At the start of September, the Dundee and Perth Circle of the Catenian Association returned to live meetings after eighteen months of virtual encounters on ZOOM. Gathering at Perth’s Royal George Hotel, Circle President, Sheriff Kevin Veal extended a warm welcome to the members who had joined the Circle, in blind faith, during lockdown. Brother President Kevin said, “The Dundee …
Scottish Government accused of ‘riding roughshod over democracy’
The Scottish government has been accused of breaking with convention and deliberately diminishing the views of thousands of individuals who responded to a consultation on home abortions in July. In a strongly worded critique, the Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, Anthony Horan has condemned the decision to nullify the responses of the majority of people who took part in …
Climate Sunday Initiative in lead up to COP26
With less than 100 days to go until COP26 – the critical international climate negotiations which the UK government will host and chair in Glasgow in November 2021 – a broad coalition of Christian denominations and charities is calling on all churches to hold a ‘Climate Sunday’ and commit to effective action themselves, before talks begin. So far, more than …
Responsibility and Respect for Others in the Body of Christ – A short guide for parishes beyond Level Zero
On Monday 9th August the Scottish Government lifted almost every restriction that has shaped parish life since March 2020. What does this mean for your parish? The government guidance continues to promote the following: – maintaining good hand hygiene- everyone should sanitise their hands on entering and leaving the Church – practising respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette – wearing face coverings …
Grace celebrates 100 years and has an amazing tale to tell
AN EXTRAORDINARY Alloa woman who saved escaped prisoners of war as an Italian partisan during WWII, before marrying one, celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, June 19, some 77 years after she arrived in Scotland on a landing craft, having fled war-torn Italy. All those decades ago, Grace was helping escaped prisoners of war in Italy’s Abruzzo region as a …
Blairs opens new interactive museum
Blairs Museum, Scotland’s National Catholic Museum has launched a brand-new website featuring an interactive virtual museum and shop, thanks to funding from the Scottish Government’s “Museum Recovery and Resilience Fund” established to protect Scotland’s culture and heritage sectors from the impacts of Covid-19. The new website unites all the collections of the Scottish Catholic Heritage Collections Trust Museum, and the …
St Stephen’s Blairgowrie has something to celebrate after 104 years
On Wednesday 21st June, Fr Gregory Umunna welcomed Fr Chris Doig, a son of the parish at St Stephen’s, Blairgowrie, as the newly ordained priest returned to his home parish to celebrate a Votive Mass for the Solemnity of St Joseph. The Perthshire parish had proudly produced four priests since it opened in 1856 – the last one was 104 …
Traditional Latin Mass – Bishop Stephen’s update
As some of you may know, as of Friday, 16th July with the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes (Keepers of the Tradition), the Pope has abrogated the general permission or faculty for priests to celebrate the Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum of Saint John XXIII. The faculty of celebrating this Mass in what Pope Benedict XVI had called the Extraordinary form has been severely restricted, …
Bob Corrieri receives Papal Medal in Kinross
Fr Martin Pletts expressed his sincere congratulations on behalf of all at St James’, Kinross, to Bob Corrieri who has been awarded the Bene Merenti by his Holiness, Pope Francis. Bob was presented with the award at Holy Mass on 21st July by Bishop Stephen Robson.