Flourish - Archdiocese of Glasgow Journal History

Newspaper for the Archdiocese of Glasgow

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May 2020 edition of the Flourish - Archdiocese of Glasgow Journal

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A rchbishop Tartaglia has issued a heartfelt plea to Catholics across the Archdiocese to take up the daily recitation of the Ro - sary during May. And he has announced that he will lead a recitation from the Cathedral live on the internet throughout the Marian month. The Archbishop made his call as churches face contin - ued closure during the tra - ditional month of Our Lady. Archbishop Philip told Flourish: “In times of peril, Catholics have spontane - ously turned to Our Lady and to the Rosary to pray for deliverance. “Together with Pope Fran - cis, I invite you to pray the Rosary during the Marian month of May so that the world may be free from this Covid-19 pandemic. “My message to people is this: Pray with faith, pray with hope, pray with love. Pray with Mary that the Mother of God may inter - cede for us and protect us with a mother’s love in this time of danger.” During the month of May the Archbishop will fre - quently lead the recitation of the Holy Rosary which will be live streamed from the Cathedral. Archbishop Philip told Flourish: “I have agreed with Canon Sharkey that the Ro - sary will be live-streamed from the Cathedral during May on Monday–Friday at 7.00pm starting on Friday 1st May, to seek the inter - cession of the Blessed Vir - gin Mary during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. I will start the May Rosary on Friday and I intend to lead it on as many days as pos - sible.” You can follow the May ■ Rosary (and all Masses from the Cathedral) at www.mcnmedia.tv/ camera/st-andrews- cathedral P ope Francis has made a simple appeal to every Catholic in the world this month – pray the Rosary! In a disarmingly simple and short letter addressed to the Catholics of the world he wrote: “The month of May is a time when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and de - votion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary at home within the family. The restrictions of the pandem - ic have made us come to appreciate all the more this “family” aspect, also from a spiritual point of view. “For this reason, I want to encourage everyone to re - discover the beauty of pray - ing the Rosary at home in the month of May. This can be done either as a group or individually; you can decide according to your own situ - ations, making the most of both opportunities. The key to doing this is always sim - plicity, and it is easy also on the internet to find good models of prayers to follow. “I am also providing two prayers to Our Lady that you can recite at the end of the Rosary, and that I myself will pray in the month of May, in spiritual union with all of you. I include them with this letter so that they are available to everyone. “Dear brothers and sis - ters, contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial. I keep all of you in my prayers, especially those suffering most greatly, and I ask you, please, to pray for me. I thank you, and with great affection I send you my blessing.” You can find the full ■ text of Pope Francis’ other prayer on page 12. O Mary, You shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the foot of the cross, were united with Jesus’ suffering, and persevered in your faith. “Protectress of the Roman people”, you know our needs, and we know that you will provide, so that, as at Cana in Galilee, joy and celebration may return after this time of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the will of the Father and to do what Jesus tells us. For he took upon himself our suffering, and burdened himself with our sorrows to bring us, through the cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God; Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from every danger, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin. Amen. POP e FRAnCiS ’ PRAY eR t O OuR LADY Archbishop’s plea: Turn to Our Lady this month Pope Francis calls for Rosary to fight virus Flourish News • Spirituality • Culture • Education • Life Official Journal of the Archdiocese of Glasgow May 2020

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2 FLOURISH May 2020 news Archbishop’s messages of hope bring comfort and strength to parishioners Internet used to reach out to those unable to get to Church T he Church in Glasgow has embraced a digital revolution in a bid to bring solace and comfort to peo - ple across the Archdiocese. Archbishop Tartaglia has led the way with a series of recorded video messages which have been posted on the Archdiocese’s own YouTube channel and on Facebook. Apart from a heartfelt Easter blessing, the Archbishop has also re - corded a visit to the sick in which he prays the simple prayers with those who may be lonely or in hospital and unable to receive visitors. His most recent video is a thankyou message to care workers and NHS staff. Meanwhile the Archdio - cese’s social media channels have seen record numbers using the services to get to Mass online, hear updates from the local and universal Church and to get news on what’s happening in their communities. During the first month of the lockdown the reach of the Archdiocese’s Facebook channel was over 142,000 people, while tweets posted on the official Twitter page were seen by over a million people. The videos posted on Face - book had more than 10,000 minutes viewing, with fig - ures up over 1000 per cent month on month. Archbishop Tartaglia has used his weekly Masses which are streamed live form the Cathedral over the internet to offer words of consolation and hope to the whole diocese. He said: “It hurts so much that our churches are closed and we cannot physically come to Mass and we can - not receive Jesus sacramen - tally in Holy Communion. Yet we must bear this pain - ful Eucharistic fast for the moment for the sake of the health of all. “At the same time, we rec - ognise the risen Christ in other ways. We recognise him in faith in the depths of our hearts and in our prayers at home. We rec - ognise him in the faces of those who are suffering; in the pain of those who have been bereaved; in the dedi - cation of those who help the sick; in our efforts to help one another through this time; in our powerlessness and in our hopefulness; and in our surrender to God’s loving purpose. In all these ways, the risen Christ is present and is with us. “You will tell me that I keep saying, my dear friends, that this time will pass. When, I do not know, but it will. We will come to - gether again. Together we will once more recognise the risen Lord in the break - ing of the bread. Finally, the priest will take bread, break it and give it to you to eat. We will once more enjoy sacramental communion with our beloved risen Lord Jesus. We will, together once again, be inspired by him to praise his name and to follow his message. What a day that will be!” A mong the many groups and individu - als in the Archdiocese to be af fected by the current emergency are those who have been eagerly prepar - ing for many months to be received into the Church through the Rite of Chris - tian Initiation for Adults. The Rite of Election was celebrated on the first Sun - day in Lent at St Andrew’s Cathedral as it is each year. It is at this celebration that the Archbishop rec - ognised the desire of the Catechumens – adults preparing for baptism – to celebrate the Easter Sacra - ments of Christian Initia - tion and the desire of those baptised in other Chris - tian denominations to be received into the Catholic Church. Under normal circum - stances the Elect would be baptised, confirmed and receive the Eucharist for the first time at the Easter Vigil. This ceremony, seen as one of the most joyful in the Church’s calendar, has now been put on hold because of the Covid-19 restrictions. A total of 57 adults last met as a group at a day of retreat at Our Lady of Lour - des church hall ahead of the Rite of Election on Sunday March 1. Canon David Wallace, RCIA director for the Arch - diocese said: “We focused on the Sacraments of Ini - tiation through prayer, re - flection and sharing their common journey and was well received by those who took part. “Coming together as part of the diocesan community for the day of retreat was quite breathtaking as they appreciate The Rite of Elec - tion, as always, was a very poignant moment in their faith journey.” Canon Wallace added: “There are certainly many people our hearts go out to just now who would be celebrating different oc - casions in so many ways, no less our Elect and can - didates for reception into the Church, however, their ‘Easter’ will come and we will be ever more joyful for them and their desire to share in full communion with the Church. “We have much to look forward to and be grateful for!” Glasgow’s new Catholics wait patiently for their ‘Easter’ Picture: James Chatelard

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3 May 2020 FLOURISH news next. What wasn’t so clear was what was happening inside, but that was no less impressive. New benches were deliv - ered, promising a new era in the life of St.Matthew’s – comfortable pews! The architects, from Page\Park, had come up with wonderful ideas to cre - ate a harmony between the major points of focus for the church and the liturgy, so the same material was used for the altar, the lectern and the baptismal font, and we’ve commissioned a new tabernacle with a design which will be unique to St Matthew’s. So it’s all been very excit - ing, and we were beginning to look forward to the move… and that’s when the Lord had the last laugh. Yours truly, in a fit of organisation which is far from characteristic, had ‘a plan’ for a dramatic move into our new-look church. It actually started with some thought about what kind of procession we’d be able to have on Palm Sun - day. The hall/temporary church had been very suc - cessful, but would have been challenging when it came to a procession. And then came the bit that must have made God laugh! I thought the perfect solu - tion was to transfer from the temporary church in the hall to the newly-refurbished building on Palm Sunday. We would bless the palms as our last action in the hall, and process with palms to take possession of our new church making it a Palm Sunday to remember. St Matthew’s renovation is complete Fr Joe’s stay-at-home vocations walk “Ours is now the journey not to a building, but to a deeper community of brothers and sisters” Q uestion: How do you make God laugh? Answer: Tell God your plans! We pretty much tested the truth of that statement in St. Matthew’s recently – or at least, I did with a bril - liant plan for the reopening of the church. As Lent approached, our building work to extend the church, re-order the sanc - tuary, change the seating, lighting, font, altar, lectern, tabernacle – you name it – was nearing its completion, and the result was looking excellent. The church was still rec - ognisable as St Matthew’s, and during the work we had been using the church hall as our temporary church – St Matthew’s-in-exile as I like to call it. Everything had worked very well in this new setting, and we also had the advan - tage of being able to see the progress on the project every time we entered or left our temporary church – not least because the only way in and out was past the building site. It was lovely to be able to see progress: if not exactly on a daily basis, at least from one weekend to the F ather Joe Sullivan, Par - ish Priest of Holy Cross, Croy, is about to go walking to mark this year’s Voca - tions Sunday on May 3. But his loyal parishion - ers can relax because his trek will take him no further than a gentle stroll round the Chapel House – no less than 135 times. Father Joe explained: “Our annual walk of voca - tions at Holy Cross will not take place this year due to the current social distanc - ing measures. “However many of us remain aware of the need to pray for vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life so this has inspired a number of parishioners and me to take part in a “Virtual Walk for Vocations.” He added: “The distance from the church building to the Carmelite Monastery at Waterside, Kirkintilloch, where we normally go, is nearly seven miles, so by a rough calculation, this is the equivalent of walking round the perimeter of the Chapel House 135 times. “I’ll be doing that walk – maybe not all at once – and while the lockdown is in op - eration a number of parish - ioners also have promised to walk seven miles for voca - tions.” Of course, there would be a few things we’d need to sort out after that, but what a way to take possession of the new-look building. Well, it would have been except for a small detail we hadn’t taken into consid - eration, because we didn’t know anything about it at that stage, but by the time Palm Sunday came around, there was something much more serious occupying everyone’s minds – Covid- 19 had arrived. Instead of a procession to a new look church building, we were soon facing lock- down, uncertainty, worry. I’m not suggesting for a moment that God was laughing… but very soon, we would have no access to church or sacraments. Instead, unknown to us, Sp ecialist in q u alit y r ep air s an d r est o r at io n o f all silver w ar e Gl a sgo w ’ s o ld est tr ad iti o nal m anuf ac turi n g s i l ver s mith Call in t o o u r w o r ksh o p at 3 4 A rg y l l A r ca d e , 3 r d F l o o r , G l a sg o w G 2 8 BD T elep h o n e 0 1 4 1 2 0 4 1 0 8 3 o r 0 7 9 5 7 8 3 4 2 6 5 www . v i si o nsi nsi l v e r . co . uk Visions In Silver 10x2.qxd 17/1/11 11:37 Page 1 we were about to begin a journey to a better under - standing of Church as the community of God’s peo - ple, and our journey would hopefully entail a greater realisation of people and the needs they might have in isolation. Ours is now the journey with others, not to a building, but to a deeper community of brothers and sisters. We still have in mind the grand entry once circum - stances allow us into the church, but like every parish caught up in the Covid-19 epidemic, we hope our sense of church as community has been strengthened. If we have achieved that then we might just have put a smile on God’s face after all. For the past few months parishioners of St Matthew’s, Bishopbriggs, watched as the eagerly awaited refurbishment of their church gradually neared completion. i t was one of the most ambitious building projects undertaken in the Archdiocese in recent years and hopes were high that the church would be ready to welcome worshippers by e aster. Then Covid-19 struck and work was halted. But as Parish Priest Canon Robert Hill reflects in this special article for Flourish, the initial disappointment has given way to a renewal of faith and a strengthening of community spirit File name: WILL St Andrews Hospice 12x2 Client: St Andrews Hospice Size: 85mmx120mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: August 23, 2018 3:01 PM Status: Final

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4 FLOURISH May 2020 news Nurse James hopes for ordination after covid emergency Be not afraid, Pope comforts the anxious Caption A nurse working on the frontline during the current coronavirus pan - demic is praying that his ordination to the perma - nent diaconate will be able to go ahead later this year. James Ward, 45, an ortho - paedics charge nurse at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, had his candidacy to the permanent diaconate accepted at his home par - ish of St Augustine’s, Milton during a Mass celebrated earlier this year by Arch - bishop Tartaglia. It was one of the last times that the Archbishop was able to take part in a public Mass before the current re - strictions were imposed. It is hoped that these re - strictions will be lifted when James is due to be ordained on the feast of Saint Augus - tine on August 28. His ordination will be the culmination of a lengthy spiritual journey which be - gan, as he put it, when “God wouldn’t take no for an an - swer” James, whose wife An - gie is also a frontline NHS worker as a pharmacy tech - nician in Primary Care, at Stobhill Hospital, added: “I have always received so much from my faith and felt that I wanted to share that with others in another way. “In my day to day job as a nurse I encounter patients who need that support from their faith when they are P eople dying without chaplains, families con - fined to their homes and unable to reach a priest because of the Covid-19 emergency, people anx - ious about Easter duties. Pope Francis has sought to reassure Catholics across the world who are anxious being unable to get to con - fession. “I know that many of you, for Easter, go to confession so you can be right with God again”, said the Pope. “But, many will say to me today: ‘Father, where can I find a priest, a confessor, when I can’t leave my house? And I want to make peace with the Lord, I want Him to embrace me, I want my Dad, God, to embrace me... What can I do if I can’t find a priest?’ You do what the Catechism says”. “It is very clear: if you can - not find a priest to whom you can confess,” explained the Pontiff, “speak with unable to at - tend Church and be part of that commu - nity of faith. “I spoke to my Parish Priest, Fr Paul McAlinden, who put me in touch with Mgr Paul Murray and Deacon Jim Kernaghan, vocations directors for the permanent diaconate, who steered me through the beginnings. “They in turn put me in touch with Deacons Jim Aitken, from St Francis Xavier’s Carfin and Paul Graham, from St Joseph’s Clarkston who took me through the Propaedeu - God, He is your Father, and tell Him the truth: ‘Lord, I have done this, this and this.... I am sorry”, and ask Him for forgiveness with all your heart, with the Act of Contrition, and prom - ise Him: ‘Later I will go to confession, but forgive me now”. “You will return imme - diately to God’s grace. You yourself can approach God’s forgiveness as the Cat - echism teaches us, without tic year and into the pro - gramme of study through the Maryvale Institute, a Catholic College in Bir - mingham. “I would like to thank Fr Paul, who has supported me from the very beginning and continues to do so, not just in my discernment but in developing my role with - in the Parish. “I would also like to thank the Diaconate team who guide and support us during our residential study week - ends and summer schools. I would like to thank my Par - ish family of St Augustine’s, who have been incredibly supportive since day one.” having a priest at hand. Think about it: this is the moment! “And this is the right mo - ment, the appropriate mo - ment. An Act of Contrition, made well. In this way our souls will become as white as snow”. Pope Francis refers to numbers 1451 and 1452 of the Catechism of the Catho - lic Church, promulgated by Saint John Paul II and draft - ed under the guidance of the 1 8 4 – 2 0 0 H O W A R D S T R E E T G L A S G O W G 1 4 H W T el ephone: 0141 552 4368 • F ax: 0141- 552 4731 Ber n ar d C or r igan L t d W H O L E S A L E F I S H M O N G E R • P O U L T E R E R & G A M E D E A L E R Bernard Corrigan 6x2.qxd 2019-11-19 11:24 Page 1 “LET US ARRANGE YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION ” T elephone: 0141 944 6231 W e hav e a wide range of MENUS including B uffets and F inger B uffets 20 DR UMCHAP EL R O AD, OLD DR UMCHAP EL, GL ASGO W F uneral par ties cater ed for Co v er ed car par king O ur FUNCTION SUITE also caters for: BIR THDA Y , CHRISTENING & ENGA GEMENT P AR TIES Olivers 5x2.qxd 19/7/10 10:20 Page 1 S t and ar d Bu ild ing s , 94 H op e S t r e e t , G las g o w G � �PH T e l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 4 1 2 4 8 8 1 1 1 F a x + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 4 1 2 2 1 8 4 2 0 E - mail m ail@blane y carnan. com INST ALL A TIONS, REP AIRS & MAINTENANCE OF ALL GARA GE DOORS D AL Y G ARA GE DOORS F ami l y Business W i th Ov er 30 Y ear s Exper ience • Electr ic oper a tor s ins ta lled to ne w & ex is ting door s • Roller door s & spar es • Fr ee es tima tes & advice TELEPHONE: 01355 261601 MOBILE: 07821 679606 www . da l y g ar ag edoor s . co . u k Emai l: mar kpda l y@blue y onder . co . u k 1 K enda l Road, Eas t Ki lbr ide G75 8Q T Extensiv e r ang e of door s inc luding: Hender son, Hor mann, Gar ador , Glider ol, C ar ada le , No v of er m et c. 24 Hour Ca ll-Ou t Daly Garage Doors 10x2.qxd 29/6/10 09:18 Page 1 Froscote Roofing 5x2 17/10/11 14:49 Page 1 Describing his wife as ‘his rock” he added, “Angie is a true example to me in charity and love; she also puts up with me being away from home on residential weekends, summer schools and makes sure I rest and eat during periods of study and essay writing, I cannot thank God enough for hav - ing her in my life. “Now after several years of study I feel ready to take the next step and, God will - ing, I will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate, the feast of St Augustine, and I’m looking forward to taking the next steps on my journey of faith.” then-Prefect of the Congre - gation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI). As far as “contrition” is concerned, the Catechism, citing the Council of Trent, teaches that among contri - tion is sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again”. “When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called ‘perfect’ (contrition of charity)”, continues the Catechism. “Such contri - tion remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins.” Pope Francis added: “This is a way to approach God’s mercy, and is open to all. It belongs to the Church’s tra - dition and can be useful to everyone, especially at this time to those who are sick in their homes and hospi - tals.” by brian swanson picture by paul mcsherry

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5 May 2020 FLOURISH news A set of newly installed sculptures paying trib - ute to the mining heritage of Croy have inspired Holy Cross Parish Priest Father Joe Sullivan to draw paral - lels between the sacrifices made during war time and our present day battle against Covid-19. Fr Joe told Flourish: “I was particularly honoured to bless and incense the Miners’ Panel, the Decora - tive Seat and the Quarried Stone. The emphasis on the miners reminded me of the Second World War when mining was a reserved oc - cupation and the miners were not ‘called up’ to fight but had to stay to produce the coal to keep the war ef - fort going. “The present life changes brought by the Corona - virus outbreak have been compared to those of war - time and these sculptures re - ally brought the past up-to- date. “Instead of “Total War” we are now seeking “Total Anti-virus.” Instead of “gas- masks and air-raids” it’s “hand-washing and social distancing.” During the War we prayed for a just peace but expected a huge effort in war. Dur - ing these times we similarly pray for a just peace but ex - pect a huge effort in health- care from everyone. Yes the soldiers fought in battle but the miners did what they could. Today the health- care workers and medical scientists fight in battle but we do what we can.” The blessing ceremony, featuring what is thought to be Scotland’s first sculp - ture of a female miner, took place to coincide with Inter - national Women’s Day . Women worked predomi - nately above ground clean - ing the coal when it came up from the mine and the ‘Bogie’ at the start of the vil - lage depicts this. Helping to mark the proud industrial history of 100 year old Paddy plans for Lourdes... in 2021 F or the first time in more than seventy years, Paddy Sherry, the only surviving volunteer helper from the first Glasgow Archdiocesan Lourdes Pil - grimage has been forced by its postponement to forgo her annual trip to the French shrine. What makes that all the more remarkable is that Paddy, a devoted parishion - er of St Peter’s Partick, re - cently celebrated her 100th birthday when she aston - ished friends and family by telling them she had booked to return to Lourdes again this year. But days later and with ‘heavy heart’ Archbishop Tartaglia agreed to post - pone this year’s pilgrimage. Canon Tom White, pil - grimage director, said: “Eve - ry director of each respec - tive diocesan pilgrimage concerned was of the clear view that, given the current pandemic crisis, this year’s pilgrimage should be im - mediately postponed. “In light of these grave concerns, I petitioned Arch - bishop Tartaglia with a view that we should postpone the scheduled pilgrimage. “With the same concerns for the welfare of pilgrims, His Grace has readily, but with a heavy heart, agreed.” Canon White added: “At this time we cannot guar - antee it will be safe to travel, since Lourdes is currently closed and it is unclear when Lourdes or indeed France will be willing to ac - cept visitors again. “Without a doubt there will be some people who will be disappointed about this decision. However, I know there will be many who will be relieved, especially in this time of great uncertainty.” Meanwhile Paddy re - mains in good health and is currently being looked after by her family. She first volunteered at the famous French shrine with Glasgow Lourdes Hospitalite with the first Archdiocesan pilgrimage in 1948, when the journey from Glasgow took at least 36 hours by train, ferry and bus. Her stories of these early days delighted friends and family who gathered at her home to celebrate her birth - day following a Mass at St Peter’s. Parish Priest Canon Pe - ter McBride said: “Paddy has been a member of the Lourdes Hospitalite group for several decades and a daily communicant at St. Peter’s for many years where she also served as sacristan until just a few months ago when ill health forced her to hand over the reins to an - other parishioner. “She was also until last year carrying Holy Com - munion to the housebound of St. Peter’s parish. Before the current emergency she had already booked for Lour - des 2020. She is a remark - able witness in our parish community and beyond. In a recent interview with Flourish Paddy said: “Please don’t say too much about me – I was just happy to help people – I enjoyed do - ing it right from the start and I still do but don’t be making me out to be special or anything like that!” Paddy, who never mar - ried, spent her working life as the personal assistant to successive senior partners in a prominent Glasgow law firm and always arranged her annual holidays to co - incide with the Lourdes pil - grimage. Among the many messag - es and cards Paddy received was a letter of congratula - tions acknowledging her Irish roots from the Repub - lic’s President Michael D Higgins. by brian swanson picture by paul mcsherry by brian swanson Croy war heroes inspire a new generation the town, it features a me - morial bench and plaque at the site where miners met to travel together to work in the local pits. The ‘Bogie’ and a large sculpted boul - der both feature ‘Welcome to Croy’ signage. The sculp - tured stone boulder was donated by Aggregate In - dustries who own the Croy Quarry and have been a lo - cal employer for the last 100 years. Funding for the project came from North Lanark - shire Council’s Local Devel - opment Programme with pupils from the Holy Cross primary school helping to research and work on the designs. The miners featured in the memorial were de - signed and created by David Ogilvie Engineering, Kil - marnock.

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6 FLOURISH May 2020 vocations A television docu - mentary which gave a unique insight into the lives of seminarians studying for the priest - hood in the Scots College in Rome has proved a ma - jor hit with viewers. Figures just released show that ‘Priest School’ drew an audience of 80,000 people and 8% share on BBC Scotland when it was screened on BBC Scotland on Sun - day April 19 – the highest audience for any digital channel in Scotland. A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scot - land said: “To put these figures in in context, when River City, BBC Scotland’s flagship dra - ma had its first airing on the BBC Scotland digital channel, it got a maxi - mum of 30,000 viewers which was considered a good showing. “We understand BBC Scotland has been inun - dated with positive feed - back and so far all of the comments have gone in to the formal BBC log. It will will pick up more figures and statistics on the catch up iPlayer, but this is an incredible result for early figures. “We would encourage people to watch it again on catch up via the BBC iPlayer which will im - prove the viewing record further.” Priest School was made over an 18 month period by Solus Productions Ltd founded in 2009 by direc - tor Tony Kearney and pro - ducer Jim Webster. Tony said:”The idea was to smash the mysteries of what is like to train for the priesthood in the Scots College and I think we have achieved that. “The Scots College is a place of great joy, the seminarians themselves showed great humour but what shone through was meeting selfless young men who want to give their lives to God.” Vocations grow even in lockdown world Don’t be afraid to say yes to a vocation TV show boost to vocations K eep our seminarians in your prayers in these strange times… That is the powerful message from Father Ross Campbell, director of vocations for the Archdiocese, as he pre - sented a Vocations Sunday update on the current situation involving those currently studying for the priesthood. Fr Ross told Flourish: “While these are chal - lenging times for both the Church and society at large, I am not without hope. I think when we are once again able to return to pub - lic Mass many will do so with a deeper appreciation and reverence for Our Lord in the Eucharist. When this happens, so often vocations to the priesthood follow. In the meantime, please keep our seminarians in your prayers as they adapt to how their formation is delivered in these strange times.” The Archdiocese of Glas - gow currently has five semi - narians in training and three men coming along to the discernment evenings. The three students at the Scots College, Rome, are presently back in the diocese and living in the presbyter - ies of their home parish, so are able to keep a spiritual structure to their day with prayer and the Mass and have time to con - tinue with their online classes at the Pontifical Universities. Glasgow also has two stu - dents at the Beda College who remain in Rome and it is hoped they will be able to return to the diocese later in the summer. “In terms of future plans – as is the case with so much at the moment, it is a case of wait and see,” said Fr Ross. “We hope that our students will be able to return to sem - inary in September but the Colleges and Diocesan Voca - tions Directors are working on contingency plans to con - tinue formation remotely if this is not possible. “Zoom, something which I had never heard of just a few weeks ago, has now be - come an indispensable tool for promoting vocations!” If you are considering a ■ vocation to the priesthood – perhaps sign up for our vocations QnA with Fr Campbell, the Archbishop and one of our seminarians Edward Toner. This takes place on Vocations Sunday (3rd May) at 4pm. It will be an online session via Zoom. When restrictions are lifted we hope to continue with the monthly Discernment evenings. I think these strange times we’re living through are making us re-evaluate what the important things in life are. This time of lockdown has thrown all aspects of our lives out of sync, but our spiritual lives in a particular way. I am fortunate to be living in a parish at the moment since being sent home from Rome, but I know how dif - ficult it must be for so many people to be unable to get to Mass in these trying times. There is a need amongst young Catholics, but indeed amongst all Catholics, in their spiritual life to more actively discern God’s call. We can all have the best of intentions when asking God what He wants us to do with our lives, but how good are we at actively responding to His voice speaking to us in the depths of our hearts? I think there are some things we should all consid - er when thinking about how God is calling us to serve him and the Church with our lives. Firstly we must remember that God has created us, He loves us and He has a plan for each of our lives. This is the most basic reality of our existence. Those of us who are bap - tised share in a universal vocation; the call to be holy. Becoming saints is our pri - mary vocation, but God asks us to discern exactly how we are going to achieve that ho - liness. Some will be called to marriage, and through marriage God asks them to be holy and to help their spouse, and please God, children, become holy. Some will be called to the religious life and will find a path to holiness set some - what apart from the world and will hopefully help their community grow in holi - ness. And those men called to serve as priests will grow in holiness themselves by helping their people get to heaven. So regardless of our personal vocation, we are all trying to become holier peo - ple and to help our brothers and sisters reach heaven. The most basic desire of humanity is happiness; something most people spend a lifetime trying to find. We will only ever be truly happy and fulfilled if we lead the lives God wants us to lead. As St Augustine once said, “You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you”. If we feel God calling us to one way of life or another then we should trust Him. Put simply; God knows best! “Be not afraid”, as Pope St John Paul II used to say, because God only wants the best for us. It’s normal to feel anx - ious about pursuing a voca - tion, but we should never be afraid. Fear of following God’s will comes not from God but from the devil, who is always trying to pull us away from the Lord. All vocations require sac - rifice, the life of the Chris - tian is the Way of the Cross, and as a priest once joked to me, “Jesus asks us to pick up our cross and follow Him, not our cushion!” But if God asks for much it’s because He plans to give much in re - turn. Our vocations are not just something God gives us to keep for ourselves. We are all members of the Body of Christ and our vocations are supposed to serve God and His Church. Each of us in trying to be holy should think of our - selves as labourers in the Lord’s vineyard; each culti - vating our own wee plot of land in the hopes that God will find good fruit to use in the mission of building up of His Kingdom on earth. If you are generous with God, then he’ll be generous with you. So stay close to him, especially during these difficult times, trust in His goodness and don’t be afraid to give him everything. And if you feel God is call - ing you to priesthood or re - ligious life then please take that active step and speak to your parish priest, you won’t regret it! Edward Toner, a seminarian for the Archdiocese currently studying at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome, reflects on vocation in a time of lockdown ++ Vocations Sunday 2020 ++ Vocations Sunday 2020 ++ Vocations by brian swanson

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7 May 2020 FLOURISH ++ Vocations Sunday 2020 ++ Vocations Sunday 2020 ++ Vocations urbi et orbi A nyone who’s spent much time in Rome likely, at one point or another, has had a plate of cacio e pepe, a classic dish of the surrounding Lazio region. It’s so celebrated here that just down the block from our apartment building is a pop - ular restaurant called Cacio e Pepe, where, naturally, it’s the house specialty. Seeing that normally bustling eatery locked up for the last couple of months has been a daily reminder of the realities of quarantine. (Before you ask, no, they don’t do home delivery; you eat cacio e pepe fresh out of the pan or not at all.) Originally developed by local shepherds as a go-to meal during seasonal migra - tions of their flocks, it requires just three ingredients: Black pepper, pecorino cheese and pasta. Basically, you boil the pasta, add some grated cheese and pepper, and you’re good to go. The cheese mixes with the starch in the pasta water to create a light cream, which is also flavored by the pepper. However, as famed Italian chef Luca Pap - pagallo says, “ Cacio e pepe apparently is the simplest recipe in the Italian kitchen, but, in reality, one of the most insidious.” That’s because you have to get the sequence, the timing and the mix just right, and a tiny er - ror can have disastrous consequences. In that sense, cacio e pepe may be an apt metaphor for the recipe Catholic bishops in various parts of the world appear to be try - ing to follow with regard to the resumption of ecclesiastical life after coronavirus lock - downs. On the surface, it too would appear to be simple: Everybody wants Mass and the other sacraments again as soon as possible, so as countries start lifting their restrictions, one would expect bishops to hit the “on” switch almost immediately. Yet for example, the Italian bishops so far haven’t announced a plan for returning to public Masses and other routine pastoral activity, despite the fact that Prime Minis - ter Giuseppe Conte’s team has put together a four-stage plan for the national ripresa, or “reopening,” beginning with certain key in - dustries and culminating May 18 with the long-awaited reopening of bars, restaurants and museums. On Friday I checked in with Father Ivan Maffeis, the spokesman for the Italian bish - ops’ conference (CEI), who said “not yet.” “I really hope the political authorities will be able to give us an answer as soon as pos - sible,” he said, obvi - ously implying that the bishops plan to follow the indications of the government. By way of contrast, the French bishops announced on Friday that public Masses will resume beginning on May 11, saying they’re acting “in full solidarity with the collective effort to combat an epidemic which is still dangerous and difficult to control,” but also with “deep awareness of the impatience of the faithful to come together to celebrate and nourish their faith, and to share it.” The French bishops said they were com - municating their plans to government of - ficials (and thus not asking permission) “so the dialogue may continue, both on the na - tional and local levels,” and it came two days before, not after, a scheduled video confer - ence call between the bishops and French President Emmanuel Macron. In Vietnam, at least three dioceses have restarted public Masses as the government eases other coronavirus restrictions, and in the US, Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was the first to author - ise public Masses to resume, capping at - tendance at five, arguing the move was con - sistent with state requirements. Since then, bishops in two dioceses in Montana and in Lubbock, Texas, have followed suit. Other bishops have floated ideas for reo - pening. On his Catholic Channel radio show this past Tuesday, for example, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said that in a recent conference call with veteran pastors, they’d discussed the possibility of “working backwards” – starting with resuming daily Mass, then small weddings and baptisms, then eventually returning to the Sunday Mass. So far, however, no firm plan with dates attached has been announced. In other words, there’s no consistent ap - proach, either comparing one bishops’ con - ference to another or one diocese to anoth - er. Like cacio e pepe, the ingredients here are three: There’s the desire for Mass, there’s the desire not to defy public health experts or civil leaders, and there’s the bishops’ au - thority to act. The trick is mixing them just right, and therein lies the insidious part. If a bishop strikes out on his own, he could be accused of putting pressure on colleagues and breaking the gentlemen’s agreement of a conference; if he doesn’t, people will say he’s a bureaucrat. If the bishops together open up too soon, they’ll be accused of being reckless; too late, they’ll be said to be dith - ering. If they wait for a government green light, people will complain they’re setting a dangerous precedent; if they don’t, the claim will be they’re arrogant and think the Church is above the law. The nightmare scenario, which no one wants, is to lift the suspension on public lit - urgies only to find out the virus isn’t really contained, and then have to reimpose it. This isn’t a question the Vatican can settle, since establishing dates and protocols de - pends on local conditions. In terms of sig - nals, Pope Francis has displayed the same ambivalence many Catholics feel between not wanting to ignore scientific concerns but also urging “closeness” to the people. A bishop looking to the Pope for guidance, therefore, won’t find an unambiguous nudge in one direction or the other. Fortunately, when it comes to cacio e pepe, Chef Luca has a handy step-by-step instructional video to guide one through the complexities. Bishops today, alas, have no such resource, and thus perhaps it’s un - derstandable their own recipe still seems a work in progress. Follow John Allen on Twitter: ■ @JohnLAllenJr This article also appears on the Crux homepage www.cruxnow.com To open or not to open, that is the question… Urbi O rbi News from the V A ti CAN AN d the C A tho L i C wor L d In association with Crux – taking the Catholic pulse & CRUX is an independent US- based news agency with the mission to deliver the best in smart, wired and independent Catholic news. We have special editorial interests, such as faith and culture and anti-Christian persecution around the world , but we cover the whole Catholic story. cruxnow.com by john l allen jr editor of crux

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8 FLOURISH May 2020 9 May 2020 FLOURISH feature H uman beings are storytellers. From childhood we hunger for stories just as we hunger for food. Stories influence our lives, whether in the form of fairy tales, novels, films, songs, news, even if we do not always realise it. Often we decide what is right or wrong based on characters and stories we have made our own. Stories leave their mark on us; they shape our convictions and our be - haviour. They can help us understand and commu - nicate who we are. We are not the only be - ings who need clothing to cover our vulnerability, we are also the only ones who need to be “clothed” with stories to protect our lives. We weave not only clothing, but also stories: indeed, the human capac - ity to “weave” (Latin texere ) gives us not only the word textile but also text. The stories of different ages all have a common “loom”: the thread of their narrative involves “he - roes”, including everyday heroes, who in following a dream confront difficult situations and combat evil, driven by a force that makes them courageous – the force of love. By im - mersing ourselves in sto - ries, we can find reasons to heroically face the chal - lenges of life. Yet since the very begin - ning, our story has been threatened: evil snakes its way through history. Not all stories are good stories “When you eat of it … you will be like God” … the temptation of the serpent introduces into the fabric of history a knot that is difficult to undo. “If you possess, you will become, you will achieve…” This is the message whispered by those who even today use storytelling for purpos - es of exploitation. How many stories serve to lull us, convincing us that to be happy we continually need to gain, possess and consume? f alsehoods We may not realise how greedy we have become for chatter and gossip, or how much violence and falsehood we are consum - ing. Often on communi - cation platforms, instead of constructive stories which serve to strengthen social ties and the cultural fabric, we find destruc - tive and provocative sto - ries that wear down and break the fragile threads binding us together as a society. By patching together bits of unverified infor - mation, repeating banal and deceptively persua - sive arguments, sending strident and hateful mes - sages, we do not help to weave human history, but instead strip others of their dignity. e xploitation But whereas the stories employed for exploitation and power have a short lifespan, a good story can transcend the confines of space and time. Centuries later, it remains timely, for it nourishes life. In an age when falsi - fication is increasingly sophisticated, reaching exponential levels (as in the world of deepfake), we need wisdom to be able to welcome and create beautiful, true and good ++ Communications Sunday 2020 ++ Communications Sunday 2020 ++ Communications Sunday 2020 ++ Communications Sunday 2020 ++ t he greatest story ever told stories. We need cour - age to reject false and evil stories. We need patience and discernment to re - discover stories that help us not to lose the thread amid today’s many trou - bles. We need stories that reveal who we truly are, also in the untold heroism of everyday life. t he s tory of stories Sacred Scripture is a Story of stories. How many events, peoples and individuals it sets before us! It shows us from the very beginning a God who is both creator and narra - tor. Indeed, God speaks his word and things come into existence! As narrator, God calls things into life, culminat - ing in the creation of man and woman as his free dia - logue partners, who make history alongside him. The Bible is thus the great love story between God and humanity. At its centre stands Jesus, whose own story brings to fulfil - ment both God’s love for us and our love for God. Jesus spoke of God not with abstract concepts, but with parables, brief stories taken from every - day life. Gospels The Gospels are also sto - ries, and not by chance. The Gospel asks the reader to share in the same faith in order to share in the same life. The Gospel of John tells us that the quin - With churches closed, the Church has had to be more creative than ever in communicating with the rest of society. Later this month (May 24), we will mark Communications Sunday. Pope Francis has written this lovely letter ahead of the event to remind us of how important communication is in our own lives and the life of faith. tessential storyteller – the Word – himself becomes the story: God has become personally woven into our humanity, and so has giv - en us a new way of weav - ing our stories. An ever new story The history of Christ is not a legacy from the past; it is our story, and always timely. It shows us that God was so deeply con - cerned for mankind, for our flesh and our history, to the point that he be - came man, flesh and his - tory. It also tells us that no human stories are insig - nificant or paltry. Since God became story, every human story is, in a certain sense, a divine sto - ry. In the history of every person, the Father sees again the story of his Son who came down to earth. Every human story has an irrepressible dignity. “You” – Saint Paul wrote – “are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts”… By the power of the Holy Spirit, every sto - ry, even the most forgot - ten one, even the one that seems to be written with the most crooked lines, can become inspired, can be reborn as a master - piece, and become an ap - pendix to the Gospel. Like the Confessions of Augus - tine. Like A Pilgrim’s Jour - ney of Ignatius. Like The THE current emergency is encouraging priests throughout the Archdiocese to find creative ways to use the internet to engage with their parishioners. Many of the clergy are now embracing social media platforms with a corresponding increase in the number of parishes now streaming daily Masses. At St Helen’s Langside, Mgr Paul Murray’s parish council meetings have been conducted by Zoom and coffee mornings are also now online. At Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald, Parish Priest Canon David Wallace is bringing the church to the people with a regularly updated virtual tour of the 80-year old building. He said: “I thought if the people can’t come to church then I’ll bring the church to them. It’s been fascinating to show some parts of the building that most parishioners never see and to talk a little bit about things like the stained glass windows and so on. I’m learning something every day as well.” Canon Wallace, a talented musician and singer, intersperses his commen - tary with appropriate hymns, psalms and prayers. At St Gregory’s, Wyndford, Fr Allan Cameron used the internet to have 40 Hours Adoration in the parish, adding that he didn’t want to give up this spiritual high point of the year when people needed Christ more than ever. He told viewers on Facebook: “In our lockdown we have to face the place where the Lord is and while we feel distant the Lord hasn’t abandoned us.” Canon Peter McBride, parish priest of St Peter’s in Partick, who is known for his sense of humour, posted videos on Facebook which appear to show him taking part in the Camino de Santiago. The posts have been warmly received by view - ers who praised him for cheering them up during the current crisis. Canon McBride’s creative decision to expose the Blessed Sacrament at the door of the Partick Church, leading to parishioners kneeling on the street outside, has also caused much apprecia - tion on social media. In Cumbernauld Fr John Campbell has been using Zoom to arrange online coffee mornings to help parishioners stay in touch and has started a new series online to help parishioners deepen their faith. He said: “Every Tuesday we will stream a “Back to Basics” session revisiting tour faith and hopefully learning more about it. On Vocations Sunday we will have special evening broadcast to reflect in the theme of vocation. On Mondays of May we will have May devotions every Monday at 7.30pm.” In Clydebank “cooking Canon” Gerry Tartaglia has been supplementing his offerings of Holy Hours, Masses and Youth Zooms by giving online cookery classes to parishioners who now know that spaghetti carbonara should never be made with cream, and never have mushrooms in it! The live streams of Masses from Our Holy Redeemer has led to scores of positive comments about the beauty of the venerable old church. feature Glasgow priests’ digital revolution brings Church to their parishioners Story of a Soul of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. Like The Betrothed, like The Brothers Karamazov. Like countless other sto - ries, which have admira - bly scripted the encounter between God’s freedom and that of man. Each of us knows different sto - ries that have the fra - grance of the Gospel, that have borne witness to the Love that transforms life. These stories cry out to be shared, recounted and brought to life in every age, in every language, in every medium. A story that renews us Our own story becomes part of every great story. As we read the Scriptures, the stories of the saints, and also those texts that have shed light on the hu - man heart and its beauty, the Holy Spirit is free to write in our hearts, reviv - ing our memory of what we are in God’s eyes. When we remember the love that created and saved us, when we make love a part of our daily stories, when we weave the tapestry of our days with mercy, we are turning another page. We no longer remain tied to regrets and sad - ness, bound to an un - healthy memory that bur - dens our hearts; rather, by opening ourselves to others, we open ourselves to the same vision of the great storyteller. Telling God our story is never useless: To tell our story to the Lord is to en - ter into his gaze of com - passionate love for us and for others. We can recount to him the stories we live, bringing to him the people and the situations that fill our lives. With him we can re-weave the fabric of life, darning its rips and tears. How much we, all of us, need to do exactly this! With the gaze of the great storyteller – the only one who has the ultimate point of view – we can then approach the other characters, our brothers and sisters, who are with us as actors in today’s sto - ry. For no one is an extra on the world stage, and everyone’s story is open to possible change. Even when we tell of evil, we can learn to leave room for redemption; in the midst of evil, we can also recog - nize the working of good - ness and give it space. e ntrust Let us entrust ourselves to a woman who knit to - gether in her womb the humanity of God and, the Gospel tells us, wove to - gether the events of her life… Let us ask for help from her, who knew how to untie the knots of life with the gentle strength of love: O Mary, woman and mother, you wove the di - vine Word in your womb, you recounted by your life the magnificent works of God. Listen to our stories, hold them in your heart and make your own the stories that no one wants to hear. Teach us to rec - ognise the good thread that runs through history. Look at the tangled knots in our life that paralyse our memory. By your gen - tle hands, every knot can be untied. Woman of the Spirit, mother of trust, in - spire us too. Help us build stories of peace, stories that point to the future. And show us the way to live them together. FRAnCiSCuS

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10 FLOURISH May 2020 news R adio Alba, Glasgow’s very own online Christian radio station, has seen a massive boost to its listening fig - ures during the current Covid-19 pandemic. Average daily audience figures were three times higher over the past month compared with the same period last year. In response Monsignor Gerry Fitzpatrick, who helped found Radio Alba seven years ago, has added extra Masses, special prayers and newly composed religious music to the regular features already available. Monsignor Fitzpatrick, parish priest at St Leo the Great, Dumbreck, and director of music for the Archdiocese said: “At times like these it’s natural that people turn to their faith for the hope it brings them. “We are delighted that people are listening to Radio Alba in greater numbers and we hope they will continue to do so.” Proving particularly popular with listeners is a prayer to St Roch, the 14th-century French-born patron saint of plague sufferers. Monsignor Fitzpatrick said: “He was reputed to be a healer who cured with prayer and the Sign of the Cross. “His image, with staff in hand and little dog at his feet, both as a statue and a painting can be seen in churches in towns and villages all over southern Europe and there are four chapels in Scotland dedicated to him. “They include St Roch’s in Glasgow which by coincidence is a former parish of mine.” The prayer reads: St Roch, you were noted for your goodness to the poor and your simplicity of life. The healing power of God was seen in you and many were comforted and cured of sickness when you invoked the sign of the cross. Be with us as we appeal to God for healing for ourselves, for those we love, for our community, and for all affected by the coronavirus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen To listen to Radio Alba visit website ■ https://radioalba.org or download the app from the app store on any Apple or Android device. Radio Alba triples listeners as Glasgow’s Christians discover the rich schedule offered by Dumbreck-based station T en golden rules for celebrating Mass on - line – the boom in online Masses has led one Bishops’ Conference to issue practi - cal guidelines for the cel - ebration of the Mass online during the current health emergency. The Italian Bishops pub - lished their guidelines as priests across the world be - gan to use the web to lives - tream services. The ten “practical indica - tions” begin by emphasis - ing what seems obvious but these days may no longer be obvious, namely that “the Eucharistic celebration must be carried out in a sacred place, paying due attention to the care and correct con - duct of the different rites.” Recommendation two calls for careful “preparation of the homily and prayers of the faithful”. Note three points out that “it is opportune to proclaim the Word of God not in a not but slow and meditative way”. “All ritual forms, verbal and non-verbal, ask for prepara - tion and dignity: from the proclamation of texts and prayers to silence, from the dignity of the liturgical spaces to the vestments, to the relevance of the music…” is the admonition in point four. The recommendation to kneel and stand in the ap - propriate places is recalled in the fifth recommenda - tion… “It is important to remember that the faithful must be trained in a ‘pres - ence’, even if mediated by the media, which does not exclude the involvement of the body”. Point six prioritises live celebrations over record - ings… pointing to the im - portance of safeguarding the transmission, live, of the celebration avoiding the “proliferation of recorded celebrations”. Where necessary (point seven), a “very small number of concelebrating ministers” is allowed, always “main - taining a social distance”. Point eight is important from a technical viewpoint, urging a wide screen view of the celebration rather than a close up focus on the priest’s face. “The frame, being gen - erally a room – in many cas - es that of the smartphone – should not constantly take a close-up, but opens to a wider screen where you can see the altar, the ambo, and the celebrant”. And if point nine seems obvious, it is nonetheless important – “audio must be taken care of from a techni - cal point of view”. Point 10 insists that maxi - mum attention should be paid to the “decorum of the liturgical celebration” using “liturgical books (missal and lectionary) and not other aids.” As for the altar and ambo, “they are to be well lit; at the altar there should be no shortage of candles; next to the ambo, in the Easter season, the Easter candle (of wax) is placed and there can be also floral arrangements that are always sober and never excessive.” Italian bishops’ ten commandments for celebrating the Mass via the internet ++ Communications Sunday 2020 ++ Communications Sunday 2020

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11 May 2020 FLOURISH art and spirituality T he Month of May is known among Catholics as Our Lady’s Month. Strange to say, during this month there are no major feasts of the Blessed Virgin. In May we celebrate Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament to honour her relationship to the Holy Eucharist and to place her before us as a model in our duties and devotion to the Blessed Sac - rament. On the same day, May 13 we celebrate Our Lady of Fatima which is an Optional Memorial which means it is a feast day the Church encourages us to cel - ebrate, without strictly requiring its observance. While there are lots of sweet and lovely little prayer cards of Our Lady of Fatima, I know of no notable paintings of her under this title. Still, we cannot think of May without Mary and so I have chosen a rather splendid painting in which the Archangel Gabriel hears Mary, full of grace, willingly surrendering her will to that of God. The annunciation is, of course, a feast of Our Lord but it points to the importance and role of Mary in the work of Salvation. “Let it be… Thy will be done.” The painting which dates from the 14th century is entitled, “The A n n u n c i a t i o n with St. Marga - ret and St. Ansa - nus” (who were patron saints of Siena’s Cathedral). Simone Martini painted the central panel and probably Lippo Memmi, his associate and broth - er-in-law was involved in the side panels. The rather splendid frame, though probably similar, is not the original. It can be seen at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Gold At first glance, with its five peaks, it looks rather unusual (the technical word would be a pen - taptych) but the central section is double size and consequently it is a triptych (three images) painted on wood in tempera and gold, with a dominant central panel. The use of rare and expensive materials such as gold-leaf and lapis lazuli are an indication that this work is considered as in - credibly important. It is, indeed, a masterpiece... The Archangel Gabriel holds an olive branch, a symbol of peace and points at the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, breathing down towards Mary, with rays of golden light speaking to her as does the angel. The Vir - gin stops reading but keeps her finger in the book and, looking perplexed, assumes a reluctant posture, while looking at the an - gel. This, of course, is before she gives her Fiat. Unsure of what is involved, nevertheless, she will gladly agree to God’s plan. Look closely and you will see something unusual. The words the angel speaks are actually written in the painting, being directed right into Mary’s ear. “Ave gratia plena dominus te - cum” (Hail favoured one the Lord is with you). There is a great elegance and richness in this painting and the most wonderful detail and sym - bolism. Consider the vase of lilies. They are a symbol of Mary’s pu - rity. Look at the incredible detail in the angel’s wing and the flow of his cloak; hanging in the air as if he has just arrived. One final and unusual point… Simone Martini was alive in the time of Petrarch, the scholar and poet whose father knew Dante. In exchange for a painting of his beloved, Petrarch immortalized Martini in two of his sonnets! P RAYeR OF t H e MO nt H O God, who chose the Mother of your Son to be our Mother also, grant us that, persevering in penance and prayer for the salvation of the world, we may bring to completion, more effectively each day, the reign of Christ in the world. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Art of the month h idden symbols reveal wonders of o ur Lady by mgr tom monaghan POeM OF t H e MO nt H This poem means a great deal to many people. It is often recited at Marian Devotions and Holy Hours and invariably someone afterwards would ask for a copy. The author is Mary Dixon Thayer who wrote more than one poem for Our Lady. This prayer-poem was popularized in the 1950s by the Venerable Arch - bishop Fulton Sheen. Lovely Lady dressed in blue — t each me how to pray! God was just your little boy, t ell me what to say! Did you lift Him up, sometimes, Gently on your knee? Did you sing to Him the way Mother does to me? Did you hold His hand at night? Did you ever try t elling stories of the world? O! And did He cry? Do you really think He cares if i tell Him things — Little things that happen? And Do the Angels’ wings Make a noise? And can He hear Me if i speak low? Does He understand me now? t ell me — for you know. Lovely Lady dressed in blue — t each me how to pray! God was just your little boy, And you know the way.

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12 FLOURISH May 2020 S ince beginning the research project in Sep - tember 2017 I have been on a fascinating journey re - tracing the steps of Brother Walfrid. So far I’ve travelled to his birthplace in Ballymote, County Sligo and inter - viewed his surviving rela - tives. I’ve also visited the parish school in Spitalfields, Lon - don where he taught after moving there from Glasgow. Most recently, I’ve now vis - ited the Marist Archives lo - cated in Lyon, France where I managed to uncover some new details about Andrew Kerins’ formation as Brother Walfrid in his early 20s. I first became aware of the Marist archives in St- Genis-Laval, near the city of Lyon in south-east France, around eighteen months ago in 2018. It was then that I made initial contact with Carles Domenech, archivist for the combined historical records of the Brothers in France. Given that a young An - drew Kerins had travelled to France in the early 1860s to ‘take the habit’ and join the Marist Brothers my focus was to uncover as much de - tails as possible on what was perhaps the most formative event in the life of Brother Walfrid’s life. He travelled from Glasgow to the Marist training college at Beaucamps in the north of France as a 24-year-old pos - tulant in 1864. Thanks to the work completed at the Lyon archive, all of the surviving historic materials from the Marist bases in France are now able to be researched from a central location. The archival collection is understandably wide- ranging and dates back to the foundation of the Marist Brothers by Saint Marcellin Champagnat over two cen - turies ago in 1817. I was delighted and grate - ful to be working alongside Brothers Alois – a German – and Andre Lanfrey – a Frenchman –who very kind - ly offered their own trans - lations of and insights into some of the new informa - tion uncovered. I also visited two sites in the region which are inte - gral to the origins of the Marist Order. La Valla is a small hilltop town set within a mountainous region be - tween the French cities of Lyon and St Etienne. It was here that Saint Mar - cellin Champagnat, then a local priest, came and gath - ered candidates together on January 2nd 1817 to instruct them on how to become the very first Marist Brothers. We were able to see for ourselves the original class - room where the Marist edu - cational tradition began. The site is now preserved as part of a museum and visi - tor centre which welcomes guest from all over the world. I noted that the guest book there was signed by pilgrims from China, Rus - sia and Brazil. A truly global movement! The second stop on our whistle-stop tour was Notre Dame de L’Hermitage – the original ‘Mother house’ for the Marist Brothers – which is set close by La Valla in the Rhone valley outside Lyon. This worldwide base for the institute was first con - structed during the lifetime of Saint Champagnat. It also now houses an ex - tensive modern museum which details how the Broth - ers branched out from their humble origins in France and eventually spread their teaching to all corners of the globe, including of course Scotland. The opportunity to im - merse myself in the very origins of the Marist Broth - ers by visiting both La Valla and L’Hermitage was above and beyond what I expected to achieve from the trip to Lyon. Coupled with the archival work carried out at St-Genis- Laval and living within the international community of Brothers for the week, I now have a much deeper under - standing of the Marist char - ism and how it manifests in practice. Everywhere I have been people have been more than helpful in sharing what they know about Brother Wal - frid and I’ve learnt so much along the way. I’m learning something new all the time and am ex - cited to share my knowledge when my research is com - plete. For this update I would ■ like to thank Brother Dr Brendan Geary, who recently retired as Marist Provincial for West Central Europe, for helping to facilitate a research trip which was almost two years in the planning. My thanks also to Emma O’Neil from the Nine Muses group who funded the research trip as well as providing a limited-edition box set of Peter Howson’s portrait of Brother Walfrid to present as a gift to the Marist community in Lyon. feature Postgraduate student Michael Connolly, currently compiling the world’s first PhD into the life of Brother Walfrid, describes a visit to the Marist training college in France where he studied as a 24 year old postulant Br Walfrid’s French visit revealed In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek ref - uge under your protection. Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment. Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffer - ing may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the vic - tims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust. Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save oth - ers. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity and continued health. Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone. Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this vi - rus. Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions in - spired by farsightedness and solidarity. Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promot - ing effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraterni - ty and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer. Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course. To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen. Pope’s prayer to Mary in times of pandemic

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13 May 2020 FLOURISH thank y ou to the nhs , carers and frontline workers Debt Advisory Services (Scotland) We offer a range of Scottish debt solutions that: ● Suit your personal circumstances ● Lower your monthly payments ● Write off unaffordable debt Scottish Debt Advice That You Can Trust If you are struggling to get out of debt, it’s time to break the cycle with Debt Advisory Services (Scotland) Ltd! Debt Advisory Services (Scotland) Ltd, a private limited co mpany, was launched in February 2006 to provide a wide range of Scottish debt help solutions. We are regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide debt advice on a range of Scottish debt solutions to people living in Scotland. Debt Help in Scotland Living in Scotland, there are a range of Scottish debt help solutions that can assist you in dealing with your creditors. To ensure that we provide you with the best Scottish debt advice available, we will fully discuss your situation and objectives prior to making any recommendations. Taking part in our Fresh Start programme could save you hundreds of pounds each year and you will be able to keep more of your money in your pocket each month. If you are looking for a Scottish debt help solution from a debt management company that you can trust, look no further than Debt Advisory Services Scotland. We can help point you in the right direction, providing you with friendly, professional and confidential debt advice when you need it most. ● Debt Management Plan ● Trust Deeds ● Debt Arrangement Scheme ● Debt Consolidation     0800 011 2322 File name: DAS_130x180_NHS Client: DAS Size: 130mmx180mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: April 28, 2020 9:37 AM Status: Client proof 5 Debt Advisory Services (Scotland) Ltd Contact us on: 0141 563 7240 (Temporary line due to Covid-19) or on 0800 011 2322 (Free from Landlines) to discuss your situation with one of our fully trained advisors. Or visit us at: www.debtadvisoryservicesscotland.co.uk Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Debt Advisory Services (Scotland) wish to thank all our NHS Staff, Frontline workers, Care Workers, Volunteers and all who are working on a daily basis saving lives. SPUC Scotland would like to thank all NHS Staff, Frontline workers, Social Care Workers, Volunteers and all who are saving lives daily during this exceptionally difficult time in all our lives. Knights of St Columba The Knights of St Columba wish to send our sincere thanks and gratitude to all our NHS Staff, Frontline workers, Social Care workers, volunteers and to all who are risking their own lives helping others beat the Coronavirus. Our Love and prayers continue daily for all of you and for all who have suffered during this very difficult time. May the Blessed Mother and St Columba guide us all and keep us healthy at this time and in the future. Bertie M. Grogan Supreme Knight Knights of St Columba Head Office 75 Hillington Road South · Glasgow G52 2AE · Scotland T: +44 (0) 141 883 5700 File name: KSC NHS 16x3 Client: Knights of St Columba Size: 130mmx160mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: April 14, 2020 11:03 AM Status: House proof 1 I n a letter sent on Monday to over 100 street papers around the world, Pope Francis acknowledged that the coronavirus outbreak has severely tested the people who rely on them for an income. “I would like to acknowl - edge the world of street pa - pers and especially the ven - dors – who for the most part are homeless, terribly mar - ginalised, or unemployed: thousands of people across the world who live and have a job thanks to selling these extraordinary newspapers,” Pope Francis writes. Street papers are publi - cations produced to sup - port those who write, edit and distribute them. These newspapers often seek to give the marginalised a voice in their community. More than 100 street pa - pers are published in 35 countries, in 25 different languages. They provide 20,500 people with employ - ment and an income. Pope Francis expressed appreciation for this mis - sion, and warmly recalled a Caritas Italy project called Scarp de’ tenis. The pub - l i c a t i o n provides an income and “access to fundamen- tal citizens’ rights” to over 130 people facing finan - cial and social difficulties. Pope Francis also lament - ed that the Covid-19 pan - demic has kept those who rely on street papers from working. He said the “most vulnerable, the invisible, and those without an abode are at risk of paying the highest price” from the coronavirus. “I would like to express my solidarity with the journal - ists, the volunteers, and the people living thanks to these projects and who these days are doing everything they can thanks to many innova - tive ideas,” he said. The pandemic, said the by tony inglis Pope thanks to street papers Pope, has made their work difficult. “But I am sure that the great network of street papers will come back stronger than ever.” In conclusion, the Pope encouraged everyone to turn our attention to the poor during this unique moment. He said the poor can “help us all realise how much is actually happening to us and what our circumstances really are.” “Thank you for the work you do,” said Pope Francis, “for the information you provide, and for the stories of hope that you tell.”

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14 FLOURISH May 2020 thank y ou to the nhs , carers and frontline workers File name: Fertility Care Job Ad Client: Fertility Care Scotland Size: 85mmx120mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: April 9, 2019 10:47 AM Status: House proof 1 Contact: Fertility Care Scotland 0141 221 0858 Info@fertilitycare.org.uk www.fertilitycare.org.uk Please consider Fertility Care Scotland when you are making a Will or leaving a Legacy Registered Scottish Charity No. SC022875 Fertility Care Scotland is seeking to employ an Office Administrator for 16 hours per week If interested, please post or email your CV to The Chairman, Fertility Care Scotland 196 Clyde Street, Glasgow, G1 4JY Plan Your Family Naturally Using the Billings Ovulation Method ® To successfully achieve or avoid pregnancy File name: FCS_NHS_12x2 Client: Fertility Care Scotland Size: 85mmx120mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: April 14, 2020 11:15 AM Status: Client proof 2 Fertility Care Scotland wish to thank all NHS Staff and Frontline Workers involved in the containment and treatment of the COVID-19 virus, along with Social Care Workers and Volunteers assisting daily with hard work, compassion and love to help save lives. Plan Your Family Naturally Using the Billings Ovulation Method ® to Successfully Achieve or Avoid Pregnancy. Fertility Care Scotland 196 Clyde Street Glasgow, G1 4JY 0141 221 0858 info@fertilitycare.org.uk www.fertilitycare.org.uk Mortgage Matters: If you’re looking for a new mortgage – we can help! 0800 011 2322 During these dicult times, many people are needing to discuss one of the above and we will be happy to advise you on any of these matters. e Mortgage Advice Service can help point you in the right direction, providing you with friendly, professional and condential advice when you need it most. If you currently have a mortgage, we can help you to reduce your bills each month as you may be paying more than you need to. Contact us if you would like to discuss looking for a great mortgage deal and for mortgage advice that you can trust. YOUR HOME MA Y BE REPOSSESSED IF Y OU DO NOT KEEP UP REPA Y MENTS ON Y OUR MORTGAGE.

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15 May 2020 FLOURISH thank y ou to the nhs , carers and frontline workers eings ties vents … Unit 7, Priestfield Industrial Estate, Blantyre G72 0JA Tel: 01698 720333 · Mobile: 07768 588707 Email: info@anyascatering.co.uk www.anyascatering.co.uk Please visit our website for more information Anya’s Catering are sending a message of thanks to all the wonderful NHS staff, support workers and those amazing people who are supporting the country during this trying time. Our love and prayers are with you all. If you are looking for wedding catering services in Glasgow, Motherwell, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire or pretty much anywhere in the central belt of Scotland, Anya’s Catering Services offer a wide range of service that will complete your special day. Whatever you decide there is something there for everyone. You can choose from a range of packages: · A menu only package · A menu and drinks package · Or you can mix and match We offer many services including: · Dedicated wedding co-ordinator · Master of ceremonies · Use of cake knife and silver round or square cake base · Personalised menus File name: Anya_Catering_18x3_NHSThanks Client: Anya’s Catering Size: 130mmx180mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: April 7, 2020 10:41 AM Status: Client proof 1 Teaching in Catholic Schools Would you like to be a Catholic teacher in the Catholic sector? At the School of Education at the University of Glasgow you can take the Catholic Teacher’s Certificate as part of our teacher education degrees, Masters in Education (MEduc) or Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). Your school placements will focus on the Catholic sector and you will benefit from the expertise of our professional and academic colleagues. You can enjoy being part of the wider University community, particularly its lively Catholic chaplaincy. Check out our website at: www.glasgow.ac.uk/education Teaching in Catholic Schools Would you like to be a Catholic teacher in the Catholic sector? At the School of Education at the University of Glasgow you can take the Catholic Teacher’s Certificate as part of our teacher education degrees, Masters in Education (MEduc) or Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). Your school placements will focus on the Catholic sector and you will benefit from the expertise of our professional and academic colleagues. You can enjoy being part of the wider University community, particularly its lively Catholic chaplaincy. Check out our website at: www.glasgow.ac.uk/education The University of Glasgow would like to express their gratitude to all NHS Staff, Frontline Workers, Social Care Workers, Volunteers and all who have taken on the important roles in assisting to beat the Covid-19 Virus. Thank you for all your compassion, love and hard work helping to save lives. File name: Glasgow University NHS 130x180 Client: Glasgow University Size: 130mmx180mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: April 16, 2020 4:37 PM Status: Client proof 3 T hese are strange days for us all. Here at SCIAF we’re living through this just like everyone else, but we’re also hearing from our partners all over the world about the dreadful situations they’re facing as well. Right now, we’re listening to them, to understand how we can best support them through this crisis. We’ll con - tinue to work hand in hand with them, and the commu - nities we serve, to overcome the challenges they face, now and in the future. Of course, this crisis hit during Lent, a blow to us all, but a particularly tricky time for SCIAF as it had a big im - pact on our WEE BOX cam - paign. This year’s appeal is focused on women affected by sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and our supporters have responded with incred - ible generosity. However, the closure of Churches just before the fourth Sunday of Lent, when we have our annual collec - tion was a big blow, that means we will struggle to help as many women in the DRC as we had hoped too. And the situation there isn’t getting easier. s ituation Our ambassador, singer and actor Lorraine McIntosh, travelled to the DRC to see our work there in January and she’s been thinking a lot about the women she met there. “I saw how money from Scotland for the WEE BOX appeal is helping them to re - cover, earn a living and build a future again,” she told us. “However, having seen first-hand the conditions in which these extremely poor communities live, I am very concerned about how the coronavirus will affect them. With no clean running water, how will they protect them - selves and their families? How will they make ends meet under a lockdown if they can’t farm or sell their produce? “With no state help or sav - ings, how will they keep up with the rising food costs. Many people like the women and girls SCIAF is helping are living with HIV and AIDS as a result of rape. How will they be able to get their medicine or treatment? One thing is clear. After everything they have been through, due to coronavirus, life for these women, girls and their fami - lies will become even hard - er.” Lorraine added that ‘dur - ing these difficult times, we know there is a lot of pres - sure on families in Scotland and communities are com - ing together to look after one another. Please also remember the desperately poor communities around the world who were already struggling. We can’t leave them to face this crisis alone and they need our help more than ever’. Times are hard here, but they are worse elsewhere. SCIAF are trying to get help those who desperately need it. There’s still time to make a difference. Sadly you can’t hand your WEE BOX into your Parish, but you can still make your donation to SCIAF online at www.sciaf.org.uk/donate or call 041 354 5555. When you give to the WEE BOX BIG CHANGE appeal before the 20th of May your donation will be doubled by the UK government. Don’t forget your wee box changes lives Ian Dunn sciaf Communications Officer Ana ’ s Carin

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F O R W O M E N E X P L O R I N G F R A N C I S C A N V O C A T I O N w w w. f r a n c i s c a n v o c a t i o n s . o r g . u k Franciscan Minoress 6x2.qxd 19/7/10 13:41 Page 1 Alex B la c k F U N E R A L C A R E 7 P e e l g l e n R o a d D r u mc hap e l g15 7x n t e l e p ho n e 9 49 123 4 2 88 – 2 90 D y k e R o a d Kn i g ht s w o o d g1 3 4q u t e l e p ho n e 95 9 123 4 1927 Mar y hi l l R o a d Mar y hi l l g20 0b x t e l e p ho n e 9 46 123 4 � 2 4 h o u r car i ng & pr o f e ssi o nal se r v i c e � F u ne r al planni ng , a d v i c e and i nf o r m at i o n � Se r v i c e r o o m a vai lab le w i t h pr i vat e r e st r o o m s Alex Black 10x2.qxd 21/5/10 12:18 Page 1 16 FLOURISH May 2020 education pct@rcag.org.uk · 0141 226 5898 · Scottish Charity SC029832 A charity of the Archdiocese of Glasgow The St Nicholas Care Fund is now operating a rolling grants programme and will accept and process applications as soon as they are submitted. We would be particularly interested in receiving applications from groups and organisations that are working to help combat the effects of Covid 19 on our most disadvantaged communities. Grants can be made for any one-off project costs. Application forms are available from our website. File name: SNCF 5x2 Client: St Nicholas Care Fund – May 2020 Size: 85mmx50mm Publication: Flourish Artworker: RP Time: April 14, 2020 9:58 AM Status: Client proof 2 St Nicholas Care Fund www .t mc go wa n.c o.uk f ami l y fi r m e s t abl i s he d 1947 S t . K e nt i ge r n ’ s C e m e t e r y 109 T r e s ta R o ad, G l as g o w g23 5 aa T e l e p h one : 0 141 946 2 42 9 Li nn C e m e t e r y 6 02 L ain s h aw D riv e , G l as g o w g45 9s p T e l e p h one : 0 141 6 34 85 15 D a l b e t h C e m e t e r y 1920 L o n do n R o ad, G l as g o w g32 T e l e p h one : 0 141 7 7 8 4916 P h i l i p sh i l l C e m e t e r y W e s te r f ie l d R o ad, E as t Kil bride g76 T e l e p h one : 0 141 6 44 45 35 Ne w Me mo r i al s · Ad d i ti o n al L e t te r i n g · C l e an i n g A ll w or k c omp le t e d i n any c e me t e r y . B r oc hur e av ai lable on r e q ue s t T . M c G o wan & S o n s M o n u me n tal S c u l pto rs T McGowan 8x2.qxd 13/7/10 11:03 Page 1 Advice for coping in a pandemic W e are all finding our - selves in strange, un - chartered times. For almost all of us, pan - demics were things of the past, tragic events that occurred long before the progress of modern medi - cine. And yet, here we are, in the middle of a global emer - gency. This is an anxious time for everyone, for those isolated at home, separated from family and friends, and for those who are con - tinuing to perform their usual work routines, and especially for those on the front-line of our NHS serv - ices. However, as ‘lockdown’ becomes the new normal, considering the best means of coping with enforced iso - lation is becoming increas - ingly important. The problem is, these are novel times, far outside the experience of almost all of us. How do we learn what’s best to do, or not to do? One important potential source of helpful advice may be available to us from those who choose to live in isolat - ed, confined, extreme situa - tions. Researchers Smith and Barrett provide some use - ful evidence to support us. They have considered work - ing populations including polar scientists, astronauts, submariners, oil-rig work - ers and expeditioners. What can their collective experi - ences tell us about our own current circumstances? The physical contexts encoun - Life under lockdown presents new challenges for people of faith. Rev Michael Ross (who is a Deacon of Motherwell Diocese and also a clinical psychologist) offers some tips on staying well and sane in the current pandemic tered by these groups dif - fers to our own domestic experience, but the psycho - logical stresses are some - what similar. We share a need to adapt to unusual conditions, we share a need to learn to cope with a sense of threat, uncertainty and danger. Studies with people living in extreme environ - ments may point us to some useful strategies. Transitioning from our usual lives to our current confinement takes time and knowing that a transitional period is necessary is use - ful. To ease this transition, the development of a rou - tine seems crucial. Routines appear to give us a sense of control, and help to reduce uncertainty by ensuring consistent structure in each day. Remember to acknowl - edge what you’re feeling. It might be helpful to apply some curiosity to your own inner world. You might say, ‘I’m noticing some anxi - ety, or loneliness, or sad - ness.’ If feeling particularly stressed, find your own way to connect with your physi - cal body. Take some slow breaths, press your feet hard into the floor, slowly press your fingertips together. At the same time, focus on what you are doing. Notice what you can see, hear and smell, right now. Uncertainty about what lies ahead easily leads to feelings of anxiety and fear. Thinking rationally about what risks we actually face, and taking steps to mini - mize those risks, can be useful. Remember to focus on what you can do. Fear and anxiety are normal re - sponses to current events, you can’t control them. Nor can you control the spread of the virus all by yourself. But you can control what you do, here and now, and focussing on that can be helpful. Under the present restric - tions on our lives, monotony and boredom are genuine threats. This is where social media can be of enormous value, from streaming me - dia and podcasts, to ‘Face Time’ interactions with family and friends. Variety appears impor - tant, and taking up hobbies and creative pursuits, ne - glected in the past through a lack of time, is helpful. For Ernest Shackleton’s crew in 1908, the staging of theatri - cal performances, and read - ing aloud to one another proved invaluable. Amateur dramatics, anyone? Alternately, try a new rec - ipe or reach for that board game at the back of the cup - board that you’ve forgotten about. Exercise is crucial and there appear to be no end of ‘YouTube’ routines to engage with. It might be worthwhile to think carefully about social media interactions. Letting friends and family know what times through the day are best for calls might en - hance the value of that con - tact. Similarly, it might be important to consider what content in a contact might be the most useful to you. With 24 hour news feeds, it becomes very easy to over - load ourselves and others with consistently depress - ing information. Feelings of low mood and low motivation are almost inevitable consequences of isolation. Again, acknowl - edging those feelings and, at the same time, focussing on small achievements can be beneficial. Sharing these achievements with others, or even holding celebra - tion meals to mark these achievements can bolster feelings of being able to cope. Keeping a journal dur - ing this time can also be an important way of process - ing thoughts, feelings, frus - trations and worries. Being cooped up with the same people for extend - ed lengths of time can be stressful and this includes those nearest and dearest to us. Tolerance for others and for ourselves is called for and some degree of self- restraint may be invaluable. It may be useful to consider establishing an area of per - sonal space in the home, a safe place to retreat to when the going gets especially tough. Research indicates that setting some ground rules for difficult discussions about the irritations expe - rienced among us in ‘lock - down’ can also be necessary. Above all, be kind to your - self. Think of all the support - ive things you would say to a family member or colleague in these dark days. Then, say those things to yourself! We will all cope with iso - lation in our own ways. Pay - ing attention to some of the research my provide some useful, and even helpful, clues. The important thing to remember is that, this, too, will end!

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17 May 2020 FLOURISH columnists T he early part of last month has commemo - rated a couple of landmark anniversaries for me and my family. On 1st April 2000 I con - ducted the wedding of my niece, so this year marked their 20th anniversary. I’m ashamed to say I forgot about it, initially, and then belatedly contacted her to offer the two of them my congratulations. It was a memorable day and it was the last family gathering that my mother attended before she passed away the following year. The father of the bride, my fa - mous, or infamous brother Hugh, the doyen of Scottish sports journalists as I like to call him, is still in lock - down with his beloved wife, but using social media he was able to get a lovely Ital - ian meal, complemented by good wine, sent to his daughter and son-in-law, from Massimo’s Restaurant in Bearsden, so that they could celebrate. I am also writing this log on Holy Wednesday, and this marks the 60th anni - versary of my father’s death. On the morning of Friday 8th April 1960, the Friday before the beginning of Holy Week that year, two police - men came to our door at 5 Thurso Street in Partick, to inform my mother that her husband, who was working away in Consett at the time, in the steel works, having been made redundant from the shipyards, had collapsed and died on his way to work earlier that very day. It’s hard to believe that 60 years have passed since then. My brothers and I were 6, 8 and 10 years of age at the time. Our mother was 40. In the meantime, we, the Passionists, have settled into a different pattern of life, and this now includes streaming some Masses and services from the oratory of our Passionist community house in Bishopbriggs. Unfortunately, we are not able to do it from the church as we don’t have proper streaming facilities, but people who have been able to log in seem to enjoy the intimacy of the smaller space, while still of course longing for our return to St Confessions of a technophobe priest Fr Frank’s log Fr Frank Keevins cp is Parish Priest of St Mungo’s Townhead Mungo’s. We are also being joined by people from Ireland and also from other countries, Italy, Spain and Singapore included. There has been the odd technical glitch but, for the most part, it has gone quite smoothly. The actual oratory in our house is very small and wouldn’t have been at all suitable, and so, for the time being, we have converted the late Father Lawrence’s room into a sacred space and that is where we stream from. Father Lawrence contin - ues to make his presence felt. While we were stream - ing our Service of Healing and Reconciliation on Holy Tuesday night, just as Fa - ther Antony prepared to proclaim the first reading, a telephone sounded. We cast accusatory glances at each other, wondering who was daft enough to leave their phone on, and then we re - alised that, from behind a curtain concealing a book case, it was actually Father Lawrence’s phone that was sounding! Father Antony quickly turned it off and we re - sumed the service. After - wards I tried to redial the number but it appeared to be withheld. With Father Gareth away, I took the unlikely step of joining Facebook so as to support Father Antony in contact with Passionist Young Team from St Mun - go’s in any way that I could. As an avowed techno - phobe, however, I had no idea what this actually en - tailed, and I got a bit pan - icky when my mailbox filled up with all these friend re - quests, hundreds of them, some from very good peo - ple I knew, but mostly from people I’ve never heard of in my life. I have decided, therefore, I am going to un-subscribe, or whatever it is you do, as I don’t really see myself be - coming a social media buff – a night in with a good book seems much more ap - pealing! J E RIC H O T h e C omp as s i on of J es u s Dr u g & Alco h o l Re h a b s . , Re f u g e f o r Vict im s o f Do m e st ic Vio le n ce , Su p p o r t e d Acco m m o d a t io n f o r t h e De st it u t e , t h e Dist r e sse d , a n d a ll b e in g ‘p a sse d b y o n t h e o t h e r sid e . ’ V o c a t i o n i n f o . f r o m Br o . P a t ri c k M u l l e n , T h e J e ri c h o So c i e t y , M a t e r Sa l v a t o ri s , Ha re l a w F a rm, Ki l b a r c h a n , Re n f re w s h i re . P A1 0 2 PY Sc o t t i s h Ch a ri t y SC0 1 6 9 0 9 T e l : 0 1 5 0 5 6 1 4 6 6 9 Ema i l : t h e J e ri c h o s o c i e t y @g ma i l . c o m A C O MMU N ITY O F MEN O F PR A Y ER FO R O U R TIMES (founded 1970) Jericho 7x2.qxd 10/3/11 12:02 Page 1 t o a lif e of silenc e and solitude within a c ommunit y of f ello w seek ers? T he C ist er cian monks a t Nunr a w A bb ey off er such an opp or tunit y . W ith them y ou can pr aise G o d thr ough the psalms and litur gy a t set times during the da y . Y ou will ha v e time t o study the w a y s of G o d and t o meet G o d in y our lec tio divina. A nd , y ou will find w ork tha t will k eep b o dy and soul t o gether . I f y ou ha v e go o d r eason t o b eliev e G o d ma y b e calling y ou t o b e a monk , writ e t o: V o ca tion Dir ec t or , Nunr a w A bb e y HADDING T ON, EH41 4L W , S c otland Or email: nunr a w .abb ot@y aho o .c o .uk S c ottish C har it y No SC O22611 I s G o d calling y ou? Project2:Layout 2 27/07/2017 13:55 Page 1 Otherwise, Father Gareth is still in Wales, with a bit of a sore throat at present, and a blocked nose, so it’s really his mum that’s looking after him now and not vice-versa. Father Antony maintains his evening walks, still stop - ping at his mum’s house; I continue to provide daily care for my brother who has now received his letter from the Prime Minister, al - though, vulnerable as he is, he might be in better shape than many at the moment; and lastly, Father Justinian, who has just celebrated his 89th birthday, continues his house isolation, with an oc - casional walk in the garden. www .mainheadstones.co.uk W e have 100 different styles of headstone to choose from at our showyard 2`6" POLISHED GRANITE HEADSTONES FROM £ 450 0141 641 0088 WHY P A Y MORE THAN YOU HA VE TO! PHONE FOR A FREE BROCHURE OPEN 7 DA YS 282 Main Street, Cambuslang , Glasgow (at Railway Station) Bobby Main 8x2.qxd 24/05/2013 11:10 Page 1 T he death occurred last month of Canon Barney Devine, long-time Parish Priest of St Mar - garet Mary’s, Castlemilk, one of Glasgow’s oldest priests. The Canon was born on 18 July 1927 and ordained a priest on 17 June 1951 by Bishop Daniel Cohalan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore at St John’s Col - lege Waterford, Ireland. He had been educated at St Patrick’s Primary Castlederg (1932–1939); Christian Brothers’ school Omagh (1939–1945) and studied for the priesthood at St John’s College Water - ford (1945–1951). He spent all his priestly life in Glasgow, serving in four parishes (one twice!): 1951–1967: Assistant Priest: Our Lady of Fatima; 1967– 1977: Assistant Priest St Au - gustine’s; 1977–1981: Parish Priest Our Lady of Fatima; 1981–1987: Parish Priest St Catherine’s; 1987–2008: Parish Priest St Margaret Mary’s. Archbishop Tartaglia wrote the following letter to the Canon’s family and home parish of Castlederg, County Tyrone, on learn - ing of the his passing. “Please convey to the family of Canon Bernard Vincent Devine, known to us all here as “Barney”, my prayerful condolences on his death. He was 69 years a priest, all of these spent in the service of Jesus Christ and his Church in this Archdiocese of Glas - gow. Please assure Sister Bridget and Sister Berna - dette, his other family and friends, who have been able to assemble in St Patrick’s Cemetery, Castlederg, for his committal, that I have offered Mass for the repose of his soul. “We have already notified our priests of his death. The people of this diocese are already praying for him, nowhere more than in St Joseph’s Residence, where he died, and in St Margaret Mary’s Parish, where he was Parish Priest for the last 21 years of his active priestly ministry. “It was his wish that his Funeral Mass should take place in St Margaret Mary’s Church. Once the present emergency is over, I will schedule a public In Memoriam Mass in St Margaret Mary’s for Can - on Barney. “May he rest in peace.” Castlemilk priest remembered Canon Barney Devine RIP

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18 FLOURISH May 2020 verbum vitae T his month takes us to the very end of the Easter season, on the very last day of May, which also ends the season of Easter quite neatly, finishing as it does on Pentecost Sunday. We also manage to cover most of the Easter season this month, from the 4th Sunday, often known as Good Shepherd Sunday, and also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Priest - hood and religious life, and the 7th Sunday, which is the World Day of Prayer for Communications. As we shall see, the anom - aly in the Gospels at this stage in the Easter season is that they are taken from the Gospel of John’s account of Jesus’ final teachings at the Last Supper, ending with the great Prayer with which that narrative ends. If this anomaly does nothing else, it will remind us that the Passion, Death and Resur - rection of Jesus make up a single event, and should always be treated as such. Thursday 21 May is the So - lemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and a Holyday of Obligation. Easter Week 4 Year A. World Day of Prayer for Vocations to Priesthood and Religious Life John 10:1–10 By the time we reach the first Sunday of the month of May, we are about half way through the Easter Season. The Gospel on this day is always from John chapter 10, which for many years now has been designated the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life. This year, Jesus’ focus is on the gate of the sheep - fold. He has just completed a ferocious onslaught on the Pharisees in the aftermath of his curing of the man born blind. These Pharisees, protest - ing that they are not blind (despite the fact they cannot see who Jesus is or what he is doing), are very much like blind shepherds. Jesus on the other hand is not only the true shepherd; he is the gate of the sheep - fold because he guarantees safety and security for the flock which his Father has given him. This model, combining shepherd and sheep fold, is appropriate for Vocations Sunday. Easter Week 5 Year A. John 14:1–12 The scene for today’s gospel is the Last Supper in the Gospel of John – specifi - cally the farewell discourse. The passage for today will be recognisable – at least in part – to many of us. The first half of it is frequently used in the funeral liturgy, and particularly in the Vigil and reception of the de - ceased the night before the funeral Mass itself. In that liturgy, the gospel ends at verse 6, “Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me’”. All might have been well if Jesus had not added, “If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.” This is all too much for Philip, who asks, “Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied”, to which Jesus replies, “have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, ‘Let us see the Father?’” Jesus must have been ex - asperated on hearing this. After all his teaching, af - ter his signs, especially after raising Lazarus from the dead, the disciples still do not grasp that what Jesus does, what he says, and who he is are all manifestations of God, his Father. Jesus is forced to return to an argument he has already used in this gospel with the Pharisees and their associ - ates – they were challenged to believe on the evidence of the works that Jesus per - formed, if on nothing else. The disciples are urged to do at least that. We can have the greatest sympathy for these men who have been with Jesus during his ministry. They have ac - cepted Jesus’ teaching, they are trying to understand his instructions, but how could they learn without the final part of the equation? It will not become clear to them until after Jesus’ resurrection. Then, even though they will struggle to make sense of this, and will need the Holy Spirit to teach them, they will begin to understand more clearly. We have been baptised, we have been confirmed, and we have heard the story of Jesus’ death and resurrec - tion. We have the sacra - ments, the scriptures, but even with these, do we have any better understanding that in Jesus’ words and ac - tions, we hear and see God’s words and actions? Easter Week 6 Year A John 14:15–21 The sign that Jesus’ dis - ciples love him will be found when they keep his com - mandments. No elaboration of this is given, but Jesus immediately goes on to say that he will ask the Father, who will give the disciples Joy of the e aster season fills May’s selection of readings 3 MAY another advocate. Actually, Jesus does not say ‘advocate’, but ‘paraclete’, which does not move the discussion very far! It’s not easy to describe succinctly what ‘paraclete’ means, be - cause for the Jews it meant a companion, a guide, a men - tor, whereas for the Greeks and Romans it meant a legal representative, hence the translation ‘advocate’, in the sense of a good lawyer. So when our translation says that Jesus will ask the Father to send an advocate, it is partially correct, but there is more to the Para - clete, the Holy Spirit than legal adviser. The rest of the passage gives us some clues as to what the Paraclete will do for disciples. First, the Paraclete is the Spirit of Truth. That is why it is so important for us to invoke the Holy Spirit when we try to understand the things of God. Secondly, The Spirit will be our companion, so that Jesus will not leave his disciples of any generation as orphans. There will be a bewilder - ing time coming soon for disciples when the world will no longer see Jesus – first, because he will be laid in the tomb, although he will rise again on the third day – secondly because he will no longer be visible on earth. But his disciples, to whom the gift of the Holy Spirit is given, and who are those who will receive his 10 MAY Tiziano Vecellio (Titian), Pentecost (1545). Canon Robert Hill 17 MAY 31 MAY 21 MAY 24 MAY They are the ones who will make his name known in their own time; who will bear witness to his words and deeds by their own words and deeds. At one level, this is a prayer for all disciples, because we are all commissioned to be Jesus’ witnesses, the proclaimers of his Gospel in our words and deeds. Specifically on this Sunday, we pray for those professionals in me - dia who dedicate their lives to proclaiming the gos - pel through the media of print, radio, television, and the ever increasing ways in which the media exists to - day. Pentecost Sunday Gospel - John 14:1–12 On the last Sunday of Easter – Pentecost, we return to the scene of the evening of the First Day of the Week – the day of Jesus’ resurrection, when he sud - denly appeared in the midst of terrified disciples, locked away behind closed doors, hoping that they will not share the same fate as Jesus. When Jesus appears – the barrier of the closed doors does not prevent him enter - ing the room – he imparts what he had promised at the Last supper; then he be - queathed his peace: a peace the world cannot give. Now he delivers what he has promised. They are given the power to forgive sins, which is the most im - portant expression of Jesus’ ability to heal what is bro - ken in humanity. Forgiveness makes the acceptance of peace a possi - bility, a reality. And he deliv - ers his promise to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be sent by the Father in Jesus’ name. These gifts are given to us to this very day – the peace of Christ, his bequest. We could almost call this Jesus’ hallmark – not just any old peace, or cessation of violence. This peace is one the world cannot give. Only the Holy Spirit can ensure we remain in that peace. With peace comes forgive - ness. There can be no peace when refusal to forgive ex - ists. Jesus promised that after he left his disciples, he would sent the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who would maintain in them all that Jesus had won for them by his death and resurrection – gifts which are hallmarks of the Church. commandments and keep them, will also be loved by Jesus’ Father. Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Year A. Matthew 28:16–20 The Ascension of the Lord is a very well-known story, and yet when you look at how it is described in the gospels, specific details are few and far between. To begin with, only Luke’s gospel explicitly describes the event. Luke also gives an account in the Acts of the Apostles (today’s first reading), but his two accounts don’t quite match. Luke’s gospel says Jesus as - cended at the end of the day of Resurrection, and it hap - pened just outside Jerusa - lem. In Acts however, Luke says that for 40 days Jesus continued to appear to dis - ciples, and then was taken up into heaven. We tend to think of to - day’s gospel from Matthew as an Ascension story, but Matthew locates his end of gospel scene on a moun - tain in Galilee. He does not explicitly say that Jesus ascended from there! The original end of Mark does not mention this at all. So, what are we to make of this? A few things are clear. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to disciples, as individuals, or in groups. He teaches them that the Christ had to suffer, die, and then rise again. Jesus’ final act before his Ascension is always reas - suring: in Matthew, he says “Know that I am with you always”. Perhaps that’s the single most important point we can take from the Ascension story. We can feel isolated, separated from Christ when life gets tough; we remem - ber his final encourage - ment: he is always with us. Easter Week 7 Year A John 17:1–11 This is another Sun - day of the Easter season which has a World Day of Prayer attached to it – this time Communications. This one is not as old as Vocations Sunday – it was a product of the Second Vatican Council. The association with the 7th Sunday of Easter each year is a good one. The gospel for this Sunday always comes from John Chapter 17, which is Jesus’ prayer for those who will carry on what he began – his disciples in every gen - eration.

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19 May 2020 FLOURISH Kiltwalk Gear Up For Sport We believe in giving back to our local communities. That means charities, sports teams and great causes across the UK. Marie Curie Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice

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20 FLOURISH May 2020 7.30am Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary & Morning Prayer 9am Praise & Worship 5pm Evening Prayer & Rosary + Wednesdays 7pm - Praise, Worship, Hope & Healing + For Families + Prayer Ministry Facebook | Instagram | Twi � er | Youtube www.craiglodge.org T: 01838 200216 | mail@craiglodge.org f ind us on craig lodge facebook page and on other pla � orms soon Craig Lodge - a House of Prayer online join us for prayer, praise & adoration Mondays - Fridays

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21 May 2020 FLOURISH news e ditorial: 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 FLOURISH FL3 RESPOND IN LOVE We know that with parishes closed you may not be able to hand in your WEE BOX as you normally would, but you may still have a donation for SCIAF. The sooner we receive your gift the sooner we can put it into action. This year, your £1 = £2. Give before 20th May and all public donations to our WEE BOX BIG CHANGE appeal will be doubled by the UK government. Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund

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