is made visi-ble once more in the response of faithChristians are called to offer by theirwitness. May the words of the Apostleaccompany us: He who does acts ofmercy, let him do them with cheerful-ness.

May the message of mercy reacheveryone, and may no one be indifferentto the call to experience mercy.

In this Jubilee Year, let us allow Godto surprise us. He never tires of throw-ing open the doors of his heart and re-peats that he loves us and wants to sharehis love with us.

The Church feels the urgent need toproclaim God’s mercy.

In a time of great historical change, the Church iscalled to offer more evident signs of God’s presenceand closeness. Announcing an extraordinary JubileeYear of Mercy, POPE FRANCIS highlights the call forthe Church to be “steeped in mercy” and so moreeffectively witness God’s loving action in the world

HOW many uncertain andpainful situations there are inthe world today!How many are the wounds

borne by the flesh of thosewho have no voice becausetheir cry is muffled anddrowned out by theindifference of the rich!During this

Jubilee, theChurch will becalled evenmore to healthese wounds,to assuagethem with theoil ofconsolation, tobind them withmercy and curethem withsolidarity andvigilant care.Let us open

our eyes andsee the misery of the world,the wounds of our brothersand sisters who are deniedtheir dignity, and let usrecognize that we are

compelled to heed their cryfor help!May we reach out to them

and support them so they canfeel the warmth of ourpresence, our friendship, andour fraternity!May their cry become our

own, and together may webreak down thebarriers ofindifferencethat too oftenreign supremeand mask ourhypocrisy andegoism!It is my

burning desirethat, during thisJubilee, theChristian peoplemay reflect onthe corporaland spiritualworks of mercy.

It will be a way to reawakenour conscience, too oftengrown dull in the face ofpoverty.And let us enter more

Compelled to heed cries f

Spiritual worksof mercy

• Counsel those indoubt

• Instruct the ignorant• Admonish sinners• Comfort the afflicted• Forgive offences• Bear patiently those

who do us ill• Pray for the living and

the dead

Extracts from Misericordiae Vultus –The Face of Mercy – issued at St

Time to take upjoyful call to mercy

FEATURE 9FLOURISH • MAY 2015

deeply into the heart of theGospel where the poor have aspecial experience of God’smercy. Jesus introduces us tothese works of mercy in hispreaching sothat we canknow whetheror not we areliving as hisdisciples.We cannot

escape theLord’s words tous, and theywill serve asthe criteriaupon which wewill be judged:whether wehave fed the hungry and givendrink to the thirsty, welcomedthe stranger and clothed thenaked, or spent time with thesick and those in prison.Moreover, we will be asked

if we have helped others toescape the doubt that causesthem to fall into despair andwhich is often a source ofloneliness;

If we have helped toovercome the ignorance inwhich millions of people live,especially children deprived ofthe necessary means to free

them from thebonds ofpoverty; if wehave been closeto the lonelyand afflicted;If we have

forgiven thosewho haveoffended us andhave rejectedall forms ofanger and hatethat lead toviolence; if we

have had the kind of patienceGod shows, who is so patientwith us; and if we havecommended our brothers andsisters to the Lord in prayer.Let us not forget the words

of Saint John of the Cross:“As we prepare to leave thislife, we will be judged on thebasis of love”.

for help and heal wounds

Impetus to conversionTHE practice of pilgrimage has a special place in theHoly Year, because it represents the journey each ofus makes in this life.Life itself is a pilgrimage, and the human being is a

viator, a pilgrim travelling along the road, making hisway to the desired destination.May pilgrimage be an impetus to conversion: by

crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, we will findthe strength to embrace God’s mercy and dedicateourselves to being merciful with others as the Fatherhas been with us.

Merciful like the Father is the motto of this Holy Year.In mercy, we find proof of how God loves us. He

gives his entire self, always, freely, asking nothing inreturn. He comes to our aid whenever we call uponhim.What a beautiful thing that the Church begins her

daily prayer with the words, “O God, come to myassistance. O Lord, make haste to help me” (Ps 70:2)!The assistance we ask for is already the first step

of God’s mercy toward us. He comes to assist us inour weakness. And his help consists in helping usaccept his presence and closeness to us.Day after day, touched by his compassion, we also

can become compassionate towards others.

Corporal worksof mercy

• Feed the hungry• Give drink to the

thirsty• Clothe the naked• Welcome the stranger• Heal the sick• Visit the imprisoned• Bury the dead

Peter’s Basilica on Saturday 11 April, the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday

Mercy does not denyjustice, but surpasses itJustice is a fundamentalconcept for civil society,which is meant to begoverned by the rule oflaw. Justice is also un-derstood as that whichis rightly due to each in-dividual.

In the Bible, there aremany references to divinejustice and to God as“judge”. In these passages,justice is understood as thefull observance of the Lawand the behaviour of everygood Israelite in conformitywith God’s commandments.

Such a vision, however,has not infrequently led to le-galism by distorting the orig-inal meaning of justice andobscuring its profound value.

To overcome this legalisticperspective, we need to recallthat in Sacred Scripture, jus-tice is conceived essentiallyas the faithful abandonmentof oneself to God’s will.

For his part, Jesus speaksseveral times of the impor-tance of faith over and abovethe observance of the law.

It is in this sense that wemust understand his wordswhen, reclining at table withMatthew and other tax col-lectors and sinners, he says to

the Pharisees raising objec-tions to him, “Go and learnthe meaning of ‘I desiremercy not sacrifice.’ I havecome not to call the right-eous, but sinners.”

Faced with a vision of jus-tice as the mere observanceof the law that judges peoplesimply by dividing them intotwo groups – the just and sin-ners – Jesus is bent on re-vealing the great gift ofmercy that searches out sin-ners and offers them pardonand salvation.

Jesus affirms that, fromthat time onward, the rule oflife for his disciples mustplace mercy at the centre, asJesus himself demonstratedby sharing meals with sin-ners.

This is truly challenging tohis hearers, who would drawthe line at a formal respectfor the law. Jesus, on theother hand, goes beyond thelaw; the company he keepswith those the law considerssinners makes us realize thedepth of his mercy.

The Apostle Paul makes asimilar journey. Prior tomeeting Jesus on the road toDamascus, he dedicated hislife to pursuing the justice ofthe law with zeal.

His conversion to Christ

led him to turn that vision up-side down, to the point thathe would write to theGalatians: “We have believedin Christ Jesus, in order to bejustified by faith in Christ,and not by works of the law,because by works of the lawshall no one be justified”.

Paul’s understanding ofjustice changes radically. Henow places faith first, not jus-tice.

Salvation comes notthrough the observance of thelaw, but through faith inJesus Christ, who in his deathand resurrection brings salva-tion together with a mercythat justifies.

God’s justice now be-comes the liberating force forthose oppressed by slavery tosin and its consequences.God’s justice is his mercy.

Mercy is not opposed tojustice but rather expressesGod’s way of reaching out tothe sinner, offering him anew chance to look at him-self, convert, and believe.

God’s anger lasts but a mo-ment, his mercy forever. IfGod limited himself to onlyjustice, he would cease to beGod, and would instead belike human beings who askmerely that the law be re-spected.

But mere justice is notenough. Experience showsthat an appeal to justice alonewill result in its destruction.

This is why God goes beyondjustice with his mercy andforgiveness.

Yet this does not mean thatjustice should be devalued orrendered superfluous. On thecontrary: anyone who makesa mistake must pay the price.

However, this is just thebeginning of conversion, notits end, because one begins tofeel the tenderness and mercyof God.

God does not deny justice.He rather envelopes it andsurpasses it with an evengreater event in which we ex-perience love as the founda-tion of true justice.

We must pay close atten-tion to what Saint Paul says ifwe want to avoid making thesame mistake for which hereproaches the Jews of histime: For, “being ignorant ofthe righteousness that comesfrom God, and seeking to es-tablish their own, they didnot submit to God’s right-eousness. For Christ is theend of the law, that everyonewho has faith may be justi-fied” (Rom 10:3-4).

God’s justice is his mercygiven to everyone as a gracethat flows from the death andresurrection of Jesus Christ.Thus the Cross of Christ isGod’s judgement on all of usand on the whole world, be-cause through it he offers usthe certitude of love and newlife.

‘To reach theHoly Door inRome or in anyother place in theworld, everyonewill have to makea pilgrimage.This will be asign that mercy isalso a goal toreach andrequiresdedication andsacrifice.’

NEWS10 • FLOURISHMAY 2015

“Hi”

SP

AC

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0800 83 85 87

You’ve just done the hardest partWe try and make it easier for youto open up when you’re feeling down

www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk

SCIAF is urging parishesand schools to send intheir WEE BOX donationsbefore 17 May so thateverything will be doubledby the UK government.

This year, the Lentappeal qualified for anaid-match scheme whichmeans that every £1 givenbefore the deadline will bematched by government.

“We’re extremelythankful to everyonewho’s helped the WEE BOXappeal this year – we’vehad a fantastic response,”said SCIAF director AlistairDutton.

“But the clock isticking. Every £1 you givebefore 17 May will gotwice as far, helping morepeople in need!”

Donations will supportwomen farmers in Africa,paying for seeds, tools andtraining needed to developa more sustainable future,free fromthe hungerandhardship ofpoverty.

Donationsat double

In SCIAF’s 50th anniver-sary year directorAlistair Dutton is leadinga cycle pilgrimage ofScotland to thank sup-porters for changing thelives of millions of peoplein some of the poorestcountries in the world.

The pilgrimage was to starton the north coast in Thursoon 29 April and will finish inOban on Sunday 31 May.

SacredThe 700-mile route takes in

some of Scotland’s main pil-grimage sites and most sacredplaces including PluscardenAbbey, Carfin Grotto, Iona,Dunfermline and St Andrews.

Each day, Alistair and asmall group of volunteers andstaff will cycle for severalhours, visiting schools andparishes, attending Mass andspeaking at gatherings.

Along the way, a series ofspecial events include:• Fair Trade Day picnic at

1.30pm on Saturday 9 May,at St John’s Church, Princes

highlighting the impact cli-mate change has on people indeveloping countries and whatcan be done to alleviate its ef-fect.

“Hopefully our pilgrimagewill inspire more people toleave their cars at home some-times, and walk or cycle so wecan all do our bit to reduce cli-mate change,” Alistair said.

“Cycling is a healthy, lowcost way everyone can reducetheir carbon footprint.”

Free accommodation isbeing provided thanks topriests and supporters, whilecycling equipment has beendonated by the Bike Station inGlasgow and EdinburghBicycle Co-operative.

The SCIAF team will con-tinue with their daily workthroughout the pilgrimage, an-swering emails and makingcalls on the road.

People wishing to meetAlistair or attend a specialevent should contact AndrewForsyth on 0141 354 5555 oremail aforsyth@sciaf.org.uk

Street, Edinburgh;• Mass at Carfin Grotto on

Thursday 21 May at 1pm,and talk with Archdioceseof Glasgow Friends ofEcumenism in Eyre Hall,Clyde Street at 7pm;

• Family cycle/walk from theFalkirk Wheel to theKelpies (4.8 miles) leavingat 11am, followed by a pic-nic on Saturday 23 May.

ChangedAs he geared up for the pil-

grimage, Alistair said: “In our50th anniversary year, wewant to go the extra mile tothank supporters face-to-facefor the millions of lives thatthey’ve changed over the lastfive decades.

“We hope to meet as manypeople as possible in schoolsand parishes, and at specialevents and Masses along theway. If we’re passing throughyour area, please come andsay hello!”

The cycle will also promoteSCIAF’s latest campaign,

MENTAL Health Aware-ness Week, which takesplace every year between11–17 May, is a good re-minder for us to considerour own mental healthand wellbeing.The theme this year is

‘Mindfulness’ which is allabout focussing on thepresent moment and notbeing stuck on things thathave happened in the pastor worrying about the fu-ture.Tony McLaren is

National Coordinator ofBreathing Space andNHS Living Life – freemental health serviceswhich provide telephonesupport to anyone experi-encing low mood or anxi-ety.He said: “Mindfulness

is a term many people arenow aware of and is be-coming quite popular. Itborrows much of its focusfrom Christian medita-tion. It is simply all abouthelping people to observehow they think and feelabout something.“Focussing your atten-

tion on present emotions,thoughts and sensationscan help you enjoy theworld more and help youto understand yourselfbetter.”Tony added: “Mindful-

ness has been shown tohelp people who arestruggling with stress andanxiety. It is another toolwhich can be used to helpaddress these issues.“Whether it is picking

up the phone to talkthrough your anxietieswith someone at ahelpline like BreathingSpace, learning copingskills through a servicelike NHS Living Life, orsimply taking some timeout for mindfulness andmeditation; there aremany different optionsout there for people expe-riencing stress and anxi-ety which Mental HealthAwareness week can helpto bring to the fore.”Mindfulness is about

listening not only to ourown inner struggles butalso to the cries of theworld.

Mindfulness – listeningto our inner struggles

TECHNOLOGY has the po-tential to make all of ourlives easier. However,some materials used inour modern electronicsincluding phones andcomputers could be help-ing to fuel wars and vio-lence in many poorcountries.

Gold, tin, coltan and othervaluable materials often comefrom developing countries withno thought given to the mil-lions of people whose lives arehurt in the process.

In Colombia, where SCIAFis working with the Church tohelp communities forced fromtheir land during the country’slong-running civil war, illegalarmed groups benefit from thetrade in minerals.

Fr Sterlin Londoño, from the

diocese of Quibdó, told us re-cently: “In Colombia, controlof land for mining has becomea violent business. Miningareas are now linked withhuman rights abuses, instabil-ity and conflict. Many poorcommunities are suffering.”

The theme of responsiblestewardship of the earth’s re-sources for the benefit of all issomething that Pope Francishas spoken of on many occa-sions.

His words guide us:“Creation is not a property,which we can rule over at will;or, even less, is the property ofonly a few: Creation is a gift, itis a wonderful gift that God hasgiven us, so that we care for itand we use it for the benefit ofall, always with great respect

and gratitude.”As an agency of the Church

in Scotland, working withmany vulnerable communitiesin developing countries, we arecalled upon to help them andtackle injustice. This can in-clude campaigning to bringpositive change where the ac-tivities of businesses are hav-ing a negative impact oncommunities.

ViolenceThe global trade in minerals

used in electronics is worth bil-lions of pounds and much ofthat trade takes place inEurope. Yet there is no law inthe European Union (EU) forc-ing companies to make sure theminerals they use have notfunded violence.

A voluntary scheme cover-ing a small number of miningcompanies has been proposed

SCIAF director ‘hits theroad’ to thank supporters

By Alistair DuttonSCIAF Director

Strong laws needed to protect

GEARED UP: Alistair’s readyto go the extra 700 miles

NEWS 11FLOURISH • MAY 2015

Annual CharityConcert 2015

serving in hope

Society ofSt. Vincent de PaulScotland

Starring

Alastair McDonald(star of TV and radio)

The Stewart School of Irish Dance

Compere: Rev. Fr. Joe MillsTickets £10

Woodside Halls, Clarendon St, Glasgow

Friday 29th May 20157:30pm to 10:00pmDoors open 6:45pm

Available from: SSVP Head Offi ce, 113 West Regent St, Glasgow, G2 2RU, Tel. No. 0141 226 8833 or through your local Parish Conference. Please notify in advance any disabled seating requirements. This year’s Show Proceeds will go towards the Ozanam Centre.

SOCIAL justice and spiri-tuality form the bedrockof the St Vincent de PaulSociety.

And it is these whichChristine Gray is resolved tobuild on as she begins herthree-year term as president ofthe SSVP in the Archdioceseof Glasgow.

She is also determined tosee a younger generation ofCatholics getting involved,bringing their energy and en-thusiasm to the society’s net-work of parish conferences.

To pursue this goal she hasappointed recently retiredteacher Dominic Sutherlandas youth development officer,allowing him to build on hiswork at St Maurice’s High,Condorrat, where a youthapostolate is well-established.

“Standing alongside thepoor and lonely, looking outfor their needs and givingvoice to their concerns is atthe heart of what we do,” saidChristine, who joined theSSVP conference at StJoseph’s, Tollcross, around1988.

“That vision and how it islived out in practical waysneeds to be communicated toa wider audience.”

It is not about blowing theirown trumpet, but ensuring thatgood work, built upon strongfaith principles, is recognised.

“Our mission is to go topeople in need, help them in aspirit of justice and to tacklethe causes of poverty where

in 1833 by Blessed FredericOzanam and his companionswhile they were students atuniversity. They encounteredChrist in the poor of that timeand quickly inspired others tofollow their example.

For her part, the newGlasgow president traces herinvolvement to helping ferryolder people to a senior citi-zens’ dinner.

“I had no family connectionwith the society, but felt Iwanted to give somethingback. Our children were a lit-tle older and I had retrained tobecome a primary schoolteacher.”

However it was Christine’sprevious experience in ac-counts and admin which sawher elected treasurer of theparish conference and, even-tually, to assume the same roleat the national level – demit-ting office to take up the

Glasgow presidency fromBernice Brady.

Each week, thousands con-tribute to the society’s missionthrough the SSVP box collec-tions.

While thanking all whocontribute, Christine askedthat more parishioners mightaccept the invite to becomemembers.

“It is principally throughprayer that we are given thestrength to carry on ourVincentian work, so I wouldask people to pray about be-coming more involved” shesaid.

• On Sunday 10 May at2pm, Archbishop PhilipTartaglia will celebrateMass in St Andrew’sCathedral with youngpeople from acrossScotland involved in the StVincent de Paul apostolate.

we can,” said Christine.As someone who was wid-

owed two year ago, she alsohighlights the poverty of lone-liness.

“People are becoming moreand more isolated as we losethe sense of community. Thatis why just giving our time tobe with other people is so im-portant.”

Across the Archdiocese ofGlasgow there are 68 confer-ences, operating mainly atparish level. Some have overa dozen members, while oth-ers persevere with three orfour. All provide a lifeline tosome of the neediest people intheir neighbourhoods.

Each week hundreds of peo-ple are visited at home or inhospital. Whether sick, be-reaved or lonely they are sup-ported by prayer and afriendly presence.

Transport is provided forpeople to attend church, furni-ture, clothes and food are dis-tributed, and even holidaysand outings arranged.

“We do not broadcast whowe help, but that does notmean that we shouldn’t betterinform people about ourwork,” said Christine.

“If we keep quiet about thedesperate situations some peo-ple find themselves in then weare less likely to effect changeand attract others to share inthis apostolate.”

The Society of St Vincentde Paul was founded in Paris

but SCIAF and other charitiesbelieve this is not enough.

We believe the law must bestronger and include all busi-nesses that import parts andfinished products into the EU.The materials covered shouldalso include any that are minedor come from trade that maycontribute to human rightsabuses and conflict.

Father Sterlin is clear thatwe must take action here athome to help protect his com-munity.

“In principle, it is okay tomine – natural resources canbe used to benefit all ofmankind and communitieshere have been undertakingsmall-scale, traditional miningfor decades,” he points out.

“But legislation is needed so

that European companiescheck that the minerals theybuy are sourced and mined re-sponsibly and don’t fund warand violence in communitieslike mine.”

From 8th May, we’ll be urg-ing people in Scotland to lobby

their MEPs to help strengthenEuropean legislation before akey vote takes place later thismonth. I would encourageeveryone to visit our websiteand ask their MEPs to ensurethat strong EU legislation sup-ports responsible trade in theseminerals.

DevicesSCIAF has seen the devasta-

tion that can be caused by thetrade in conflict minerals inmany places.

It’s time we all knew wherethe materials in our phones,computers and other electronicdevices come from. Only thencan we be sure that we’re notsupporting war or the wide-spread abuse of human rights.

To take action and find outmore, visitwww.sciaf.org.uk/campaigns

Sourcing minerals can be a dirty business –greater commitment is needed to axeexploitation and human rights abuses

By Vincent Toal

Christine keen to open upSSVP treasury of good work

THE proceeds of lastDecember’s CardinalWinning Charity Ball havebeen divided equallybetween SCIAF and theGlasgow city-centreuniversity chaplaincyproject.

On a night of festive funamid an atmosphere offriendship and goodwill, atotal of £60,000 was raisedto benefit these causes.

At the time, the Ebolacrisis was still gripping partsof West Africa and soArchbishop Tartagliarequested that a share of thefunds raised on the nightwent towards SCIAF’semergency appeal.

While the worst of thecrisis has passed, there arestill hundreds of peoplebeing treated for Ebola. Atthe same time, much work isneeded to build up thehealthcare systems in theaffected countries to preventfurther deadly outbreaks.

Meanwhile, plans areprogressing to develop aCatholic chaplaincy at thenorth-end of Glasgow citycentre to serve Strathclydeand Caledonian Universitiesand City of Glasgow College.Between them, they havesome 50,000 students fromover 100 countries.

Revealing his hopes forthe chaplaincy, last year,Archbishop Tartaglia, said:““The desire for a dedicatedCatholic chaplaincy atStrathclyde has been aroundfor some time. With theemergence of GlasgowCaledonian and the massiveredevelopment of the City ofGlasgow College in the samearea, it makes sense to lookat a single site which canserve all three institutes.”

Last year’s was the 37thcharity ball. Since theinitiative started in 1977,well over £1.5million hasbeen raised for a range ofgood causes.

Going halfers withCharity Ball cheque

Archbishop Tartaglia accepts a cheque for £60,000 fromCharity Ball organisers Lady Susan Haughey and Mary O’NeilPicture by Paul McSherry

vulnerable from mining speculators

Glasgow SSVP presidentChristin Gray

• FLOURISHMAY 201512 VOCATIONS

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Thinking about Life Choices?

A twenty-five percentrise in ordinations to thepriesthood in the USA isgood news for theChurch in Glasgow.

Fr Ross Campbell, voca-tions director for the archdio-cese, said the figures fromacross the Atlantic show thetide is turning in favour ofmore priests.

“We should take heart fromwhat is happening in theStates and elsewhere,” he said.“It shows that despite therebeing so much negativityaround, people are respondingpositively to what God is call-ing them to.

“For me, that is helped by astrong sense of priestly iden-tity. When young people seepriests trying to live out theirministry with hope, inner joyand enthusiasm, then that en-courages them to think this issomething they might want tobe.”

as Bishop of Paisley) provedan inspirational mentor andguide.”

Although ordained fiveyears, at 34 Fr Ross is still the

youngest priest in Glasgow.It’s a distinction he is likely tohold on to for a few years yet.

At the Chrism Mass onHoly Thursday, ArchbishopTartaglia announced that hehad just accepted two youngermen for seminary who willbegin formation after the sum-mer.

Both have taken part in themonthly evenings of prayerand fraternity, introduced inGlasgow two years ago, whichFr Ross leads.

“Each meeting has the sameformat – some basic catech-esis on our faith, prayer beforethe Blessed Sacrament and asimple meal together.

“There’s no commitmentrequired, just a welcoming at-mosphere where people whomay be thinking about priest-hood as a path for them canmeet, pray and build friend-ship.”

The vocations director isconfident the ‘come-and-see’initiative will continue to drawinquirers.

“There’s a real positivityabout the group, with a lovefor the Church and an eager-ness to share their faith.

“Most have been part of anapostolate like Nightfever,Glasgow Faith Forum, StVincent de Paul or Legion ofMary which involve evangeli-

sation and deepen their senseof baptismal vocation.

“The challenge is to enableand encourage greater servicein parishes where more voca-tions to priesthood could benurtured.”

The potential is there, FrRoss insists. It just needs to betapped.

“Despite what some mightthink, we still have a lot moreyoung people at Mass and thesacraments than elsewhere inBritain.

“We have to help them toget to know Christ moredeeply. That way, they willcome to love Christ, whichleads to service in his image.”

As well as an optimist, FrRoss is also a realist – some-thing that the nitty-gritty ofpastoral life has taught him toappreciate more.

“If we are honest, just aboutevery priest finds it difficult totalk up vocations in the pre-vailing climate.

“Yet, when young peoplesee a priest living the Gospeljoyfully, not ashamed of whohe is, but witnessing enthusi-astically, then they are in-spired.

“In a world which hasenough darkness and narcis-sism, people are alive tosomething different. Aspriests, we shouldn’t be afraidto offer that witness, con-scious that we are called to beChrist to them and confidentthat it is Christ who sustainsus.”

The vocations good news isreflected in England andWales where 63 people en-tered religious life last year – amassive jump from 19 adecade ago.To speak to Fr RossCampbell about vocation topriesthood, monthlymeetings (next Friday 8May) or to arrange a visitto your school or parish,tel: 0141-339 4315, email:Ross.Campbell.2@glasgow.ac.uk

Almost 600 priests are ex-pected to be ordained in theUS this year – an increase of25 percent on 2014.

On average, the futurepriests were around 17 yearsold when they first consideredthe priesthood and cited fam-ily, parish priests and Catholicschools among supportive in-fluences.

These are familiar traits forFr Ross who combines voca-tions director with his role asCatholic chaplain to GlasgowUniversity. His own path topriesthood had similar influ-ences.

“My parents were a greatinfluence, although I didn’t al-ways appreciate it,” he ac-knowledged.

“Then, when I came tostudy at Glasgow, the chap-laincy became my home andFr John Keenan (whom hetook over from as chaplain,last year, on his appointment

Tide turning for priest vocationsBy Vincent Toal

Fr Ross Campbell

On Good Shepherd Sunday, Pope Francis ordained 19 men to the priesthood at St Peter's Basilica,Rome. He urged them "not to remain in comfort," but to reach out to seek and save what was lost

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A COUPLE who metthree years ago whilestudying at GlasgowUniversity are gettingmarried at Turnbull HallCatholic Chaplain cy inearly June.

And for Katy and Jan, thepreparations have gone waybeyond choosing dresses,picking the music, sendingout invites or even wine-tast-ing.

Joined by friends, theydonned some old clothes, ex-changed paintbrushes and setabout decorating the foyer atthe chaplaincy.

“Turnbull Hall is muchmore than just the venue of

our wedding,” they ex-plained. “It is where we met,studied, chatted for longhours, enjoyed the companyof friends and played to-gether in the music group atMass.”

At the time, Katy wasstudying for her dentistry fi-nals and Jan, who comesfrom Poland, was working onhis dissertation in Politics.

“More than a placeTurnbull Hall was also where

we were part of a commu-nity. It was and still is a veryspecial community of youngCatholics,” they said.

“This is why we want tocelebrate the day of our wed-ding there above any othervenue. No other could be asfitting.”

And for the former stu-dents, even the experience ofdecorating the entrance pro-vided a useful lesson.

“Through this effort, wemanaged to go beyond the‘just us’ side of things.Working together withfriends and family, helpingeach other and striving to-wards a common goal is apowerful reminder of whatwe want this marriage to be.”

Putting gloss on marriage prepJan and Katy, third and fourth from left,with friends decorating Turnbull Hall

GLASGOW newly-wedsPatrick and Mary ClareDean received a Papal bless-ing in person when theytravelled to Rome on honey-moon.Having exchanged their

marriage vows at St Peter’s,Partick, on Saturday 11April, the couple made it toSt Peter’s Square for theWednesday general audi-ence on the 15th.There they were among

the group of new spousespresented to Pope Franciswho encouraged them to“live your love imitating themerciful love of Jesus”. In his catechesis to the

large crowd of pilgrims, thePope spoke about the “com-plementarity between manand woman”.He said this “reciprocity

brings harmony and enrich-ment to the human family”but also a challenge – thatmen and women learn howto speak to one another, andto respect and love eachother. In a brief exchange with

Pope Francis, Patrick andMary Clare – a pastoralcare teacher at Notre DameHigh school – thanked himfor his words and his bless-ing on their life together.

ONE’S a musician andthe other a mathsteacher, and togetherthey make a welcomeaddition to the archdio-cese’s youth office.

What’s more, Lucy Dooleyand Kate Curran sing from thesame hymn sheet when itcomes to engaging youngCatholics in the life of theChurch.

“We want to help build up asense of community withinthe diocese,” they agreed.

“There’s a lot going on ifvarious places, involving dif-ferent people, so it would begood to bring the various ini-tiatives together and create abroader sense of Catholicidentity.”

A quick roll call of groupsincludes Nightfever, Fire -cloud, NET Ministry, YouthSt Vincent de Paul, StMargaret of Scotland Youth,Glasgow Frassati Society andFaith Forum.

There are youth pro-grammes within new move-ments like Focolare,Community of Risen Christ,

builds you up.“I want to bring that feel of

community into the life of thediocese – bringing people intothe fold where they can bebuilt up, encouraged and chal-lenged to go further.”

Lucy, the maths teacher andmother, is more reserved thanher younger colleague, butequally ambitious for the mis-sion of the Church.

“It is important that wedon’t water down the truth ofthe Gospel in a vain attempt todraw people in,” she said.

“We have to show people

the path by the example of ourown lives. If you are living theGospel it radiates from you.”

Although they have been re-cruited in the short-term,partly to cover sick-leave, it ishoped that the posts will be-come permanent and so boostthe archdiocese’s outreach toyoung people.

“It would be great if everyparish or deanery, at least, hada dedicated youth coordina-tor,” said Lucy.

“Meanwhile, we’re here towork with parishes and differ-ent groups – so get in touch.”

Among the immediate goalsis to coordinate the participa-tion of Glasgow young peopleat this year’s Catholic YouthFestival in Stirling.

It takes place from 30 Julyto 2 August at StirlingUniversity and includes faithtalks, prayer and reconcilia-tion, Eucharist, workshops,sports and social events, in thecompany of other youngCatholics, priests, bishops, re-ligious and lay leaders.For more information,contact:lucy.dooley@rcag.org.uk orkate.curran@rcag.org.uk

Neo Catechumenate and OpusDei. Added to these are parishyouth clubs and school basedapostolates.

Having just spent a year aspart of the Craig LodgeCommunity in Dalmally, Kateis bursting with enthusiasm toshare some of the graces shehas received.

“I was really broken, butGod restored joy in my heart,”the bubbly 27 year-old trum-peter and guitarist beamed.“The experience of being incommunity, doing some of themost humble tasks, really

Welcome addition to youth office

Papal blessing

Kate and Lucy

SCRIPTURE14 • FLOURISHMAY 2015

CanonRobert Hill

of the Ascension all about? Having done his Father’s

will, Jesus has now returned tohis Father’s presence. In doingso – by overcoming sin anddeath and sin – Jesus showsthat the way is open for us tobe united with him where he iswith the Father.

The Ascension paves theway for Pentecost – the com-ing of the Holy Spirit upon theChurch. This confirms themission of all of us who areChristian to make Christ pres-ent in this world when he is nolonger visibly present.

17 May7th Sunday of Easter (B)John 17:11–19Chapter 17 of John’s Gospelconsists entirely of the greatprayer of Jesus which comesat the end of the long LastSupper speech.

The prayer opens with aphrase which sums up the pur-pose of Jesus’ death and resur-rection: “Father, the hour hascome: glorify your Son thatyour Son may glorify you”.

To glorify God is to makepresent or to draw attention toGod’s action in the world.Jesus does this more fully inhis death and resurrection thanhad ever been done in humanhistory.

In this extract, Jesus inprayer turns his attention tohis disciples. He describesthem as those whom hisFather has given to him. Hehas watched over them andnot one of them has been lost- except the one who chose tobe lost, Judas.

Jesus then asks the Father to“consecrate them in the truth”.We could easily gloss overthis part of the prayer, but itdeserves greater reflection.

The courage to live by andgive witness to the truth is thehallmark of Christian disciple-ship. But, as we are each wellaware, this is a big ask.

However, this prayer in it-self reminds us how much asdisciples we are in the con-stant care and prayer of Jesus.We enter into that prayerevery time we participate atMass – ‘Father, consecrate usin the truth.’

24 MayPentecostJohn 7:37–39 (Vigil);John 20:19–23 (Day)Pentecost marks the close ofthe Easter Season and as wedid 50 days ago, the Churchcomes together in vigil andthen during the day.

The Gospel for the vigil is

God revealed this name toMoses at the burning bush –“Say to the Israelites, I am hassent me to you…”

So, when Jesus uses the ex-pression “I am”, he is claim-ing to be God who isshepherd, bread, light...

In today’s gospel, Jesus pro-claims: “I am the true vine”.He is the vine and we are itsbranches.

Just as the branches canonly live when attached to thevine, so we can only live whenwe draw life from Jesus,through whom and fromwhom we draw the very life ofGod.

If we attach ourselves tohim – then we will bear fruitin plenty.

10 May6th Sunday of Easter (B)John 15:9–17We continue the rich imageryof the vine and its branches –only the context is changed toreflect on the relationship oflove we are called to in Jesus.

To remain in Jesus’ love isto keep his commandmentsand this, as we can readily see,is what is meant by thebranches remaining part of thevine.

This love is not a vague,sentimental feeling or notion.The love disciples are to dis-play is the same love thatJesus demonstrates. It is trulylife-giving.

In Biblical texts, love ismore about action than aboutfeeling. Jesus’ action, love,commitment to humanity is tolay down his life for everyhuman who ever existed.

If we live out Jesus’ com-mandment to love as he hasloved we shall be his friends,not his servants. Finally, weare drawn to this relationshipof love, not because we de-serve it, or have earned theright to it or because we havechosen Jesus, because it washe who chose us and commis-sioned us to bear fruit that willlast. God’s love for us in Jesusis God’s initiative, God’s plan.It is given to us as free, un-conditional gift.

Thursday 14 MaySolemnity of theAscension (B) Mark 16:15–20The only New Testament ref-erence to Jesus ascending 40days after his resurrection isfound in the Acts of theApostles.

There is a reference intoday’s gospel passage fromMark, but it gives no detail oftime or place. In fact, theseverses are thought to havebeen added to the originalending of Mark’s Gospelsome time in the second cen-tury, and summarises what iscontained in the other gospelsabout Jesus after his resurrec-tion.

So, what is our celebration

Fruit in plenty if attached to the vineset in the context of the Jewishfeast of Tabernacles. On thefinal day of this feast, theTemple priests went round thecity of Jerusalem sprinklingwater, as a ‘prayer in action’that God would bless themwith a plentiful supply ofwater.

It is in this context, that weencounter Jesus in the Templewhere he cries out: “If anyman is thirsty, let him come tome. Let the man come anddrink who believes in me”.

The evangelist interpretsthese words as Jesus speakingof the Spirit, whom he wouldgive freely to all who believein him after his resurrection.

This takes us to the Gospelfor Pentecost Day and the ap-pearance of Jesus to the disci-ples in the room on theevening of the day on whichhe rose from the dead.

He enters a room where thedoors were closed – almostcertainly locked. Into this in-sular, introspective environ-ment, Jesus offers the gift ofpeace, and the gift of the HolySpirit.

With these, the disciples areempowered to go out just asJesus himself had always goneout to people in need of God.

Through the power of theSpirit, they can spread peace,and they can offer completeforgiveness. These words fillthe disciples with joy – a joywe too should experiencethrough the presence of theHoly Spirit in our lives.

31 MayTrinity SundayMatthew 28:16–20The mystery of the Most HolyTrinity – one God, three per-sons – is notoriously difficultfor mere humans to under-stand.

Fortunately, today is not anoccasion for trying to under-stand the Trinity. It is a day tocelebrate the Trinity – the Godwho as Father, Son and HolySpirit, has reached out to hu-manity in an unimaginableway.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus’final words include a Trini -tarian formula, when he tellsdisciples to go out and baptiseall nations, in the name of theFather and of the Son and ofthe Holy Spirit, and teachthem to observe all the com-mands he had given them.

Jesus promises to be withhis disciples always, to theend of time.

Baptism literally means‘immersion’. Jesus has im-mersed himself in human af-fairs, and in doing so, hasimmersed God in our lives.

As followers of Jesus, weare to immerse ourselves inthe life of God – living ourlives by the example Jesus hastaught us – loving God andneighbour, as ourselves.

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This is the month also inwhich we bring Easter to aconclusion – the season endswith Pentecost, following theoriginal Jewish custom of con-cluding the seven weeks ofPassover with Pentecost.

And on the last Sunday, wecelebrate the Solemnity of theMost Holy Trinity.

3 May5th Sunday of Easter (B) John 15:1–8John’s gospel is famous for itscollection of Jesus’ sayingswhich all begin ‘I am’.

This expression is usuallyfollowed by some qualifyingstatement: I am the bread oflife; I am the light of theworld; I am the GoodShepherd.

In each case, Jesus gives usan insight into his mission andwhat it offers to us: livingbread, light in the darkness,guidance on the way.

It may surprise you to learnthat the first part of thesephrases – the simple expres-sion ‘I am’ – is nothing lessthan the Greek version of thename by which God chose tobe known.

OBITUARY 15FLOURISH • MAY 2015

His path to service as apriest of the Archdiocese ofGlasgow also had its detours.It was to the Redemptoristseminary in Limerick that the20 year-old Noel went first topursue his vocation.

Discerning that the religiouslife wasn’t for him, he was ac-cepted as a student for thediocesan priesthood by thediocese of Paisley and took uptheology studies in Scotland atSt Peter’s College, Cardross.

Fr Murray was ordainedpriest by Bishop James Black

in St Mirin’s Cathedral,Paisley, on 29 June 1954. Butin over 60 years of priesthoodhe never served in a Paisleyparish.

Such was the supply ofyoung priests at this time, hewas farmed out to St Peter’s,Partick, where he workedalongside the likes of FrWillie Mone, Fr Dan Hart andFr Francis Jaconelli.

After seven years in thewest end parish, he formally‘signed up’ for Glasgow, butwas on the move again imme-diately. A three-year stint aschaplain in the RAF was fol-lowed by four years in Brazil,serving with the St Patrick’sMissionary Society (KilteganFathers).

Returning to Glasgow in1968, he served as assistant inSt Brendan’s, Yoker, for threeyears, before moving to StBonaventure’s in the Gorbals.

It was in 1974, as part of thefirst round of changes over-seen by Archbishop ThomasWinning, that Fr Murraybegan his association with St Aloysius, Springburn.

IN his 60 years as apriest, Fr Noel Murrayspent 40 of them in andaround St Aloysiusparish, Springburn.

But this appearance of per-manence wasn’t so evident inearlier days when even hisname was subject to change.

Born in Lusk, CountyDublin, on 23 December 1925and baptised JeremiahAugustine Noel Murray, thefirst two names were droppedfor the simpler Noel.

Fr Murray was at home among Springburn folk

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Initially, he was assistant to FrThomas Meikleham and thenFr Patrick McGovern, work-ing alongside Fr Des McGintyand Fr Tim McGlynn.

It was a measure of his abil-ity and affinity with the peo-ple that when the parish fellvacant in 1981, Fr Murrayreadily took on the role ofparish priest. Only, while hehad previously been part ofthree-man team, he was nowon his own.

Preparations were alreadyin hand for the centenary ofthe opening of the church

which was duly honoured inOctober 1982. Throughout histime in St Aloysius, Fr Murraytook great pride in the churchwhich he once described as a“little gem”.

It was the church where henot only served the people butwhere he celebrated threemilestones in his priestly min-istry – silver, golden and dia-mond jubilees of ordination.

On his golden jubilee in2004, he paid tribute to theparishioners whose generosityhe said was remarkable given“they have had to listen to thesame voice for 30 years”.Eager to keep the messagefresh, her pursued a distance-learning course at MaynoothUniversity and was awarded adegree in theology when wellinto his seventies.

After he stepped down asparish priest in 2005, FrMurray stayed for a shortwhile in St Bartholomew’s,Castlemilk. But Springburndrew him back and he livedout most of his retirementthere, happy to help Fr JohnMcGrath, including visits to

Stobhill hospital, and retain-ing acquaintances forged overmany years.

After suffering a massivestroke, he died at the RoyalInfirmary on 8 April. He wastaken home to St Aloysius’where Archbishop PhilipTartaglia was principal cele-brant of the Funeral Mass on15 April.

The Archbishop expressedhis condolences to the parishfamily and also Fr Murray’srelatives – including hisbrother Martin, a Redemp -torist priest serving in Brazil,and his sister, Andrea, aDominican nun in SouthAfrica.

“We have been blessed herein Glasgow by the priestlyministry of this devoted ser-vant of the Lord,” theArchbishop said. “Noel cameacross to me as a devout, hard-working and prayerful priest.

“He devoted his life to liv-ing and communicating thejoyful message of salvation –Jesus Christ died and risen.May he share in the glory ofthe resurrection.”

A memorial service is beingheld at St Peter’s Cemetery,Dalbeth, on Wednesday 20May to remember four boymessengers killed inGlasgow during the SecondWorld War blitz.

Among them was 15 year-old Neil Leitch from Partickwho was singled out for hisgallantry in deliveringmessages for the firebrigade during the raids.

His action on 13 March1941 – the day he was killed– won praise and admirationacross the city.

Neil was buried in Dalbethwhere a Celtic Cross waserected by Lord Provost SirPatrick Dolan on behalf ofthe people of Glasgow. Aswell as honouring hismemory, it recalls the namesof three other boymessengers who were killedduring the blitz.

This month’s service, at11am, has been organisedby Neil’s nephew, JamesLeitch, who lives on Orkney.It will be attended by LordProvost Sadie Docherty andFr Jim Thomson, chaplain tothe Scottish Fire Service.

Boy messengers recalled

A CERAMIC poppy from the display around theTower of London, commemorating the outbreakof war in 1914, has been placed on the grave ofone of the Glasgow founders of the Knights of StColumba.

At a ceremony in St Peter’s Cemetery, Dalbeth,Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool wasjoined by knights from across the UK around thegrave of Patrick Joseph (PJ) O’Callaghan, theorder’s first supreme knight.

The Archbishop said: “We remember all thosein the Knights of St Columba who went to warand gave their lives.”

Of the 24 men who met in Central Hall, BathStreet, on 5 October 1919 most had served in thetrenches and other fields of combat during theFirst World War.

Determined to strengthen the bonds of faithand charity, they formed a fraternity of Catholiclaymen under the patronage of St Columba.

From Glasgow, the order has spread acrossGreat Britain and the Channel Islands and isagain led by a Glasgow brother, CharlieMcCluskey.

At the Easter Week graveside ceremony onFriday 10 April, Supreme Knight McCluskeypraised the founders for their foresight and hardwork in laying the foundations of the order on thefirm principles of charity, unity and fraternity.

The ceramic poppy was obtained by knights inSouthwark, London, and will sit alongside theorder’s book of remembrance in the Knights ofSt Columba Chapel within the Cathedral of Christthe King, Liverpool.

Supreme Knight Charlie McCluskey and Archbishop Malcolm McMahon along with former supreme knights Tony Doherty, John Doran, Tony Britten,Pat Leyden and Ron Lynch at the grave of PJ O’CallaghanPicture by Sean Mulligan

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The National Shrine ofOur Lady of Lourdes, CarfinPILGRIMAGE SEASON 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:Father Francis McGachey,

St. Francis Xavier’s Church House, Taylor Avenue, Carfin Motherwell ML1 5AJ.Tel. 01698 263308

THE GLASS CHAPELMonday – Friday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.30am – 8pmMonday – Friday Holy Mass 1pmMonday – Friday Sung Evening Prayer and Benediction 8pmWednesdays, Novena to Saint Therese, with the 25 'Glory bes' in honourafter 1pm Mass of her years on earth, and an opportunity to receive an

individual blessing with relic of the Saint.Saturday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.30am – 6.30pmSunday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.30am – 5pmTHE PARISH OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIERMonday – Saturday The Rosary 9.40amMonday – Saturday Holy Mass 10amTuesdays and Thursdays Confessions 1.45pm – 2.15pmSaturdays Confessions 4.15pm – 4.45pmSundays Holy Mass 5pm (vigil), 9am and 11amSunday Sung Evening Prayer and Benediction 6pm

(May and October Rosary and Benediction 6pmor as announced)

ALL SAINTS’ RELIQUARY CHAPELOpen on major pilgrimage Sundays and at any other time on request.MAJOR PILGRIMAGE DATES 2015Sunday 10th May Torchlight Rosary Procession 8pmWednesday 13th May Rosary Procession and Holy Mass in honour of Our Lady

of Fatima 7.30pm and on the subsequent 13th day ofeach month until October

Sunday 24th May Legion of Mary Thanksgiving Day:Holy Mass 3pm; Rosary Procession 5pm

Sunday 7th June Feast of Corpus Christi: Blessed Sacrament Procession 3pm(All First Communicants welcome)

Sunday 28th June Lourdes Day: Holy Mass with the Sacrament of the Sick 3pmSunday 9th August Paisley Diocesan Day: Holy Mass 3pm:

Rosary Procession 5pmSaturday 15th August Solemnity of the Assumption:

Holy Mass with Sacrament of the Sick 1pmSunday 16th August Grandparents’ Pilgrimage:

Holy Mass 3pm; Rosary Procession 5pm

THE LITTLE FLOWER CHAPEL AND THE CHAPEL OF THE ANGELSVisit the newly opened Little Flower Chapel dedicated to Saint Therese. Here youwill find a relic of the Saint housed in a beautiful reliquary, and a sketch of SaintTherese, done by one of her blood sisters and gifted to Canon Thomas Taylor,founder of the Grotto. Visit one of the recently restored underground chapels builtin the 1930s, dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels.