By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 1 days ago
16 September 2019
The relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux which have been in Scotland since Thursday 29th of August, as part of a three-week tour of Scotland’s eight Catholic dioceses, arrived at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow today, Monday 16th September.
The relics arrived at HMP Barlinnie, one of Scotland’s largest prisons at 2.00pm on 16th September where Archbishop Philip Tartaglia celebrated a Mass for staff and inmates.
In his homily, the Archbishop urged inmates to follow the example of St. Therese and to “do little things, little acts of goodness here and there throughout the day that in the end make a big difference.” He suggested prisoners could “offer a kindly word to a fellow inmate who is struggling with prison life. You could cooperate more readily with prison staff. You could perform your duties more perfectly for the sake of all.”
Archbishop Tartaglia recognised that “Prison life is not easy” but suggested to prisoners, that they could “offer up to God your hardships and sufferings for the sake of your fellow prisoners. You could say a kind word rather than a harsh one. You could make more of the opportunities that you are given to prepare for life on the outside.”
Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin (St. Therese of Lisieux) who is patroness of the Missions, the sick and prisoners entered the convent aged just fifteen and was canonised a saint in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Many miracles of healing have been reported throughout the world, including Scotland, through her intercession.
Archbishop Tartaglia explained to staff and inmates why the relics were visiting a prison;
“Famously, as a girl of 14, St Therese prayed for the conversion of a convicted murderer, who, although he never admitted his guilt, at the last, kissed the figure of the crucified Jesus just before his execution. Later, when she wrote about this, St Therese took this to be a sign that her prayer had been answered and that the man had ask...
By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 28th August 2019
28 August 2019
The relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux arrive in Scotland for the first time on Thursday 29thof August, where they will begin a three-week tour of Scotland’s eight Catholic dioceses.
Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin entered the convent aged just fifteen and was canonised a saint in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Many miracles of healing have been reported throughout the world, including Scotland, through her intercession.
She is a Doctor of the Church, Patroness of the Missions and of the sick. Her relics will be brought to Barlinnie Prison for a special Mass on Monday 16thof September.
Fr Jim Grant, General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland who has coordinated the visit said:
“People today are fascinated by the idea of pilgrimage, of travelling to a holy place or site associated with a holy person. This once in a lifetime visit of the relics of Saint Therese to Scotland is a pilgrimage in reverse, where a holy person comes to us. We can expect many graces from this visit including healing, conversion and discovery of true vocation to God.”
The relics are in the Diocese of Motherwell from 29thof August until 1stof September.
Bishop Joseph Toal, Bishop of Motherwell, said:
“I hope the Pilgrimage of the Relics of St Therese will encourage us, through the inspiration and intercession of St Therese, to have confidence in God’s merciful love for each of us, and to share that love daily with all with whom we share our lives. In bringing St Therese’s relics to Scotland we will pray that we will be inspired by her to recognise and live to the full our vocation in the mission of the Church in our country as joyful witnesses of Jesus Our Lord.”
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
Tel: 0141 221 1168
Mob: 07968 122291
ISDN: 0141 204 4956
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
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By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 13th August 2019
13 August 2019
A new altar has been installed at Carfin Grotto in Motherwell to honour the Scots forced to practise their Catholic faith clandestinely through two and a half centuries of persecution, from 1560 onwards.
The altar is named after the secret seminary in the Braes of Glenlivet which operated from 1716 to 1799 in contravention of the Penal Laws against Catholicism. The laws forbade the celebration of Mass in Scotland; priests were prohibited from being in Scotland at all.
Fr Michael Briody, President of the Scalan Association said:
“There are several shrines at Carfin Grotto honouring the Irish, Polish, Lithuanian and Ukrainian immigrants who brought their own contribution and strength to the Catholic Community in Scotland. The Scalan altar pays tribute to those native-born Scots who kept the Faith through centuries of persecution, especially in The Enzie of Banffshire, Lochaber, Strathglass, “Blessed Morar”, the Southern Hebrides and Galloway. The Scalan altar is a worthy representative of them all.”
Bishop Joseph Toal, Bishop of Motherwell said:
“The new Scalan altar recognises the courage of the men and women who gave witness to their Faith in the darkest and most testing of times. It reminds us that we must never take for granted the freedom we have to practise our faith in public and in private, and our responsibility to stand up for our fellow Christians around the world who face severe hardship, discrimination and persecution for professing belief in one God and his holy religion.”
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
Tel: 0141 221 1168
Mob: 07968 122291
ISDN: 0141 204 4956
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
Note to editors:
Images of the new Scalan altar at Carfin are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmG5WAFt
For more information about the Scalan Association visit: https://www.scalan.net...
By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 26th July 2019
Friday 26 July 2019 - Call Notice
The Friends of Divine Mercy Scotland (FODMS) are taking the Mercy Bus back out on the road for the third year this summer thanks to an overwhelming response in the past two years.
To date they have touched over 2,000 people on the streets of Scotland, over 400 people have boarded the Mercy Bus and over 2,000 Miraculous Medals and Divine Mercy Chaplets and many rosaries were given to the people the team met on the streets of Scotland.
This year, the bus will visit Johnstone, Coatbridge, Greenock, Cumbernauld, Glasgow and Paisley. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop John Keenan, of Paisley on board the bus at on Saturday 3 August 2018 at 2 p.m. in Paisley town centre.
Organiser Helen Border said:
“Pope Francis has urged the church to ‘leave her four walls behind and to go out in search of those who are distant, those essentially on the outskirts of life.’ We are taking up Pope Francis’s invitation in taking the Church to the people. Everyone is welcome to come along and visit our ‘Church on wheels!”
“Taking the church to the people shows them that the Lord loves, cares and wants them to return to him. People think that they cannot be forgiven for what they have done. No sin is too great for the Lord to forgive as long as there is repentance from the sinner. Stepping on board the bus could be the first step in changing their lives for the better and leaving the guilt on the bus. There will be priests hearing confessions on the top deck of the ‘Mercy Bus’ and the FODMS team will be welcoming visitors with tea, coffee and home baking.”
Commenting on the initiative, Bishop John Keenan said:
“Up and down the UK the Mercy Bus has been a great initiative of the New Evangelisation Pope John Paul II hoped for. Its presence in the heart of town centres is welcomed by shoppers and workers of all faiths and none, as a joyful and hopeful presence of God in their midst. They see th...
