Pope’s plea to pray the Rosary for peace

Pope’s plea to pray the Rosary for peace

By Ronnie Convery

The Holy Father Pope Leo has asked Catholics across the globe to pray the Rosary every day this month to implore peace in the world.

As cruel conflicts continue in Gaza and Ukraine and in other parts of the world, Pope Leo asks that the traditional custom of saying the Rosary in October should be renewed.

He said: “The month of October is now here, and in the Church it is dedicated in a special way to the Holy Rosary. Therefore, I invite everyone, every day of the coming month, to pray the Rosary for peace: personally, in the family, in the community…

“In particular, the evening of Saturday 11 October, at 18.00, [5pm UK time] we will pray it together here in Saint Peter’ Square, during the vigil for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, also commemorating the anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II.”

Echoing the Pope’s plea, Scotland’s Bishops have called on all churches to be opened on October 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, to allow people to pray for peace.

In a letter from the President of the Bishops’ Conference, Bishop John Keenan, the leaders of all eight Scottish dioceses write: “It is of course two years since the terrible massacre in Israel and now the continuing atrocities in Gaza.

“We invite our brother priests to open their churches on that day for as long as possible so that everyone has the possibility to visit their parish, especially the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for a moment of prayer and to light a candle.

“Our world today is troubled by so many wars and conflicts; it is appropriate that we as Catholics pray individually and together on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Holy Land, Gaza and Israel.“

The Bishops recommend that the following prayer be said for peace:

“God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of the Holy Land: Israeli and Palestinian, Jew, Christian and Muslim.

“We pray for an end to acts of violence and terror. We lift up to you all who are fearful and hurting. We ask for wisdom and compassion for those in leadership.

“Above all, we ask that Jesus the Prince of Peace, establish lasting reconciliation and justice for the Holy Land and all nations. Amen.”

Mgr Hugh’s fond farewell to Holy Cross

By Brian Swanson

After almost a decade as parish priest at Holy Cross, Crosshill, Monsignor Hugh Bradley has used a quote from one of his favourite movies to thank parishioners as he moves to St Gabriel’s, Merrylee.

Monsignor Bradley, who is also the Vicar General of the Archdiocese, is one of several priests who moved to new parishes last month following clergy changes announced by Archbishop Nolan.

Writing in the Holy Cross parish bulletin he said: “As I take my leave of Holy Cross and its good parishioners, I want to share with you a quote from the film and book, ‘The Shoes of the Fisherman’.

“Each of us has his own cross. Do you know what mine is? To be rich and content and fulfilled, and to know that I have deserved none of it, and that when I am called to judgement, I must depend utterly on the Mercy of God”.

“This sums up my life as a priest, and our lives as Christians. All that we have is by the grace of God. All we can do is to give thanks and respond as best we can to our good God”.

Joining him at St Gabriel’s will be the St. Andrew’s Syro Malankar Catholic Mission who have been a presence at Holy Cross since 2017.

Its chaplain, Father Lukose Kannimel, also used the bulletin to thank Monsignor Hugh and the parishioners.

He wrote: “Holy Cross Church has been more than a building for us – it has been our home in faith. Monsignor Hugh, your kindness and pastoral generosity have been a steady light for us. You saw our need and responded with the love of a shepherd.

Family

“And to the parish family of Holy Cross – your warmth, your smiles, and your quiet acceptance have been the hands of Christ stretched out to us. You did more than share your church – you shared your hearts.

“You will always remain a part of our story, and we will remember you with gratitude in our prayers. May the Lord, who is never outdone in generosity, bless you abundantly for the gift you have been to us”.

Mass will mark Talbot volunteers’ quiet care for Glasgow’s neediest souls

By Brian Swanson

A Mass of thanksgiving will be held in St Andrew’s Cathedral later this month to mark more than 50 years of care for the homeless in Glasgow by the Talbot Association as it begins a campaign to raise its profile and attract more supporters.

The Association takes its name, and inspiration, from Matt Talbot who went from being a hopeless alcoholic on the streets of 19th century Dublin to a revered man of deep faith who devoted his life to caring for the destitute.

The Talbot Association was formed in 1970 by a group of volunteers whose founding principles were to shelter the homeless and destitute, feed the hungry, clothe the needy, care for the sick, remember the forgotten and bury the dead.

Appalled by the growing number of homeless single men forced to sleep rough in the streets of Glasgow because of marital break ups, unemployment, and alcoholism they were determined to act.

Many of those who were homeless used an overcrowded men’s hostel in the city centre but when it was destroyed in a blaze and two others forced to close because the buildings were unsafe the crisis deepened.

This was the trigger for the volunteers of the newly-formed Talbot Association to take to the streets to provide food and shelter in disused public buildings donated by supporters while others drove an elderly soup van which was also used to take the sick to hospital.

From these early works of charity the Talbot Association has expanded to provide care from a number of centres to meet the changing needs of society.

They are the Kingston Halls, in Paisley Road, near the city centre which provides emergency, 24-hour direct-access accommodation, Bob McTaggart House, Dunblane Street, Cowcaddens and Dalhousie Street Centre, Garnethill both of which offer supported accommodation, Buchanan Lodge Residential Care Home, Rutherglen, a young persons’ supported accommodation unit in Govanhill, and a homeless mental health care unit in Govan.

In thanking Archbishop Nolan for agreeing to celebrate the Mass of thanksgiving on October 25th, Michael O’Neill, senior manager with the Talbot Association said: “We have supported Glasgow’s most vulnerable for 50 years and more inspired by the life and example of Matt Talbot whose work, like ours, is rooted in compassion, dignity and solidarity.

“We hope this Mass will not only honour him but raise awareness of our mission and help us raise much needed support for our services”.

Born in Dublin in May 1856, Matt Talbot was the 2nd of 12 children in a poor working-class family and from a young age he faced the harsh realities of poverty, instability, and widespread alcohol misuse.

By the age of 12, illiterate and with little formal education. his descent into alcoholism began at his very first day at work with a company which bottled beer when the young Matt started drinking the dregs from bottles he was meant to be cleaning.

By the time he was in his 20s he was spending all his wages on drink and was so desperate for money that one occasion he stole a fiddle from a blind man and sold it to buy drink.

Then at the age of 28, after being refused credit at the pub he drank in for most of his adult life, penniless and ashamed, he made a quiet but life-changing vow: he would give up alcohol.

From that day onwards he began a lifetime of sobriety, supported by daily prayer, frequent confession, and a deep devotion to the Eucharist and Our Lady.

Matt taught himself to read and write in adulthood, devouring the lives of the saints and spiritual classics. He became a Secular Franciscan, attended daily Mass, and undertook personal penances inspired by the early Irish monks.

He allowed himself just four hours’ sleep a night, attended an early Mass before starting a full day’s work in the Dublin docks where his foreman described him as the hardest worker in Dublin.

His fellow workers knew nothing of his religious devotion, but they knew of his generosity – quietly and without fuss he lent or more often simply gave them money to buy clothes for their children or to settle overdue rent.

He died from a heart attack aged 69 on June 7th 1925, while on his way to Mass and was buried in a pauper’s grave a few days later.

In 1972 his remains were removed to a tomb in Our Lady of Lourdes Church in another part of Dublin and three years later the Pope declared him Venerable which is the first step on the path to sainthood.

For more information on the charity visit www.talbotassoc.org

Making a better world possible

The world has been through a lot over the past 60 years… climate change, conflict, chaos in our politics. But where there has been injustice, where there has been pain and suffering, SCIAF has been there, standing side-by-side and supporting the most vulnerable communities.

Since 1965 SCIAF has given millions of people around the world a hand up out of poverty: empowering the hungry to grow more food, uplifting women and girls out of oppression, opening up education for those whose are excluded and offering hope in the darkest of times.

And it all started in a classroom in Rutherglen…

Last month a very special celebration of all the love that SCIAF has brought to the world over the last six decades took place in the same parish in which the charity was born – St Columbkille’s in Rutherglen.

SCIAF Chief Executive Lorraine Currie said: “They came from far and wide – SCIAF supporters, staff past and present, so many of our amazing volunteers and of course the good people of Rutherglen, where it all began.

“SCIAF, and everyone associated with it believes that a better world is possible – and it’s their mission to bring that vision to life.

“From Rutherglen to Rafah, Aberfeldy to Addis, Benbecula to Bogota, the SCIAF family is there, building a better world. The Mass was truly a joyful day where it was clear that SCIAF has a special place in the hearts of many.”

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Brian McGee, SCIAF’s current Bishop President, and concelebrated by past president Bishop Joseph Toal, Parish Priest Father Bernard Mornian and many other priests who have been associated with the charity over the years.

Children and young people from local schools were also represented – St Columbkille’s, St Mark’s, Trinity High, Holyrood Secondary and Fernhill School – welcoming people, taking part in the Mass and singing in the choir.

Over time, SCIAF also became part of Caritas Internationalis – a family of 162 natiopnal Catholic relief and development agenices working across the world. Using the Latin word for ‘love’ or ‘charity’ Caritas Internationalis (CI) is based in the Vatican, and SCIAF is a ‘small but mighty’ part of this humanitarian network.

Lorraine added: “It’s being part of this amazing Caritas family that allows us to be able to help almost immediately when disasters strike. We work through these partners to bring relief where and when it’s needed. It happened when Ukraine was invaded in 2022. It’s also happening right now in Gaza, where we’re providing support when the conditions allow, amid the tremendous suffering there.

“SCIAF has also produced two CI Secretary Generals – firstly Duncan MacLaren and also the current head Alistair Dutton – proving that SCIAF is truly small but mighty in the world of humanitarian work.”