JOURNAL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GLASGOWNOVEMBER 2017 70p

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

SPECIAL EDITION: First World Day of the PoorFull text of Pope’s letter: Page 2Pope Francis and the homeless: centre pages

“Let uslove notwithwordsbut withdeeds”

Picture: Imago Mundi

2 • FLOURISHNOVEMBER 2017PAPAL LETTER

“Little children, let us notlove in word or speech,

but in deed and in truth” (1Jn 3:18). These words of theApostle John voice an imper-ative that no Christian maydisregard.The seriousness with which the “beloved

disciple” hands down Jesus’ command toour own day is made even clearer by thecontrast between the empty words so fre-quently on our lips and the concrete deedsagainst which we are called to measure our-selves. Love has no alibi. Whenever we setout to love as Jesus loved, we have to takethe Lord as our example; especially when itcomes to loving the poor.“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard

him” (Ps 34:6). The Church has always un-derstood the importance of this cry. We pos-sess an outstanding testimony to this in thevery first pages of the Acts of the Apostles,where Peter asks that seven men, “full of theSpirit and of wisdom” (6:3), be chosen forthe ministry of caring for the poor. This iscertainly one of the first signs of the entranceof the Christian community upon the world’sstage: the service of the poor…Yet there have been times when

Christians have not fully heeded this ap-peal, and have assumed a worldly way ofthinking. Yet the Holy Spirit has notfailed to call them to keep their gaze fixedon what is essential. He has raised up menand women who, in a variety of ways,have devoted their lives to the service ofthe poor. Over these two thousand years,how many pages of history have beenwritten by Christians who, in utter sim-plicity and humility, and with generousand creative charity, have served theirpoorest brothers and sisters!The most outstanding example is that of

Francis of Assisi, followed by many otherholy men and women over the centuries. Hewas not satisfied to embrace lepers and givethem alms, but chose to go to Gubbio to staywith them…We may think of the poor simply as the

beneficiaries of our occasional volunteerwork, or of impromptu acts of generositythat appease our conscience. However goodand useful such acts may be for making ussensitive to people’s needs and the injusticesthat are often their cause, they ought to leadto a true encounter with the poor and a shar-ing that becomes a way of life. Our prayerand our journey of discipleship and conver-sion find the confirmation of their evangelicauthenticity in precisely such charity andsharing.This way of life gives rise to joy and

peace of soul, because we touch with ourown hands the flesh of Christ. If we trulywish to encounter Christ, we have to touch

his body in the suffering bodies of the poor,as a response to the sacramental communionbestowed in the Eucharist. The Body ofChrist, broken in the sacred liturgy, can beseen, through charity and sharing, in thefaces and persons of the most vulnerable ofour brothers and sisters. Saint JohnChrysostom’s admonition remains evertimely: “If you want to honour the body ofChrist, do not scorn itwhen it is naked; donot honour theEucharistic Christwith silk vestments,and then, leaving thechurch, neglect theother Christ sufferingfrom cold and naked-ness” (Hom. inMatthaeum, 50.3: PG58).We are called, then,

to draw near to thepoor, to encounterthem, to meet theirgaze, to embracethem and to let themfeel the warmth oflove that breaksthrough their solitude.Their outstretchedhand is also an invita-tion to step out of ourcertainties and com-forts, and to acknowl-edge the value ofpoverty in itself.Let us never forget

that, for Christ’s disciples, poverty is aboveall a call to follow Jesus in his ownpoverty… Poverty is an interior attitude thatavoids looking upon money, career and lux-ury as our goal in life and the condition forour happiness. Poverty instead creates theconditions for freely shouldering our per-sonal and social responsibilities, despite ourlimitations, with trust in God’s closeness andthe support of his grace. Poverty, under-stood in this way, is the yardstick that allowsus to judge how best to use material goodsand to build relationships that are neitherselfish nor possessive…

ViolenceWe know how hard it is for our contem-

porary world to see poverty clearly for whatit is. Yet in myriad ways poverty challengesus daily, in faces marked by suffering, mar-ginalization, oppression, violence, tortureand imprisonment, war, deprivation of free-dom and dignity, ignorance and illiteracy,medical emergencies and shortage of work,trafficking and slavery, exile, extremepoverty and forced migration. Poverty hasthe face of women, men and children ex-ploited by base interests, crushed by themachinations of power and money. What a

bitter and endless list we would have to com-pile were we to add the poverty born of so-cial injustice, moral degeneration, the greedof a chosen few, and generalized indiffer-ence!Tragically, in our own time, even as os-

tentatious wealth accumulates in the handsof the privileged few, often in connectionwith illegal activities and the appalling ex-

ploitation of humandignity, there is ascandalous growthof poverty in broadsectors of societythroughout ourworld. Faced withthis scenario, wecannot remain pas-sive, much less re-signed.There is a poverty

that stifles the spiritof initiative of somany young peopleby keeping themfrom finding work.There is a povertythat dulls the senseof personal responsi-bility and leaves oth-ers to do the workwhile we go lookingfor favours. There isa poverty that poi-sons the wells ofparticipation and al-lows little room forprofessionalism; in

this way it demeans the merit of those whodo work and are productive. To all theseforms of poverty we must respond with anew vision of life and society.All the poor – as Blessed Paul VI loved to

say – belong to the Church by “evangelicalright” (Address at the Opening of the SecondSession of the Second Vatican EcumenicalCouncil, 29 September 1963), and require ofus a fundamental option on their behalf.Blessed, therefore, are the open hands thatembrace the poor and help them: they arehands that bring hope. Blessed are the handsthat reach beyond every barrier of culture,religion and nationality, and pour the balmof consolation over the wounds of human-ity. Blessed are the open hands that asknothing in exchange, with no “ifs”, “buts” or“maybes”: they are hands that call downGod’s blessing on their brothers and sisters.At the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy,

I wanted to offer the Church a World Day ofthe Poor, so that throughout the worldChristian communities can become an evergreater sign of Christ’s charity for the leastand those most in need. To the World Daysinstituted by my Predecessors, which are al-ready a tradition in the life of our communi-ties, I wish to add this one, which adds to

them an exquisitely evangelical fullness, thatis, Jesus’ preferential love for the poor.I invite the whole Church, and men and

women of good will everywhere, to turntheir gaze on this day to all those who stretchout their hands and plead for our help andsolidarity. They are our brothers and sisters,created and loved by the one HeavenlyFather.This Day is meant, above all, to encour-

age believers to react against a culture of dis-card and waste, and to embrace the cultureof encounter. At the same time, everyone,independent of religious affiliation, is in-vited to openness and sharing with the poorthrough concrete signs of solidarity and fra-ternity. God created the heavens and theearth for all; yet sadly some have erectedbarriers, walls and fences, betraying the orig-inal gift meant for all humanity, with noneexcluded.It is my wish that, in the week preceding

the World Day of the Poor, which fallsthis year on 19 November, Christian com-munities will make every effort to createmoments of encounter and friendship, sol-idarity and concrete assistance. They caninvite the poor and volunteers to take parttogether in the Eucharist on this Sunday,in such a way that there be an even moreauthentic celebration of the Solemnity ofOur Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King,on the following Sunday

ProtectionThis Sunday, if there are poor people

where we live who seek protection and as-sistance, let us draw close to them: it will bea favourable moment to encounter the Godwe seek. Following the teaching ofScripture let us welcome them as honouredguests at our table; they can be teachers whohelp us live the faith more consistently.With their trust and readiness to receivehelp, they show us in a quiet and often joy-ful way, how essential it is to live simply andto abandon ourselves to God’s providence.At the heart of all the many concrete ini-

tiatives carried out on this day should alwaysbe prayer. Let us not forget that the OurFather is the prayer of the poor. Our askingfor bread expresses our entrustment to Godfor our basic needs in life… The Our Fatheris a prayer said in the plural: the bread forwhich we ask is “ours”, and that entails shar-ing, participation and joint responsibility. Inthis prayer, all of us recognize our need toovercome every form of selfishness, in orderto enter into the joy of mutual acceptance.This new World Day, therefore, should

become a powerful appeal to our con-sciences as believers … The poor are not aproblem: they are a resource from which todraw as we strive to accept and practise inour lives the essence of the Gospel.

+FRANCIS

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

FIRST WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

Let us love, not with wordsbut with deeds

NEWS 3FLOURISH • NOVEMBER 2017

Wed 1st: 1pm – Mass for theSolemnity of All Saints –Saint Andrew’s Cathedral

Thurs 2nd: 7pm – Mass forthe Italian Community –Saint Andrew’s Cathedral

Mon 6th–Wed 8th: Meetingof the Bishops’ Conference ofScotland

Thurs 9th: 1pm Safeguardingupdate for clergy – Our Ladyand Saint George’s; 7pm –Confirmations in SaintNinian’s Knightswood

Fri 10th: 10am – CHAS -Stirling; 1pmMass and lunchfor Scottish Catholic Inter-Diocesan Tribunal

Mon 13th: 7pm – P7Confirmations in SaintThomas’ Riddrie

Tues 14th: 10am – 50thAnniversary Mass for SaintFrancis Primary SchoolGorbals in Blessed JohnDuns Scotus; 7pm –Confirmations in SaintAndrew’s Cathedral

Wed 15th: 7pm – Mass andBlessing of the new Our Ladyand Saint Patrick’s HighSchool Dumbarton

Thurs 16th: 12 noon – SaintMargaret’s Chapel Guild,Edinburgh Castle; 6pm –70th Anniversary Mass andDinner for the UCM – SaintPaul’s Shettleston

Sat 18th: 10am CatholicEducation Committee OpenForum

Sun 19th: 11am – Mass forthe Feast of Saint Albert inSaint Albert’s

Mon 20th: 7pm –Confirmations in St MariaGoretti’s

Tues 21st: 10.30am –Turnbull HS – Mass to markthe end of their 40thanniversary year; 1pm –Safeguarding Update forClergy – Our Lady and SaintGeorge’s

Wed 22nd: 7pm –Confirmations in SaintMatthew’s Bishopbriggs

Thurs 23rd: 7pm –Confirmations in SaintAloysius’ Garnethill

Mon 27th: 7pm – Mass forCommissioning of ParishCatechists – Saint Andrew’sCathedral

Wed 29th: 7pm –Confirmations in SaintMungo’s Townhead

Thurs 30th: 7pm –Confirmations in SaintPeter’s Partick

diaryArchbishop’s

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WE have just marked the50th Anniversary of the1967 Act of Parliamentwhich permitted abor-tion.I was 16 at the time. I

vaguely remember it. I thinksome people were telling us itwouldn’t be as bad we feared.But in 2015 alone, there werealmost 200,000 abortions inGreat Britain. Based on a five-day week, that’s about 760abortions every working day.In Scotland alone last year,there were about 12,000 abor-tions. That’s about 40 everyworking day. No one in 1967when the legislation was en-acted expected those kinds offigures. And now the ScottishGovernment has taken meas-ures to make medical abor-tions even more easy andaccessible.

always available. There is al-ways a way home to a deeperrelationship with God andwith the Church.Rather I draw your attention

to this baleful anniversary inorder to lament the loss of lifedue to abortion and to seek achange of minds and heartsabout the good of the child inthe womb and the care ofmothers who are pregnant. Weneed a new understanding ofthe intrinsic value and worthof every human life in thewomb. We need a deeper ap-preciation of the meaning ofchoice. Free choice cannot be

simply about what I feel to beright for me. It’s got to bemore than that. It must takeinto account a wider set offundamental values. We alsoneed better protection for un-born children diagnosed withdisability. And we need to en-

I don’t draw your attentionto this matter in any spirit ofcondemnation. I don’t stand injudgment over anyone. I ac-cept that few people considerabortion to be the desirable orbest solution to a pregnancywhich may be for various rea-sons challenging. I accept toothat there may be circum-stances which limit the exer-cise of a woman’s freedomand diminish moral culpabil-ity. I know too that God is un-failingly merciful and thepromise of forgivenessthrough the Sacrament ofPenance and Reconciliation is

Last month saw the 50th anniversary of theAbortion Act. To mark the occasion,ARCHBISHOP TARTAGLIA released thefollowing reflection. We carry it here in itsentirety.

sure respect for conscientiousobjection for medical profes-sionals. There just has to be abetter informed conversationin our society about thesethings.In our society as it is cur-

rently, these challenges willbe difficult to meet. But weneed to take this forward intruth, in charity and in com-passion. We look to theGospel for hope. Jesus tells usthe greatest of the command-ments is to love God above allthings. The second resemblesit: Love your neighbour asyourself. No Christian wouldquibble with that. The fact thatmany hearts still resound tothe truth and the good of thosefundamental commandmentsgives us the hope that theGospel of Life can continue tobe proclaimed to the people ofour time.

A GROUND-BREAKINGpupil mentoring schemewhich was successfullypioneered in St Andrew’ssecondary school inGlasgow is now to berolled out to schoolsthroughout the city.And Flourish readers are

being urged to volunteer tooffer their services as mentorsin a scheme which has alreadyhelped more than 700 disad-vantaged young people to bet-ter lives.The MCR Pathways project

links individual mentors withdisadvantaged children to helpthem realise their full potentialthrough education.The project was founded 10

years ago by Glasgow busi-nessman and philanthropistIain McRitchie who chose StAndrew’s as the first school totake part. By this time nextyear all Glasgow schools willbe involved in the project.Jim McAleese (pictured),

75, a parishioner of StMatthew’s, Bishopbriggs, whohas been a mentor for twoyears said: “The young personI mentor is a very kind youngman. He’s extremely caring,with a real sense of responsi-bility to his family and thewider community. Every sin-

young person. To do it, youjust have to be yourself and atall times see your role as en-couraging the young personwith realistic expectations.”A spokeswoman for MCR

Pathways said: “The huge dif-ference in mentoring is what isdriving MCR Pathways to re-

cruit thousands more volun-teers to meet the demand andbreak the vicious cycle thatour most disadvantaged youngpeople experience.“MCR recruits, trains and

supports high quality mentorswho meet their young peopleweekly for a minimum of a

gle day, after school, he takesout his disabled grandfather.“During our meetings –

which are once a week, forjust an hour, I glean informa-tion about his personality, hisaspirations and so on. I en-courage him along a positivepathway, to follow his in-spired career aspirations. He isfocused on working with chil-dren and he intends to apply toAnniesland College. Duringour weekly meetings, we lookat his school performance, andwhere that is in line with hiscollege and career plans. Wealso discuss any issues orchallenges he’s facing.“The difference I’ve seen in

him, and the progress he’smade so far, has been fantas-tic.“I would encourage other

members of the CatholicChurch to mentor. Flourishreaders might reflect on StMatthew’s gospel where itsays, ‘Whatever you shall doto the least of my brethren inmy name that you shall dounto me.’“Becoming a mentor will

have an invaluable, positiveimpact on a disadvantaged

year. Building relationships,confidence and self-esteemare the prerequisite to helpingthe young people find, growand use their talents.”

�� To find out more go towww.youngglasgowtalent.org

Putting our young people on the right path

Change minds and hearts on abortion

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THE good people ofCastlemilk had much tocelebrate last month asthe parish of St MargaretMary’s celebrated its di-amond jubilee.

Archbishop Tartaglia of-fered a Mass of Thanksgivingfor the 60th Anniversary ofthe Parish and Church of StMargaret Mary which is awell-kent landmark at the topof the hill leading through thelarge housing estate.Addressing the large con-

gregation the Archbishop con-fessed the area had not beenfamiliar to him until recently.He said: “Before I wasArchbishop, I had rarely everbeen in Castlemilk or to StMargaret Mary’s. Since be-coming Archbishop, I havebeen here a good few timesnow. I have always enjoyedcoming among you…”The sense of enjoyment was

shared by parishioners old andnew who gathered to mark amajor milestone for the com-munity which has changeddramatically over the last sixdecades.Archbishop Tartaglia said:

“Erected as it was in the late1950’s when Castlemilk was adeveloping housing estatewith a very numerous popula-tion, an imposing building asit is, situated very close to themain road through Castlemilk,St Margaret Mary’s Church

Jubilee joy for Castlemilk

SISTERS Veronica and TeresaMcNeece were delighted tohear that Archdiocesan medalswere to be awarded to twoparishioners at the end of the60th anniversary Mass.

But when principal celebrantArchbishop Tartaglia read outtheir own names, the sisterswere convinced they hadmisheard.

Former primary teacherVeronica, said: “We had noidea that medals were to bepresented let alone that theywould be presented to us. Itwas a complete shock butsuch a lovely honour. We bothaccepted it humbly becausewe don’t really want to make afuss.”

Teresa, a retired bookkeeper, said: “It was a lovelysurprise and a wonderful thingto have.”

The sisters, both in theirsixties and single, share a flatin the Croftfoot area not farfrom the church they haveserved so loyally for years.

Both are lifelong members ofthe Legion of Mary and as aformer teacher Veronica helpsparents prepare their childrenfor baptism while Teresa uses

her talents as a book keeper tohelp manage the accounts.

Parish priest Father MichaelSavage said: “Veronica andTeresa are typical of those who

do so much behind the scenesespecially in the period leadingup to our celebrations. Theyand so many like them are thebackbone of the parish.”

Sisters of charity Pro-lifelunch datefor ladiesTHE Cardinal WinningPro-Life Initiative is host-ing a pre Christmaslunch in aid of its work.

This year’s Ladies’ Lunch,in honour of St Margaret ofScotland, will be on Saturday18th November 2017 at 200 StVincent Street in Glasgow.The afternoon will comprise

of a 3 course meal, pro-lifespeakers and craft stalls. Asthis year is the 50th anniver-sary of the passing of the 1967Abortion Act, the lunch willbe bigger and better than everbefore, with 400 tickets avail-able.It is always a joyful occa-

sion and wonderful to see somany other pro-life women.Tickets cost £30 (or £270 for atable of 10) and are sold on astrictly first come first servedbasis and need to be bought inadvance.

� Please contact Sr Roseannfor tickets; email: gospeloflifesisters@googlemail.com orcall: 0141 433 2680.

has always been a landmark inCastlemilk. And that land-mark said: God is among us,God is near us, God loves us,welcome to the house of God. “And this remains the pur-

pose of St Margaret Mary’sChurch in this community – tobe a sign of God’s presenceand nearness and of his lovefor his creatures. Even in thesedays, when people seem towant God less but really needHim more, this Church con-tinues to say: God loves youand welcomes you.”He added: “This Church is

your spiritual home. Here youare welcomed into the familyof God, you receive forgive-ness of sins, you are nourishedand strengthened for the jour-ney of life which leads to eter-nal life. You come here to sealyour love in marriage. Yougather here to commend yourloved ones to God.”And recalling the patron of

the parish, the Archbishopasked for the renewal of twotraditional devotions. He said: “It is perhaps

worth recommending two ofthe practical things which StMargaret Mary proposed tous: to follow the devotion ofreceiving Holy Communionon the Nine First Fridays, andto have an image of the SacredHeart in our homes. For her,these practical gestures aresigns of our faith in Jesuswhich will bring many bless-ings to us.”

Parishioners enjoy the servicePictures by Paul McSherry

Archbishop Tartaglia presents the Archdiocesan Medal tosisters Teresa and Veronica McNeece for their many years ofoutstanding work in the parish. Picture by Paul McSherry

Archbishop Tartaglia chats tosome of the young pupils fromJohn Paul II Primary School

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PUPILS and staff from St Brigid’s Primary inToryglen, celebrate after winning a topnational award for their PE and sportsprogrammes

The school, in Glasgow’s Southside, washonoured with the sportscotland Gold SchoolSport Award for innovation and achievementin delivering physical education and extra-curricular sport.

The National Lottery funded award isdesigned to encourage schools tocontinuously improve physical education andsport and to encourage sporting links betweenthem and their communities.

The St Brigid’s programme has beenrunning at the 278 pupil school for the pasttwo years and has been developed by teacherJoe Woods.

St Brigid’s received the award after a seriesof assessments and inspections byindependent experts and after submitting 92pages of evidence to sportscotland.

Joe said: “There’s been tremendousenthusiasm for the programme from everyoneinvolved – our head teacher Carol Scott, mycolleagues, the children and especially theparents who backed it from the start. Becauseof what we have done at the school thenumber of pupils taking part in sport hasdoubled in the last year.

“Last year our badminton team won theHolyrood Learning Community festival, ourdance team qualified from their area heats tothe Glasgow Final at the Royal Concert Hall,our football team won three different cups, our

gymnastics team were placed at the Floor &Vault competition and our netball team wonthe SE Glasgow netball festival.

“We also gave our pupils the opportunity toattend major sporting events to give themmotivation. They went to the European CurlingChampionships, the British Basketball LeagueFinal, the World Badminton Championshipsand the Scottish Open Snooker Grand Prix.”

But the programme has brought smallersuccess stories as well.

Joe cited the example of a pupil who had nointerest in sport but found he had a naturalflair for gymnastics and now trains regularlyas part of a team.

He also told of a young boy who desperatelywanted to join one of the school footballteams but lacked the ability to be picked toplay.

Joe said: “I wanted to give him a chance sothat it would build his confidence and itworked – he may not be the best player theschool has produced but he now has a newgroup of friends, he’s much more confidentand much happier in himself.”

Head teacher Carol Scott said: “It’s anhonour to be awarded the sportscotland GoldSchool Sport Award. Our staff work incrediblyhard to deliver many sporting opportunities forpupils in our school.”

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive ofsportscotland said: “Congratulations to all thestaff and pupils at St Brigid’s Primary – theyshould be extremely proud of this fantasticachievement”.

St Brigid’s scoop gold award

SOME of the best knownnames in GlasgowCatholic life have hadtheir work praised by theVatican Archbishopcharged by Pope Franciswith promoting the newevangelisation.Next month will see the pub-

lishing of Reclaiming thePiazza II – a follow up to thefirst acclaimed volume pennedby Drs Leonard Franchi andRaymond McCluskey of theUniversity of Glasgow and theArch diocese’s own Communi -cations Director RonnieConvery.Now the trio have taken to

print again, and besides theirown insights have asked a se-ries of well-kent names to jointhem.

of Catholic schools anduniversities with the pro-found insights and con-crete applicationsnecessary for establish-ing academic institutionsas dynamic centres ofproclamation.

Urgency“The urgency of such

centres was underscoredby Pope Francis in his mes-sage to the Members of theCongregation for CatholicEducation: ‘Catholicschools and universities arecalled to offer to all theChristian message – respect-ing fully the freedom of alland the proper methods ofeach specific environment –namely that Jesus Christ isthe meaning of life, of thecosmos and of history.”

The original Re -claiming the Piazza waslaunched in 2014 and waswidely acclaimed. The newvolume takes up the theme ofengaging with wider societyfrom a Catholic perspective.Dr Raymond McCluskey

explained: “This second vol-ume hopes to build on the pos-itive response to the first

Fr Joe Lappin, Director ofRE in the Archdiocese haspenned a chapter, as has theArchdiocesan SecondarySchool Advisor NatalieFinnigan. Other big name contributors

include Archbishop Cushley,Francis Campbell, former UKAmbassador to the Vaticanand former Glasgow Uni -versity Chaplain and nowBishop of Paisley, JohnKeenan.The book will carry a fore-

word by Archbishop RinoFisichella, the man chosen byPope Francis to organise andco-ordinate the recent HolyYear and oversee the work ofthe New Evangelisationworldwide.Archbishop Fisichella

writes: “These pages providethose involved in the mission

volume. There is anattractive richness ofthought in this newbook which comesfrom its multi-au-thored approach,with each contribu-tor offering insightsbased on their expe-rience in a range ofroles relating to themission of Catholiceducation. “It is important

for us all to reflecton the past, pres-ent and future ofan educational en-terprise which,over generations,has been such amajor feature inthe evangelicallife of theChurch through-out the world. Indeed, it is

important to emphasise thatthis is a book which is neitherparochial nor short-sighted inthe vistas which it offers;rather, the book as a wholeaims to stimulate discussionmore generally about the pur-pose of Catholic education insociety today, particularly inthe English-speaking world.”Dr Leonard Franchi said:

“There is much energy around

RECLAIMING

PIAZZA IIthe

Catholic Education and the New Evangelisation

Ronnie Convery

Leonardo Franchi

Raymond McCluskey

Foreword by Archbishop Rino Fisichella

RECLAIMING the

Catholic Education and the New Evangelisation

RE

CLA

IMIN

G

PIA

ZZ

A II

theR

onnie Convery • L

eonardo Franchi • R

aymond M

cCluskey

PIAZZA IISince the day of Pentecost, the Church has never ceased

responding to the Lord’s command to proclaim the Gospel

to all people. The content of this proclamation—the

person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God—has never

changed. What is ‘new’ and continues to develop is the form by

which that same Gospel is proclaimed with fresh

enthusiasm, in a con-temporary and comprehensible

language, with methodologies capable of transmitting the

deepest sense of God’s unchanging Word.

In the last decades, as the cacophonies of secularism,

relativism, individualism, materialism, and indifference have

continued to blare, many have become deaf to the Word of

God and live without ever noticing the absence of God as

a real absence in their lives.

Yet, it is within this cultural context that Catholic schools

and universities have the extraordinary opportunity to

‘make the deaf hear’…

We must understand better how these privileged places

for the development of human thought and personal

formation will become communities where critical thinking

is encouraged, to allow each student to contribute

meaningfully to the common good through the witness of

his or her personal faith.

The theoretical and practical contributions made by the

authors of this book will serve as a helpful roadmap for this

critical reflection.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella

President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the

New Evangelization

onnie CoEdited by

GR

AC

EW

ING

ISBN 978-0-85244-899-1

9 780852 448991

Vatican praise for new Glasgow bookthe New Evangelisation today.We are trying in this book toalign it with Catholic educa-tion. “This is only the beginning

of what should be a longerconversation about the aimsand purposes of a Catholicschool today. As editors, weare keen to get feedback fromour readers on where we gonext. Is there demand forReclaiming the Piazza III?”

SharingRonnie Convery said: “In a

world which is living througha period of such rapid change,we have tried to offer someideas – practical ideas - for allinvolved in teaching and com-munications work. “The book aims to be a use-

ful companion for anyonewho is interested in sharingideas of faith in a societywhere words are at risk ofbeing displaced by images andthoughtful reflection by gutinstinct.”

�� The book is available toorder from publishersGracewing atwww.gracewing.co.uk orfrom Pauline Books, RoyalExchange Square,Glasgow.

� THE old joke about thedifference between a liturgistand terrorist (“at least youcan negotiate with a terrorist…”) might be about to makea comeback, as the prospecthas opened of a new round inthe so-called “liturgy wars”.

The spark which set theissue alight was anunexpected document issuedby Pope Francis last monthwhich essentially gave backto local bishops responsibilityfor the translation of liturgicaltexts into their nativelanguage, and removed thepriority of direct fidelity to theLatin original.

Almost immediately theCardinal in charge of liturgyat the Vatican – CardinalRobert Sarah from Guinea –offered a reading of thePope’s text which seemed tosuggest Rome would retaincontrol. Only for the Popehimself to issue a clarification

of the cardinal’s clarificationtelling him bluntly he waswrong and ordering him tospread the word that the Popeindeed wanted local bishopsto take back control (excusethe Brexitism!).

It was an extraordinarilypublic correction by a Pope ofone of his closestcollaborators … CardinalSarah, to his credit, hasreacted with dignity. Hisrecent book is entitled “ThePower of Silence” and it iswith silence that he hasaccepted the latest edict fromthe Pope.

� NEW pictures emerged lastmonth of Pope EmeritusBenedict XVI. Papa Ratzinger,as he is affectionately knownin Rome – still receivesfriends and visitors at theformer convent inside theVatican walls where he lives.

The 90 year old was

photographed meetingjournalist Peter Seewald witha very noticeable black eyeapparently the result of a falllast week. Now extremely thinand displaying difficulty atgetting around it emerged lastmonth that the Pope Emerituscelebrates Mass now with thehelp of his devoted secretaryArchbishop Ganswein.

But despite his physicaldecline all who meet the PopeEmeritus comment on hissharpness and intellectualalertness. His brain is asactive and insightful as ever.

� A POTENTIALLY verysignificant announcementwas made last month whichreceived almost no publicity.Pope Francis announced aspecial Synod of Bishops forthe Amazon region that willfocus on the needs of itsindigenous people, on newpaths for evangelization andon the crisis of the rain forest.

"Accepting the desire ofsome Catholic Bishops'Conferences in Latin America,as well as the voice of variouspastors and faithful fromother parts of the world, Ihave decided to convene aSpecial Assembly of theSynod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which willtake place in Rome in themonth October 2019" he said.

The main purpose of theAmazon synod, the Popeexplained, will be to "identifynew paths for theevangelization of God'speople in that region".

Those with long memorieswill recall that the strongestcalls for bishops to beallowed to ordain viri probati(or trusted and preparedmarried men) have come fromprecisely the bishops of thisregion where the priestshortage is crippling. Watchthis space …

� DON’T mention the name ofCardinal Marx to the hard lineBrexiteers! Marx (that isindeed the name of theGerman bishop – Reinhardrather than Karl thankfully!)launched a conference at theVatican last month on“Rethinking Europe”. Heunderlined that the Europeanunification movement, whichcame after the two worldwars were fought on thecontinent, was “one of theyoung people,” who didn’twant any other wars betweenEuropean nations. For thisreason, he said, it’s necessaryto reach out to youngergenerations today, to showthem the importance ofcontinental unity. One of thesuggestions he made was tofurther spread the Erasmusprogram, which allowsEuropean students to study inanother country within the EU.

Italian Cardinal PietroParolin, the Vatican’sSecretary of State, also spokeabout the importance ofEurope’s unity. “The outcomeof the British referendum lastyear, and the tendency tofragmentation sweeping thecontinent, have led the HolyFather to consider the urgentneed to promote a more wide-ranging and focusedreflection on Europe as awhole and on its futuredirection.” Parolin said.

� AND finally congratulationsto Dublin man Bishop PaulTighe – the friendly andamenable Dublin priest whohas just been namedSecretary of the PontificalCouncil for Culture. Mgr Tighespent many years working inthe press office of DublinArchdiocese beforecontinuing hiscommunications work in theRoman Curia. Ad multosannos!

NEWS6 • FLOURISHNOVEMBER 2017

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early morning alarm clock tomake sure his master beginswriting before his parish du-ties take over.He said: “I write where oth-

ers do – or watch – sport, so itdoes not take me away fromparish work. I get up at 5.30each day – Barney makes sureI don’t sleep in – and afterhe’s been dragged round thelocal park my writing canbegin.“It’s really just a hobby for

me and one which I enjoyvery much.“I get to work before Mass,

and again, time permitting atthe end of the day, time per-mitting.”

Flourish columnist andBishopbriggs Parishpriest Canon Robert Hillhas proved he’s got thewrite stuff after produc-ing a series of books giv-ing his reflections onScripture which havejust been made availablein Kindle paperback for-mat.

And Canon Hill, who re-cently celebrated his 40th an-niversary as a priest, wasquick to credit four-year-oldBarney, his lively petSpringador, for acting as an

Canon Bob’s column kindles new interest

THE future of a youth groupin St Lucy’s parishCumbernauld has been givena boost thanks to a recentlyawarded National Lotterygrant of almost £10,000.

The money will be used totake on a part timeprofessional to advise theparents on ways ofdeveloping the project.

The Youth Zone has beenrunning for the past threeyears and started afterparishioners were askedwhat areas they would liketo be involved in with manysuggesting youth work.

It relies on fund raisingand donations which helppay for outings and other funevents.

Mother-of-two NatalieHutchison, who helped set itup and who applied for a£9840 grant said: “We

started with half a dozenhelpers, most of whom hadchildren in P5 at the time.

“A children’s liturgy wasput in place on the firstSunday of each month withactivities and games afterMass on the same Sunday.One of our biggest aims as agroup is to try and bridge thegap between Primary andHigh School children.

“Those P5’s have nowmoved on to High School andone of our many importantaims, is to keep engagingwith this key group and theirfriends as well asmaintaining what we havewith the younger children.”

“We want to find ways ofdeveloping lots of ideas tokeep our young peoplecommitted and interestedand the Lottery grant willhelp us achieve that.”

St Lucy’s hit the jackpot

urbi et orbi A roundup of news from Rome and the Catholic world

by “Trasteverino”

Canon Hill, of St Matthews,Bishopbriggs, whose regularScripture reflections appear onpage 14 of this month’s issueof Flourish added: “Years agoI wrote commentaries on theSunday gospels for CanonAndrew McKenzie when heran the Priests for Scotlandwebsite. It seemed a good ideato put those notes, updatedand revised, on Kindle.

Present“A couple of months ago I

discovered the joy of Kindlepaperback, and it was easy totransfer the eBook material topaperback format… and therest is very recent history.”

Canon Hill’s books, com-mentaries on the SundayLectionary, volumes A, B andC, which have been availableon Amazon Kindle for thepast four years are now avail-able in Kindle paperback for-mat and can be bought via theAmazon website.The Archdiocese’s Director

of Communications, RonnieConvery said: “CanonRobert’s insightful scripturalinsights have won a steadyfollowing over the yearsamong Flourish readers. It isgreat news that they will nowbe available in book format.They will make excellentChristmas presents!”

News and views for0141 226 5898 flourish@rcag.org.uk

Canon Hill (right) with Barney the dogPicture by Paul McSherry

NEWS 7FLOURISH • NOVEMBER 2017

ONE of Scotland’s firstday care centres for theelderly, founded by thePassionists at StMungo’s, Townhead,more than 50 years ago,has had a massive boostfrom one of its long termsupporters.The St Mungo’s Centre,

whose first unofficial head-quarters was a café in CastleStreet, Townhead owned byArchbishop Tartaglia’s grand-father Filippo, has received£20,000 from the Glasgowbased charity, the RobertsonTrust.According to the centre’s

secretary Gerry Healy, a re-tired primary head teacher,who has been a volunteer withthe organisation for almost all

When the centre firstopened its doors on the morn-ing of Monday 7 October1963, some 260 peoplequeued along McAslin Streetin Glasgow’s Townhead toenjoy a three course lunch fora shilling and, equally impor-tantly, companionship.Since then the centre has

served well in excess of a mil-lion lunches and at its heighthad 800 members.The Robertson Trust had

been set up in 1961, two yearsbefore the centre opened bysisters Elspeth, Agnes andEthel Robertson.They donated the shares in

their businesses, founded anddeveloped by their grandfatherand father, to the Trust forcharitable purposes.It has supported the centre

since the very early days.

The family business, nowoperating as the global com-pany Edrington, is one ofScotland’s largest privatecompanies and owns a num-ber of well-known whiskybrands including The FamousGrouse. Their support helps the St

Mungo Centre organise dailyactivities, outings and accessto welfare and support serv-ices. Around half the annualcosts are provided byGlasgow City Council, withrest coming from trusts – es-pecially the Robertson Trust –public donations and contribu-tions from the members.Fr John Mary Griffin, a

member of the Passionistcommunity, who was rector ofSt Mungo’s, Parson Street, atthe time, was the driving force– along with Bridie Connell –behind the old folk’s club inits first 25 years.And from the beginning the

club was ecumenical; in-spired, it is said, by FatherGriffin seeing a non-Catholicwoman in tears because shethought (mistakenly) that shecould not join her friends.With the support of the late

Dr William Morris, minister atGlasgow Cathedral, and hissuccessor Dr LaurenceWhitley, who has recently re-tired, a monthly ecumenicalservice has been held in thehalls ever since.

�� St Mungo’s Centrewelcome donations andoffers of help fromvolunteers. To find out howyou can make a differencecall 0141 552 8999.

of its existence, inspiration tohelp older people combat dep-rivation and loneliness, camefrom a member of thePassionists who was a regularat Tartaglia’s café just roundthe corner from St Mungo’s.Gerry said: “Every morning

the priest saw the same oldguy always with a roll andsausage and a cup of tea andtaking ages to finish them.The priest got chatting to himand it turned out he had losthis wife, was desperatelylonely and divided his day be-tween the cafe and the libraryjust to get a heat and havesomewhere to go.“That was the inspiration to

set up the centre and in thevery early day all the meetingwere held in that same café.”

Cash boost for Glasgow’smuch-loved Mungo charity

2018 is the 160th anniversary of theapparitions ofOur Lady to St Bernadette.It will also be the 70th anniversary of theGlasgow Lourdes Hospitalite.

As thiswill be a year of special celebration in Lourdesthe Glasgow Lourdes Hospitalite wish to giveadvance notice of the dates for the 2018 pilgrimagewhich are

13–20 July 2018The Glasgow Lourdes Hospitalite would welcomeyou to apply to join us on pilgrimage in July 2018 andfurther information anddetailswill be included in theDecember issue of Flourish.

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A LARGE turnout ofparishioners, Celtic fans, teamrepresentatives as well aschief executive Peter Lawwelland other senior managementfigures is expected at theannual memorial Mass in StMary’s Calton for BrotherWalfrid, the Marist Brother whofounded the Parkhead club.

The 7pm Mass will takeplace on Monday November 6 –exactly one hundred and thirtyyears after the club wasestablished following ameeting of the foundingcommittee in St Mary’s thenchurch hall in East Rose Street– now Forbes Street – andformed, at the suggestion ofBrother Walfrid , to alleviatepoverty in the East End ofGlasgow.

Celtic played their firstcompetitive game in May 1888

quality Peter Howson signedlimited editions of his BrotherWalfrid painting – the originalis on permanent display in StMary’s – and a one hourdocumentary.

Thirty per cent of theproceeds will go towards theSt Mary’s Restoration Fund andthe rest to a Brother Walfridawareness campaign.

beating Rangers 5–2 and theyear of that game still featuresin the club badge.

St Mary’s long associationwith Brother Walfrid and Celticwas highlighted last monthwhen the church was chosenas the venue to launch theworld's first PhD into the life ofthe much loved religious figuredescribed by ArchbishopTartaglia as an ‘apostle of thepoor’.

Celtic fan and post graduatestudent Michael Connolly, 27,will spend the next four yearsstudying Brother Walfrid’s lifeand work backed by a £25,000grant from Glasgow arts groupNine Muses.

To coincide with the launchof the PhD programme NineMuses is selling 1888-PremiumBrother Walfrid boxed setswhich include A3 museum

Give thanks for Brother Walfrid

Ding dong merrily on highTO mark the centenary of theend of World War I Glasgowparishioners are being invitedto record the sound of theirchurch bells for a new piece ofmusic.

The Scottish ChamberOrchestra and its associatecomposer Martin Suckling sayit will explore themes ofcelebration, loss, communityidentity and the legacy of war.The piece, entitled Meditation(after Donne) will be a newpiece of music for chamberorchestra and electronicsfeaturing the bells of Scotland,

contributed by the people ofScotland.

A spokesman for the SCOsaid: “Our goal is to have everycorner of Scotland representedin this piece and would loveindividuals and communities toget involved.

“Any group or individualwho wants to take part andhear their bells included in anexciting piece of new musicshould contactkirsteen.davidsonkelly@sco.org.uk or 0131 478 8355 or loginto: www.armisticebells.com”.

Reach out to othersGLASGOW’S parishes have beenurged to reach out to believersof other faiths during thismonth’s Interfaith Week whichruns from November 12–19.

The call comes fromArchbishop Conti who chairsthe Bishops’ Committee forInter-Religious Dialogue.

The Archbishop-Emeritussaid: “We know from theteaching of the Second VaticanCouncil and from the exampleof Pope Francis and hispredecessors that inter -religious dialogue plays animportant part in the life of the

Church and is a contribution topeace in our world.

“I hope parishes will reflectduring the week designated onthe importance of thisdialogue. They might think ofputting out a statement aboutInterfaith week in the bulletin,or use special bidding prayerswhich have been composed forthe occasion or send a letter ofgreeting to a local place ofworship or engage in somekind of interfaith activity.”

Information on the week canbe found on the websitewww.interfaithscotland.org

By Brian Swanson

In the past, everyone wrote about thePope’s shoes, the shoes of a workerand a walker. Recently you went to ashop to buy a new pair. Why so muchattention? Perhaps because today wefind it so difficult to put ourselves inother people’s shoes?Pope Francis: It is very hard to put

oneself in other people’s shoes, becauseoften we are enslaved by our own self-ishness. At a first level we can say thatpeople prefer to think about their ownproblems without wanting to see thesuffering and difficulties of others.There is another level, though. Puttingoneself in the shoes of others meanshaving a great capacity for understand-ing, to understand the moment and dif-ficult situations. … If we think of theexistences that are often made up ofloneliness, then putting ourselves in theshoes of others means service, humil-ity, magnanimity, which is also the ex-pression of a need. I need someone toput himself in my shoes. … How oftenI come across people who, after havingsought comfort in a Christian, be they alayperson, a priest, a nun, a bishop, sayto me, ‘Yes, they listened, but they did-n’t understand’. Understanding meansputting oneself in other people’s shoes.

Your Holiness, when you meet ahomeless person, what is the firstthing you say to him?Pope Francis: I say ‘Hello. How are

you?’. … People who live on the streetsunderstand immediately if there is trueinterest on the part of the other personor when there is, I do not want to saythat sentiment of compassion but cer-tainly of suffering. It is possible to seea homeless person and look at him as a

person, or as if he were a dog. And theyare aware of this different way of look-ing at them. In the Vatican there is awell-known story of a homeless person,of Polish origin, who was generallyfound in Piazza del Risorgimento inRome, and never spoke to anyone, noteven the Caritas volunteers whobrought him a hot meal in the evening.Only after a long time were they ableto make him tell his story. “I am apriest, I know your Pope well, we stud-ied together in the seminary.” The wordreached St. John Paul II, who heard thename, confirmed that he had been withhim in the seminary, and wanted to

meet him. They embraced after 40years, and at the end of an audience thePope asked to go to confession to thatpriest who had been his companion.“Now it is your turn”, said the Pope.And the companion from the seminaryheard the confession of the Pope.Thanks to the gesture of a volunteer, ofa hot meal, a few words of comfort, akind look, this person was able to riseagain and resume a normal life that ledhim to become the chaplain of a hos-pital”.

Many people wonder if it is right togive alms to people who ask for helpon the street; what would you reply?Pope Francis: “There are many argu-

ments to justify oneself when you donot give alms. ‘But what if I givemoney and then he spends it on a glassof wine?’ If a glass of wine is the onlyhappiness he has in life, that is fine.Instead, ask yourself what you do se-cretly. What ‘happiness’ do you seek inprivate? … Help is always right.Certainly, it is not a good thing just tothrow a few coins at the poor. The ges-ture is important, helping those whoask, looking them in the eyes andtouching their hands. Tossing themmoney without looking in their eyes,that is not the gesture of a Christian.True charity is not about offloadingone’s own sense of guilt, but it is touch-ing, looking also at our inner povertythat the Lord understands and saves.Because we all have inner poverty..

The Pope has repeatedly come to thedefence of migrants, inviting their ac-ceptance and charity towards them.However, there are many who wonderwhether we should truly welcomeeveryone indiscriminately, or if it isnot necessary to impose limits.Pope Francis: Those who arrive in

Europe are fleeing from war or hunger.

And we are in a way to blame, becausewe exploit their lands but do not makeany type of investment to enable themto benefit. They have the right to emi-grate and they have the right to be re-ceived and helped. This, however, mustbe done with that Christian virtuewhich is the virtue that should be typi-cal of governments, namely prudence.What does this mean? It means receiv-ing all those who ‘can’ be received.And this is with regard to numbers. Butit is equally important to reflect on‘how’ to receive, because receivingmeans integrating. This is the most dif-

ficult thing, because if migrants do notintegrate, they are ghettoized. … To in-tegrate, then, means to enter into thelife of the country, to respect the law ofthe country, to respect the culture of thecountry but also to ensure that one’sown culture and one’s own culturalriches are respected. Integration is avery difficult task. To receive, wel-come, console, and immediately inte-grate. It is precisely integration that ismissing. Every country must then seewhat number it is able to receive. It isnot possible to receive if there is nochance of integration.

In your family history, there is thecrossing of the ocean by your grand-parents, with your father. How doesone grow up, as the son of migrants?

Did you ever feel a little uprooted?Pope Francis: “I never felt uprooted.

In Argentina we are all migrants.There, interfaith dialogue is normal. Atschool there were Jews who arrivedmostly from Russia, and Syrian andLebanese Muslims, or Turks withOttoman Empire passports. There wasgreat brotherhood”.

What do you miss most about BuenosAires? Friends, visits to the slums,football?Pope Francis: “There is only one

thing I miss a lot: the opportunity to goout on the street. I like visiting parishesand meeting people. I don’t have anyparticular nostalgia”.

You often repeat that the poor canchange the world. But it is difficult forsolidarity to exist where there is alsopoverty and misery, such as in theoutskirts of cities. What do youthink?Pope Francis: “Here too I offer my

experience in Buenos Aires. In theslums there is more solidarity than inthe city centre. In the slums there aremany problems, but often the poor aremore united among themselves, be-cause they are aware that they needeach other. I have found more selfish-ness in other districts … the solidaritywe see in poorer neighbourhoods andin the slums is not found in other areas,even if there life is more complicated.In the slums, for example, drug use ismore visible, but only because in otherdistricts it is more covert, it is donewearing ‘white gloves’”.

POPE FRANCIS INTERVIEW8 • FLOURISHNOVEMBER 2017

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

Reaching out to the poor has beena key theme of the Pontificate ofPope Francis. This month, to markWorld Day for the Eradication ofPoverty, Flourish teams up withScarp de’ Tenis – the Milan-basedmagazine which is an Italianversion of the Big Issue – to carrythe Holy Father’s words in anexclusive interview given to editor,STEFANO LAMPERTICO.

“Understanding means putting yourself in the shoes of the poor”

Stefano Lampertico meets the Pope

In the past, everyone wrote about thePope’s shoes, the shoes of a workerand a walker. Recently you went to ashop to buy a new pair. Why so muchattention? Perhaps because today wefind it so difficult to put ourselves inother people’s shoes?Pope Francis: It is very hard to put

oneself in other people’s shoes, becauseoften we are enslaved by our own self-ishness. At a first level we can say thatpeople prefer to think about their ownproblems without wanting to see thesuffering and difficulties of others.There is another level, though. Puttingoneself in the shoes of others meanshaving a great capacity for understand-ing, to understand the moment and dif-ficult situations. … If we think of theexistences that are often made up ofloneliness, then putting ourselves in theshoes of others means service, humil-ity, magnanimity, which is also the ex-pression of a need. I need someone toput himself in my shoes. … How oftenI come across people who, after havingsought comfort in a Christian, be they alayperson, a priest, a nun, a bishop, sayto me, ‘Yes, they listened, but they did-n’t understand’. Understanding meansputting oneself in other people’s shoes.

Your Holiness, when you meet ahomeless person, what is the firstthing you say to him?Pope Francis: I say ‘Hello. How are

you?’. … People who live on the streetsunderstand immediately if there is trueinterest on the part of the other personor when there is, I do not want to saythat sentiment of compassion but cer-tainly of suffering. It is possible to seea homeless person and look at him as a

person, or as if he were a dog. And theyare aware of this different way of look-ing at them. In the Vatican there is awell-known story of a homeless person,of Polish origin, who was generallyfound in Piazza del Risorgimento inRome, and never spoke to anyone, noteven the Caritas volunteers whobrought him a hot meal in the evening.Only after a long time were they ableto make him tell his story. “I am apriest, I know your Pope well, we stud-ied together in the seminary.” The wordreached St. John Paul II, who heard thename, confirmed that he had been withhim in the seminary, and wanted to

meet him. They embraced after 40years, and at the end of an audience thePope asked to go to confession to thatpriest who had been his companion.“Now it is your turn”, said the Pope.And the companion from the seminaryheard the confession of the Pope.Thanks to the gesture of a volunteer, ofa hot meal, a few words of comfort, akind look, this person was able to riseagain and resume a normal life that ledhim to become the chaplain of a hos-pital”.

Many people wonder if it is right togive alms to people who ask for helpon the street; what would you reply?Pope Francis: “There are many argu-

ments to justify oneself when you donot give alms. ‘But what if I givemoney and then he spends it on a glassof wine?’ If a glass of wine is the onlyhappiness he has in life, that is fine.Instead, ask yourself what you do se-cretly. What ‘happiness’ do you seek inprivate? … Help is always right.Certainly, it is not a good thing just tothrow a few coins at the poor. The ges-ture is important, helping those whoask, looking them in the eyes andtouching their hands. Tossing themmoney without looking in their eyes,that is not the gesture of a Christian.True charity is not about offloadingone’s own sense of guilt, but it is touch-ing, looking also at our inner povertythat the Lord understands and saves.Because we all have inner poverty..

The Pope has repeatedly come to thedefence of migrants, inviting their ac-ceptance and charity towards them.However, there are many who wonderwhether we should truly welcomeeveryone indiscriminately, or if it isnot necessary to impose limits.Pope Francis: Those who arrive in

Europe are fleeing from war or hunger.

And we are in a way to blame, becausewe exploit their lands but do not makeany type of investment to enable themto benefit. They have the right to emi-grate and they have the right to be re-ceived and helped. This, however, mustbe done with that Christian virtuewhich is the virtue that should be typi-cal of governments, namely prudence.What does this mean? It means receiv-ing all those who ‘can’ be received.And this is with regard to numbers. Butit is equally important to reflect on‘how’ to receive, because receivingmeans integrating. This is the most dif-

ficult thing, because if migrants do notintegrate, they are ghettoized. … To in-tegrate, then, means to enter into thelife of the country, to respect the law ofthe country, to respect the culture of thecountry but also to ensure that one’sown culture and one’s own culturalriches are respected. Integration is avery difficult task. To receive, wel-come, console, and immediately inte-grate. It is precisely integration that ismissing. Every country must then seewhat number it is able to receive. It isnot possible to receive if there is nochance of integration.

In your family history, there is thecrossing of the ocean by your grand-parents, with your father. How doesone grow up, as the son of migrants?

Did you ever feel a little uprooted?Pope Francis: “I never felt uprooted.

In Argentina we are all migrants.There, interfaith dialogue is normal. Atschool there were Jews who arrivedmostly from Russia, and Syrian andLebanese Muslims, or Turks withOttoman Empire passports. There wasgreat brotherhood”.

What do you miss most about BuenosAires? Friends, visits to the slums,football?Pope Francis: “There is only one

thing I miss a lot: the opportunity to goout on the street. I like visiting parishesand meeting people. I don’t have anyparticular nostalgia”.

You often repeat that the poor canchange the world. But it is difficult forsolidarity to exist where there is alsopoverty and misery, such as in theoutskirts of cities. What do youthink?Pope Francis: “Here too I offer my

experience in Buenos Aires. In theslums there is more solidarity than inthe city centre. In the slums there aremany problems, but often the poor aremore united among themselves, be-cause they are aware that they needeach other. I have found more selfish-ness in other districts … the solidaritywe see in poorer neighbourhoods andin the slums is not found in other areas,even if there life is more complicated.In the slums, for example, drug use ismore visible, but only because in otherdistricts it is more covert, it is donewearing ‘white gloves’”.

POPE FRANCIS INTERVIEW 9FLOURISH • NOVEMBER 2017

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

“Understanding means putting yourself in the shoes of the poor”

Photos: Scarp de’ Tenis and Imago Mundi

OBITUARY10 • FLOURISHNOVEMBER 2017

to a life of silence and solitude within acommunity of fellow seekers?

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With them you can praise God throughthe psalms and liturgy at set times duringthe day. You will have time to study theways of God and to meet God in yourlectio divina. And, you will find work

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If you have good reason to believeGod may be calling you to be a monk,

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Mgr Matt Coakley was ParishPriest at St James’, Crookston,for 22 years from 1983–2005,and it was his last parish as-signment before retirement.

And he wanted his funeral Mass tobe there. So it is fitting that St James’should be the church where we offerMass for Mgr Matthew Coakley andcommend his soul to God. Jesus tells us in the Gospel: “If a man

serves me, he must follow me; wher-ever I am, my servant will be theretoo.” Matt Coakley served Jesus Christas a priest. We pray that he will nowfollows the Lord through death into thelife of the resurrection, so that the ser-vant will be where Jesus is, which is thesublime hope we each of us carry in oursouls.I want to offer my prayerful condo-

lences to Mgr Matt’s family:Philomena Kilgannon, KathleenO’Reilly, Margaret Mannion, MargaretAyre, Kathleen Smith, Father AndyDoyle, and Mary Cahill; and to all rel-atives and friends and to all who mournhim. May God bless you all for the loveand care you showed to Mgr Matt dur-ing his life. Matt was born in 1925 inMullingar, Co Westmeath, in Ireland,and that’s where his family will lay himto rest in the coming days. Matt Coakley came from Ireland to

be our priest here in Glasgow, and weare grateful to God for that. He was or-dained on 3rd June 1951 at St Patrick’sCollege, Carlow, by Bishop ThomasKeogh, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin.I’m sure it was a proud day for him andfor his family. He came to the “Scottishmission”, as I’ve heard it called. Hegave us 54 years of parish service anda full priestly life amounting to a mas-sive 66 years, and he died at the age of92. God be praised for all those yearsof life and of priestly service duringwhich he received so many blessingsfrom God and was, I am certain, the oc-casion and the instrument of more than

a few himself.I visited him a couple of times in the

last month or so in the residence wherehe lived, Nazareth House. I was gladthat I saw him. On the first of thosetimes, I was struck by how frail he was,but he was alert and talkative. The sec-ond time he was clearly dying. I saidthe rosary with the others who werethere and then I got a wee while withhim on my own. He didn’t appear to beconscious but they told me he couldhear. So I said some more prayers andthen I thanked him for all his years ofpriestly service to this diocese. I saidgoodbye and a few other things. I askedhim to pray for me when he entered thelife of the resurrection. I consider thatto have been a precious moment and Iwas grateful for it.We are grateful to God for Mgr Matt

Coakley’s priestly service here inGlasgow. From 1951-1978, Mattserved as Assistant Priest in SacredHeart, Bridgeton; St Roch’s, Garngad;and in St Margaret Mary’s, Castlemilk,parishes at that time with big numbersof Catholics. And then in 1978 he wentback to Sacred Heart in Bridgeton, thistime as Parish Priest. Following illnessand convalescence, with brief appoint-

ments as Assistant Priest in St Ninian’s,Knightswood and in St Pius X inDrumchapel. In 1983, he was ap-pointed Parish Priest of St James’,Pollok. He was there as Parish Priestfor 22 years until 2005. He was 80years of age when he stepped down,five years beyond the mandatory age of75. During his time at St James’, at therequest of Archbishop ThomasWinning, Pope John Paul II named himPrelate of Honour with the title ofMonsignor, and he was made a Canonof the Cathedral Chapter. What wasmost important of all, he was a faithfulpriest and much-loved parish priest.These honours can be interpreted as asign of that.I should say that after he retired as

Parish Priest of St James’, he residedhappily for the next 11 years in nearbySt Robert’s, Househillwood. And Imust thank Fr Neil McGarrity, whowas Parish Priest for nearly all of thattime, and the parish community, forwelcoming him among them and giv-ing him a home and the opportunity toexercise his priesthood for as long as hewas able to. And eventually, when hecould no longer stay in the parish, hetook up residence in Nazareth Housewhere lived happily and died peace-fully. And I thank the Sisters and theCare Staff for their unfailing care of ourpriest, Matthew Coakley.I just want to finish by referring

again to the message of hope which iscommunicated in the Mass readings.They point to Jesus Christ who diedand rose again. He is our hope of res-urrection and eternal life. He is theLord whose disciple and priest MattCoakley was all his life. We commendMatt to the goodness and mercy of OurLord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We askthe Blessed Virgin Mary to intercedefor him with her maternal love. May herest in peace. Amen.

The above homily was preached byArchbishop Tartaglia at MgrCoakley’s funeral.

Mgr Matt Coakley: a smiling good shepherd

Setting the record straight: newevents for Catholic young peopleHERE in the youth officewe’ve been busy prepar-ing and planning someinitiatives for this aca-demic year and arepleased to be continuingwith our ‘Summit’ eventsbut also delighted to beannouncing a new initia-tive which we havecalled ‘Find’.

We are launching ‘Find’ onthe 8th of November. The pro-gramme will be a weeklyevent for 16–25 year oldswhere we will be delvingdeeper into the teachings ofthe Catholic faith. The pro-gramme is designed to formpeople in their Catholic faith,

very hard in today’s society.So whether you’re just newlyinto your faith or you’restudying for a doctoral thesisin theology, if you’re between16–25 and want to learn moreabout your faith then pleasecome along.Our other event which we

will be continuing to run is theSummit – which is ourmonthly youth mass with theArch bishop. This year’stheme for The Summit is thelife of Christ. We are all look-ing forward to journeyingagain with the young peopleof the Archdiocese over thecourse of these events wherewe will look more closely atthe life of our Lord and bedrawn closer to Him and toHis Church.

and to help them understandand discuss Church teachingsand apply them to their con-temporary setting. Many peo-ple nowadays misunderstandthe Church’s teaching on par-ticular issues, and indeed in aworld where fake news is aneveryday occurrence, theChurch’s view is often mis-represented and so ‘Find’ aimsto set the record straight andallow young Catholics to dis-cover or to rediscover thebeauty of the Catholic faith.This event will also be an

excellent opportunity foryoung people to form friend-ships with other likemindedCatholics, something that is

5 November

St Constantine’s, Govan

St Thomas’, Riddrie

12 November

St Bernard’s, Nitshill

St Michael’s, Dumbarton

26 November

Christ the King, King’s Park

3 December

St Andrew’s Cathedral

Fortyhoursadoration

By Sean DeighanYouth Officer

GLASGOW’S Opus Deiconference centre is to playhost to a new season ofseminars. Hazelwood House, near

Bellahouston Park will be thevenue for three events aimedat those interested ineducational issues. Allsessions run from 7.30 –9.30.Monday November 13:Raising Attainment: ACatholic PerspectiveJohn Docherty, Head

Teacher, St Ninian’sSecondary, EastRenfrewshire; BarbaraCoupar, Director, ScottishCatholic Education Service

Monday January 29:Exploring Leadership inCatholic SchoolsMargery McMahon, School

of Education, University ofGlasgowAnton Colella, Chair,

Scottish Catholic EducationServiceMonday March 26: CatholicEducation: The LegalFrameworkAnthony Horan, Director,

Catholic Parliamentary Office. If you wish to attend,

please send an email toLeonard Franchi: leonardfranchi@blueyonder.co.ukThere will be a charge of

£4 per head for refreshments.

New seminar season

NEWS 11FLOURISH • NOVEMBER 2017

A FEW weeks ago, when wewere preparing for afundraising Quiz Night in St.Mungo’s to help towards thepayment of a few big bills, agenerous donor gave us thepledge of two tickets for theCeltic v Paris St. Germaingame at Celtic Park to beused as a raffle prize.

At the time (and notknowing what the final resultwould hold in store!) wethought this very generousoffer was too good to just putinto the raffle along with theboxes of chocolates, thecosmetics, and the bottles ofwine and whisky, of whichthere were many.

Indeed, during the raffle, Iwas lucky enough to win botha bottle of red wine and abottle of whisky for which I,and the community, were dulygrateful.

Our newest member of thePassionist Community,Brother Antony, had threewins in a row and, so far as Iremember, gave all his prizesaway. Each time one ofBrother Antony’s tickets wasdrawn out, Father Gareth letout a cry that it was all a fix,as he ended up winningnothing at all, despite the factthat there were loads ofprizes to go around; althoughI have a funny feeling thatFather Gareth never bought aticket in the first place, sowhat could he expect?

With the donor’spermission, we decided to trysomething else with the Celtic

tickets and so, once we hadthe tickets in hand on theSaturday before the game, Icalled my brother Hugh, thenotorious football pundit onRadio Clyde. When I phonedhe was out at an Indianrestaurant near his housewith his wife, the long-suffering Janet – he enjoys aChicken Tikka Masala doesour Hugh. He promised to callme back when he got home,which he duly did.

I told him about the ticketsand he said he would put iton Twitter and see if he got aresponse.

Within minutes Hugh hadreceived a generous offerfrom Johnny Burns son of thelate, great, Tommy Burnswhich I was happy to accept.Johnny now lives in Florida

and works as technicaldirector coach for Celtic SC’sgirls team and he was waitingfor Hurricane Irma to arrive,but he wanted the tickets forother family members athome, and he also wanted tohelp out St. Mungo’s.

One of the reasons Iaccepted so quickly was thatTommy was a frequent visitorto St. Mungo’s and, in fact,people remember that onetime he was so wrapped up inhis prayers that he ended uplocked inside the church.When Tommy’s daughterarrived on the Sunday tocollect the tickets she wasdelighted to hear that story.

Hugh and Tommy weregood friends and, back in1989, they had co-authoredTommy’s autobiography:Twists and Turns – theTommy Burns Story as told toHugh Keevins. So, it seemedto me, there was a sense ofprovidence that these ticketsshould go to Tommy Burns’

family. But also, in a gestureof good will, some others whohad bid for ticketscommunicated to Hugh that intimes past they hadconnections with Townheadand with St. Mungo’s and,even though they hadn’t beensuccessful in their bids,wanted to know how theycould help out St. Mungo’sanyway – so we will seewhere that goes, and thanksfor the kind thoughts.

It just goes to show what aspecial place St. Mungo’s isand the place it holds inpeople’s hearts, and of courseTommy was a special persontoo, may he rest in peace.

In our church situationmoney is about stewardship,so here is a stewardshipthought to ponder:

Stewardship is rooted inthe understanding that welive in a God-centred creation.It begins with the realizationthat everything we are andeverything we own is a gift,freely given by a God wholoves us, and who calls usinto relationship with Him. Wehave nothing – not even lifeitself – which is not a giftfrom God. The Lord has giveneach one of us gifts, graces,talents, abilities andresources – all of which areto be shared responsibly andwisely with others. Faithfulstewardship is a way of lifethat demands involvementand care. It can be equatedwith holiness – and God callsus all to holiness. Amen.

Tommy’s sense of providence

ARCHBISHOP Tartagliagreets three Indian crew-men, part of a 12-stronggroup left stranded andpenniless in Scotland for18 months after theiremployers went bust.The meeting took placeat a recent Stella MarisMass, in St Andrew’sCathedral.

The crew of the MalaviyaSeven had expected to receivesubstantial backdated wagesfrom the sale of the vesselwhich has been tied up inAberdeen Harbour whilelawyers argued over its future.A sheriff ruled that the ship

could be sold at auction whichwas due to take place onOctber 17 which should have

allowed the men to be paidtheir wages but the sale hasnow been postponed to a dateyet to be fixed.Prayers were said for them

during a well-attended StellaMaris Mass celebrated onSeptember 21, The Feast of StMatthew.The principal celebrant was

Archbishop Philip Tartagliaalong with Father Tim Curtis,shortly to leave his post asparish priest at St Aloysius,Glasgow's only Jesuit church,for a new role in England.They were joined by DeaconJoe O'Donnell, Apostleship ofthe Sea chaplain.Pupils from Holyrood

Secondary School, Glasgow,members of the Knights of StColumba, and chaplains froma number of Scottish portsalso attended.

All aboard for theStella Maris Mass

blogFr Frank Keevins CP is parish priest of StMungo’s, Townhead

album, “The Priests”, inNorthern Ireland and Rome,with the unusual honour ofhaving been allowed to recordin St. Peter’s Basilica, TheVatican.They will be singing live at

Glasgow Royal Concert Hallon Monday, 13 November2017.

�� Tickets from £30available at Box Office onTel: 0141 353 8000. Showstarts at 7.30pm.

IRISH clerical singingsensations The Priestsare bringing their uniquemusical and spiritual of-fering to Glasgow.

The priests – they are allreal priests – are a classicalmusical group, made up ofthree priests all from NorthernIreland. Fr. Eugene and his brother

Fr. Martin O'Hagan are origi-nally from the village ofClaudy, County London derrywith the family now residingin Derry whilst Fr. DavidDelargy is from Ballymena,County Antrim.The trio have been singing

together since they boarded inthe 1970s as students at StMacNissi’s College, GarronTower, County Antrim. Aftersigning a deal with SonyBMGin April 2008 the priests, allfrom the Diocese of Down &Connor, recorded their debut

The Priests will hit thehigh notes in Glasgow

THE work of a pioneering Catholicoutreach project among Glasgow’smarginalised Roma community in theheart of the city’s Govanhill area hasbeen recognised with a prestigiousaward from the UK’s leading Christianradio station.

The Space, on Belleisle Street, was theonly organisation from Scotland tofeature in Premier Christian Radio’sannual Love Britain and Ireland Awardswhich recognise outstanding groups,projects and services that put Christianfaith and love into action in localcommunities.

The award, presented by broadcasterand comedian Tim Vine in a ceremony atthe Institute of Directors in London,includes a cheque for £500 and £5,000worth of publicity from the radio stationwhich attracts over a million listenersevery week.

Project manager Margo Uprichard whoin an earlier interview described TheSpace as “the most hopeful place on theplanet and the Kingdom of God on earth”said: “We are absolutely thrilled that theproject has been honoured as bestproject for Inclusion.

“As leader I am so pleased to see thework of the staff and volunteer teamacknowledged publicly, since their

commitment, dedication and good willare outstanding. We are very blessed atThe Space and the Lord’s favour isunceasing.

“It is all the more fitting andcelebratory to have won at a time whenwe are commemorating 400 years of theVincentian Charism in welcoming thestranger.

“The ministry of Premier Christian

Radio in enabling people to develop theirChristian faith and hear about the workthe Holy Spirit is inspiring is a blessingon all of us.”

An initiative of the Daughters ofCharity, The Space opened its doors in2013 and was one of five other projectsin the awards inclusion categorydesigned to honour outstanding projectswhich support and serve people withadditional needs.

The Space, which has a staff of six andaround 20 volunteers operates as a dropin and support centre which has at itscore the mission to enable families to liveflourishing lives.

The facility is part funded by the StVincent De Paul Society whose ethos of“welcome the stranger” mirrors theministry provided by The Space whowork an area with a population of 16,000where 50 different languages are spoken.

Margo said: “When I was growing upin the East End of Glasgow there weremany similar problems as there are todayin Govanhill – poverty, unemployment,poor living conditions, and so on.

“The East End I know has changed andGovanhill will change but it will takemany generations to do so and ourministry will be here as long as it takesto achieve that.”

Premier award for Govanhill Space

Make a will this November – and help raise funds for charityFEATURE12 • FLOURISHNOVEMBER 2017

The Mungo Foundation helps some of the most vulnerable people in our society, their families and communities.

We support people who are homeless, isolated in their own home, or unable to cope with poverty, disability, illness or addiction.

A gift in your will can help us to continue to support those that need help most in Glasgow, West of Scotland and beyond. You can also donate by visiting justgiving.com/mungofoundation

Please consider leaving a gift in your will

facebook.com/TheMungoFoundationtwitter.com/mungofoundationwww.themungofoundation.org.uk

The Mungo Foundation | 196 Clyde Street | Glasgow G1 4JY | Incorporated in Scotland as a non-profit-making company limited by guarantee No SC256488. Under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Glasgow | Scottish Charity No SC035078

Established 1986. Free Initial Interview.

We offer a wide range of legal services including housepurchase and sales, Guardianship Applications, Wills, Powersof Attorney and Criminal Court work. We are also membersof the GSPC and provide Legal Aid. We would welcome theopportunity to assist you in any matters which you feel yourequire require legal advice.20 Croftfoot Road, Croftfoot, Glasgow, G44 5JTTelephone: 0141 634 0437Email: mcdaidfarrell@btconnect.com

McDaid FarrellSolicitors, Estate Agents and Criminal Lawyers

Help us make Will Aida Winner this NovemberDuring November, Paterson Holms will write basicWills, without charging our normal fee. To raise asmuch money as possible for Will Aid, we hope thatclients will make a donation to the Will Aid charities.The suggested donation level is £95 for a single Will,£135 for a pair of Wills or £40 for a codicil to anexisting Will.Make or update your Will with Will Aid and you will gainpeace of mind from knowing that you have protectedyour own family and loved ones for the future as wellas giving money to help thousands of people in need togain the skills, tools and support they need to improvetheir lives.It is extremely important to seek qualified andprofessional expertise when making a Will. So, don'tput it off any longer. Phone us and make anappointment today.

Paterson Holms4 Roman RoadBearsdenGlasgowG61 2SW

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MAKING a will is one ofthe most importantthings we can do – afterall it determines how ourmost personal posses-sions and hard-earnedsavings will be sharedamong close family andfriends.And by making a will this

November, you could alsohelp charities supporting peo-ple in the UK and around theworld.Solicitors participating in

the annual Will Aid schemecan draw up a basic will forclients and instead of a feebeing paid to the solicitor,clients make a donation tosupport the work of nine WillAid charities includingSCIAF.Graeme Pagan, an Oban so-

licitor, now retired, who,when he was Vice Dean of theOban Faculty of Solicitors,was moved by Bob Geldof’spowerful Band Aid and LiveAid, bringing food and sus-tainable development to starv-ing millions in Ethiopia.In 1988, the Oban Faculty

of Solicitors was celebratingits centenary. To mark thisevent, Graeme Pagan came up

things. One of the key consid-erations is what to do withproperty. For instance, some-one who jointly owns a housemay want his or her share togo to the other co-owner afterhis or her death - this does notalways automatically happenand, without a will, the joint-owner may not inherit the re-mainder of the property.Wills can also be used to

make funeral arrangements,although it is important thatclose friends or relatives alsoknow what these are so thatthe details are not found outtoo late.You might also want to let

your loved ones know whatshould happen to your socialmedia accounts such asFacebook and Twitter, per-

haps naming someone in yourwill who should be in chargeof your ‘digital assets’ afteryour death.A will also details who has

been appointed as executors –the family, friends or perhapsa solicitor responsible forlooking after the distributionof the assets of the person whohas died.

PitfallsWills are often straightfor-

ward but some involve com-plicated arrangements andfinancial affairs, such as in-heritance tax. Even if yourwill is simple and you want towrite it yourself, it is still ad-visable to consult a solicitor toavoid pitfalls and ensure allthe legal formalities have been

with the idea of Will Aid.The Oban solicitors took

their starting point from theseries of Wills Weeks organ-ised by the Law Society ofScotland and aimed at gettingpeople to realise how impor-tant it is to make a will in goodtime – and to keep it up to datewith your intentions shouldyour circumstances and think-ing change.He persuaded solicitors in

Scotland to agree, in October1988, to draw up wills forclients and charge no fee, pro-viding that the client donatedto a group of named charitiesspecialising in famine reliefand development projects inthe world’s poorer countries.Making a Will is often a

simpler process than might beexpected and your solicitorcan explain what’s involved.It’s particularly important forpeople who have children –for instance, it can express apreference for a namedguardian to take care of underage children – while also pre-venting some of the difficul-ties and delays that sometimesoccur for those left behindwhere there is no will.A will can cover many

By Brian Swanson

The Notre Dame Centre is a registered charity which operates as a Company Limited by Guarantee with a Board of Directors.

Originally founded in 1931 in response to the demands of parents, educators and other professionals to address the complex needs of children and young people (pre-school to adolescent) experiencing emotional and psychological distress. We are based in the North of Glasgow and provide services to education, social work and NHS boards across Scotland.

Can I ask that you please consider The Notre Dame Centre when you are making a will or leaving a legacy

In Christ’s name the PCT-St Nicholas Care Fund meets social needs in and around Glasgow. Please remember this grass-roots charity when you are

making your will or leaving a legacy.

pct@rcag.org.uk · 0141 226 5898Scottish Registered Charity Number: SC029832

Make a will this November – and help raise funds for charityFEATURE 13FLOURISH • NOVEMBER 2017

Help protect children’s futures

Today, more than 50 children will be diagnosed with leprosy. Many will

already have life-changing disabilities due to delayed diagnosis. Unable to hold a pen or walk properly, often these children have to drop out of school.

Many more children are unaware they have the disease. Without treatment they face a life of increasing disability, poverty and prejudice.

We work with communities in Bangladesh, India and Mozambique to

find children living with leprosy and give the support, treatment and surgery to help them walk, write and return to school.

By leaving Lepra a gift in your Will, or by making a donation, you

will support children and adults a�ected by leprosy for generations to come, and fund our work to create a leprosy-free world.

Make beating leprosy your legacyTo receive a copy of our Legacy information booklet, or speak directly to our legacy team please call 01206 716700 or email donorsupport@lepra.org.uk

Find out more: www.lepra.org.uk Registered charity number 213251 (England and Wales), SC039715 (Scotland)

Will you leave

more than a memory

When you are goneyour memory can live on

Please rememberSt. Andrew’s Hospicewhen making your Will

Because You Care . . .

. . . We Can CareSt. Andrew’s Hospice cares for your family, your friends, your community

01236 766951www.standrewshospicefundraising.com

A Will is arguably one of the most importantdocuments you will ever sign. This November,Holmes Mackillop will write basic wills withoutcharging our normal fee, and instead ask you tomake a donation to the Will Aid charities.

Help us makeWill Aid a Winner!

109 Douglas StreetBlythswood Square, Glasgow G2 4HB

Phone 0141 226 4942Fax 0844 824 1930

www.holmesmackillop.co.uk

followed correctly, otherwiseit may be invalid. DIY and in-ternet wills are available butthey do not provide advice onyour particular circumstances. Solicitors can prepare sim-

ple wills at a very reasonablecost, although costs will in-crease if someone’s financialaffairs are more complex. It is

important to keep your willsafe – if your solicitor hasdrawn up the will, they willusually keep the original andsend you a copy. Many solicitors take part in

Will Aid each year or a similarinitiative, Will Relief(www.willreliefscotland.co.uk)which runs in September. To

find a solicitor near you whois taking part in Will Aid thisNovember, check www.willaid.org.uk.

� More information on mak-ing a will is available on theLaw Society of Scotland web-site: www.lawscot.org.uk/making-a-will.

Archer CoyleSolicitors & Estate Agents

Do aWill Aidwill and you’llfeel greatyou will you will you will

you will you will

And why not let us help you with that....

give us a call duringWill Aid month at

0141 637 2434 orelizabethcoyle@archercoyle.co.uk

Oh, and we’re at513 Clarkston Road,Muirend G44 3PN(opposite Sainsbury’s).

News and views for

0141 226 5898flourish@rcag.org.uk

SCRIPTURE14 • FLOURISHNOVEMBER 2017

VERY often the Sundaysof November range fromthe end of one liturgicalyear to the beginning ofanother. Not so this year.

We neatly conclude theSundays of Year A on thefinal Sunday of Novemberwith the Solemnity of Christthe King. This is particularlyuseful given that (apart fromthe first Sunday) there is con-tinuity in the passages, whichfocus on the end days. Each ofthese is challenging, but alsohighly reassuring. They cul-minate in the parable of theLast Judgement. Earlier in thegospel Jesus had said “Blessedare the poor in Spirit; theirs isthe kingdom of heaven” In theparable of the Last Judgement,Jesus has the King saying“Come, you whom my Fatherhas blessed, take for your her-itage the kingdom preparedfor you since the foundation ofthe world”. Perhaps we shouldexpect no less from Matthew,whose Gospel is a masterpieceof orderly arrangement.

Sunday 31A.Matthew 23:1–12

This week brings to an end theextensive attack Jesuslaunches on the JerusalemTemple leadership. It’s prettyhard-hitting stuff. What is no-ticeable is that Jesus does nottell his audience to disregardthe teaching of the scribes andPharisees; rather, he tells themto disregard their behaviour:they are hypocrites, peoplewho present a false image bynot practising what theypreach. Scribes and Phariseesare condemned for creatinghuge burdens for people tocarry (legal obligations?) anddoing nothing to help them.Instead, they’re busy drawingattention to themselves by theway they dress, their places inthe synagogues and demandthat people call them ‘rabbi’.The issue throughout thisgospel has been that Jesusalone is the teacher of theLaw, and God alone is theirFather (the Pharisees appliedthis title to themselves). The point is not just about ti-tles; it is about disciples whoseek adulation. Jesus’s disci-ples must not make these mis-takes.

about bridesmaids, but not aswe know them! These wereattendants of the bridegroom;their job was to hold lamps toilluminate the groom’s arrivalat the feast, which could oftentake place at night. Tenbridesmaids are on duty. Fivetake steps to save their oil,ready for the bridegroom’slate arrival; the other fivedon’t, and they complain

when their fellow bridesmaidswon’t hand out their own care-fully saved oil. This is not astory about sharing; it is aboutbeing prepared for the taskthat has been given to us. Ourlives as disciples are supposedto be lights illuminating thepresence of Jesus. As disci-ples, that’s all we are asked todo. Those given entry to thekingdom of God are those

CanonRobert Hill

who have been doing whatwas asked of them! It’s notthat difficult.

Sunday 33A.Matthew 25:14–30

This week we read the parableof the talents. Three peopleare given huge gifts by themaster who will be away for awhile. They amount to about

100, 40 and 10 years’ wages!The master will see what theyhave done with them when hecomes back. The men withfive and two talents investwhat they are given and dou-ble the master’s investment.The man with the one talentpanics and buries his talent inthe ground for safety; in theancient world, this was reck-oned to be the sensible thingto do with your money – peo-ple were warned never to keepit in the house. So this manwas being sensible, but he suf-fers for that when the masterreturns, calling him lazy andwicked and taking the talentfrom him and giving it to theman with five talents! Is thisunfair? Well, the master hadtold them to do somethingwith the gift he had giventhem. The first are told, “Welldone, good and faithful ser-vant…come and share in yourmaster’s happiness”. Clearlythe kingdom of heaven is not aplace where we are asked toplay safe: it is where we areasked to use what God hasgiven us for his kingdom’sgrowth. Playing safe it not anoption!

Solemnity of Christ the King. Matthew 25:31–46

The final parable of theChurch year is the LastJudgement parable. The beat-itudes were Jesus’ first teach-ing in the Gospel: “Blessedare the poor in Spirit; theirs isthe kingdom of heaven”; nowJesus says, “Come, you whommy Father has blessed, takefor your heritage the kingdomprepared for you since thefoundation of the world.”Both phrases raise questions.How do we become poor inspirit? Perhaps it is by beingmerciful, peacemakers, hun-gering and thirsting for all thatis right? Second, how do wereach the banquet prepared forus? Jesus tells us that this hap-pened when we fed him, gavehim drink, clothed him etc bydoing this to the to the least ofour brothers’ and sisters. Thisis very accessible. It’s not veryoften we meet someone whohas never done an act of kind-ness to another. At the end ofthis liturgical year, in this finalparable before Jesus dies thatwe might live, we are told thatwe do not need to go to ex-traordinary lengths to enter thekingdom: it is God’s free giftto us, but if we are seriousabout taking up Jesus’ gift,then it happens through our re-sponse in feeding, clothing,visiting, and tending to what-ever our brothers and sistersneed.

The Last Judgement: our care for thepoor will win for us the gift of heaven

�5

NOV

�19NOV

�26NOV

Sunday 32A.Matthew 25:1-13

This is the first of three para-bles on the ‘last things’, thelast judgement. That sounds abit threatening, but the thrustof these parables is really theopposite; that disciples can beconfident about the return ofthe Son of Man at the end ofall things. This first parable is

�12NOV

15FLOURISH • NOVEMBER 2017 NEWS

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� 24 hour caring & professional service

� Funeral planning, advice and information

� Service room available with private restrooms

Clydebank Co-operative— Funeral Directors —

ESTABLISHED 1881

Funeral plansMonumental masonry24 hour careExtended payment facilities

11 Hume StreetClydebank G81 1XL

0141 952 1573Unit 6, Maryhill Shopping CentreMaryhill RoadGlasgow G20 9SH

0141 435 7727

110 Baldwin AvenueKnightswood G13 2QU

0141 959 8854

996 GOVAN ROADGLASGOWG51 3DU

24 Hour Personal AttentionPrivate Chapel of Rest

Prepaid Funeral Planning

Tel: 0141 445 1124

www.jamescockburn.co.ukenquiries@jamescockburn.co.uk

www.tmcgowan.co.uk

family firm established 1947St. Kentigern’s Cemetery

109 Tresta Road, Glasgow g23 5aaTelephone: 0141 946 2429

Linn Cemetery602 Lainshaw Drive, Glasgow g45 9sp

Telephone: 0141 634 8515

Dalbeth Cemetery1920 London Road, Glasgow g32

Telephone: 0141 778 4916

Philipshill CemeteryWesterfield Road, East Kilbride g76

Telephone: 0141 644 4535

New Memorials · Additional Lettering · CleaningAll work completed in any cemetery. Brochure available on request

T. McGowan & SonsMonumental Sculptors

TWO leading ScottishCatholic charities havejoined forces to producethe first world- wide di-rectory aimed at linkingfaith organisations witha new generation of vol-unteers.The ambitious collaboration

between Justice and PeaceScotland and SCIAF is in re-sponse to the Pope’s recentannouncement that November19 is to be World Day of thePoor.Honor Hania Chair of

Justice and Peace Scotlandsaid:”. Pope Francis specifi-cally asked that on this day we“love not with word, but withdeeds” so taking that as ourstarting point we felt it wouldbe very useful to work withour friends at SCIAF to pro-vide a list of organisationswhich would welcome volun-teers, so that people are aware

of the opportunities to putfaith into action.“A form has been compiled

to allow people to list organi-sations of which they areaware. It asks for details of theorganisation, whether theywelcome volunteers and thegeographical location. The organisations will then

be listed by name, the type ofwork they do, location, inScotland or abroad along withfull contact details.“We are still discussing

with SCIAF the final form ofthe directory, but at this stagewe really need to get people toregister so that we can start in-putting the details and have itready for the Day of the Poor.“This is the first time we

have attempted this, so weneed to see how it works out.It may be that we can continueit and issue an updated direc-tory next year. However, itwill depend on the responseswe get but we are confident

News and views for0141 226 5898 flourish@rcag.org.uk

Papal honour forKnight Charlie ONE of Glasgow’s best-knownCatholics has been named aPapal Knight.

Charlie McLuskey – whoselocal leadership of the Knightsof St Columba has been widelypraised – was honoured byPope Francis with aKnighthood of St Gregory.

Charlie was stunned by theannouncement which came asa surprise when it was madeby Archbishop Philip at adinner.

He said: “It was bothhumbling and a great honourbeing presented with theKnight hood by my ownArchbishop Tartaglia ofGlasgow.

“I would not have beengiven this without the Knightsof St Columba. I am very proudto be a member of this greatOrder of Catholic men who doso much great work in ourworld.

“Thank you and pleaseremember both my wifeSandra and me in yourprayers.”

Meanwhile at the sameevent another much lovedGlasgow Catholic Sr RoseannReddy, was presented withthe highest honour anyoneoutside the Knights of StColumba can receive – theColumba Cross.

Outgoing Supreme Knight,Charlie McCluskey, presentedSr Roseann with the ColumbaCross for her exceptional workwithin the Cardinal WinningPro-Life Initiative over the past20 years and her solid supportof the Knights of St Columba.

that people in Scotland willreact positively.”

��For more informationvisit the Justice and Peacewebsite:https://www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk/Home/tabid/40/ctl/details/itemid/2315/mid/531/volunteer-directory.aspxThe link to the form is at:

https://www.sciaf.org.uk/vol-unteer-directory/

New volunteer list planned

� Editorial: Flourish Publications (Scotland) Ltd, 196 Clyde Street, Glasgow G1 4JY; telephone 0141 226 5898, email flourish@rcag.org.uk. Charity no SC015900� Advertising and origination: MSC Publishing & Design; telephone 0141 956 2051, email gary@flourishnewspaper.co.uk � www.flourishnewspaper.co.uk

SCIAF16 • FLOURISHNOVEMBER 2017

INTERESTED IN MENTORING A YOUNG PERSON

OR HELPING A CHILD LEARN

TO READ?

IMN recruits volunteer mentors to support children and young people in order to challenge the educational inequality that persists in many local communities.Our new ‘Help a child learn to read’ project currently needs reading mentors to provide weekly support for primary school children.We are also recruiting volunteer adult mentors to support, challenge, and inspire young people as they envisage and plan their futures and their progression into higher education.To find out more about new and existing projects and make an application to join a project in your local area visit our website:www.intergenerationalmentoring.com

Contact Katie Hunter / Sharon Bowersmig.project@strath.ac.uk0141 444 8111 /8115

POPE Francis’ recent visit to Colombia broughta real message of hope and solidarity to thecountry - left devastated by years of violentcivil war.

The conflict involving guerrilla groups,private armed groups, drug cartels andgovernment forces has left thousands of peopledead, millions forced to flee their land andmany missing loved ones who have just‘disappeared’.

During the first visit by a Pope in more than30 years, the Holy Father prayed for truth andreconciliation with war victims in Colombia, asthe country attempts to heal the wounds ofalmost six decades of internal armed conflict.

What was particularly poignant was thatPope Francis gave a voice to the voiceless – tothe survivors of the conflict – on aninternational stage and for the first time theywere able to tell the world about their suffering.

During his visit to Villavicencio, an area oncebesieged by conflict, the Pope heard four heart-wrenching stories of courage in the face of lossand of guilt-ridden fighters who were nowworking to amend their wrongs.

He prayed with victims and urged them toovercome their grief by forgiving theirassailants, and he called on the ex-fighters tohave the courage to seek that forgiveness,saying peace will fail unless both sidesreconcile.

Looming large over the ceremony was apoignant symbol of the conflict: a partiallydestroyed statue of Christ rescued from achurch that was wrecked in a 2002 rebel

mortar attack in the impoverished town ofBojaya.

“As we look at it, we remember not onlywhat happened on that day but also theimmense suffering, the many deaths andbroken lives and all the blood spilled inColombia these past decades,” Pope Francissaid at the foot of the statue.

He told the crowd he wanted to come toVillavicencio to pray with them and weep withthem, and help them to forgive. He embracedvictims and perpetrators alike. He called fortruth and justice, saying families deserve toknow the fates of missing relatives andchildren recruited to fight. But he also calledfor mercy, saying truth should never lead torevenge.

Working with local partners we’re helpingmany of the victims of conflict in Chocó, anarea on the Pacific coast of Colombia, which isvery isolated and incredibly poor, where themajority are Afro-Colombian and indigenouspeople.

Thanks to generous donations from oursupporters in Scotland and funding from theEuropean Union (EU), we have been able tosupport the Catholic Church in Colombia to playa key role in getting the voice of the victimsheard during the peace negotiations betweenthe government and the most prominent rebelgroup, FARC.

We’re also helping communities who wereforced to flee their homes to stand up for theirrights and reclaim legal access to their land, aswell as giving seeds, tools, livestock andtraining to traditional communities so they cangrow more food and support themselves.

Throughout the conflict, these communitieshave suffered at the hands of FARC, the largestrebel group, which has now signed a peaceagreement with the government. They havedisarmed and its members are in the process ofintegrating back into society. Communitieshave also felt the force of other rebel groupssuch as the ELN, who are in peace negotiationsjust now although nothing has yet been agreedwith the government. Other smaller armedgroups are still active and continue to be a

threatening presence tocommunities.

Two days before thePope’s visit, the ELNannounced they hadreached a temporaryceasefire agreement. Thefact that the ELN and thegovernment has agreed toa ceasefire prior to hisvisit was a very good stepforward. A furtherunexpected developmentlinked to Pope Francis’visit was the paramilitarygroup, AGC, sending apersonal message to thePope saying they were

prepared to give up their arms and illegalactivities and go through the justice system.Only time will tell how genuine that is.

Unfortunately, despite FARC leaving theterritories and disarming, the State hasn’t comein and filled the void. In fact, in Chocó there hasbeen an increase in violence as the ELN andAGC fight for territorial dominance. Thebenefits of peace have yet to be felt by manycommunities in Chocó and other parts of thecountry.

However, the visit of Pope Francis hasprovided a huge boost to the process and willno doubt help many people to recover, forgiveand move on from a war that has robbedseveral generations of peace.

Papal visit brings hope of peace to people of ColombiaBy Mark Camburn

SCIAF’s Programme Officer forColombia, El Salvador, and Nicaragua