Cathedral marks Archbishop Leo's anniversary

Archbishop Leo Cushley celebrated Mass today at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, in thanksgiving for his 40th anniversary of priesthood.

In his homily he said: "Being a priest has been a wonderful, unexpected adventure that has brought me, to my great and contented surprise, to here and now.

"I’m very grateful to all of you who have been part of the journey, and I ask you to continue your affection and support for me and my brother priests here.

"Help us to continue to seek the will of God, and to embrace it wholeheartedly and cheerfully, wherever the Lord wishes to take us."

A reception was held after Mass in Coffee Saints where Archbishop Leo was joined by family, friends and wellwishers.

Cathedral Administrator Mgr Jeremy Milne said: "We thank you for responding to the call so generously, for your long years of service to the Church, and for your dedicated leadership of the Archdiocese.

"We pray that God may grant you many years to come."

The Archbishop was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Motherwell on 7 July, 1985.

After serving as a priest for several years he was invited to join the diplomatic service of the Holy See.

He has worked in Burundi, Portugal, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and Botswana.

He was First Secretary for the Holy See’s Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2004 to 2007. From 2009 to 2013 he served in the Vatican and was head of the English-language section of the Secretariat of State.

He was installed as the 8th Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh in 2013.

Archbishop Cushley's homily

My dear friends,

A good Sunday and a warm welcome to you all on the day set aside to celebrate 40 years since my ordination to the priesthood.

The actual date was the 7th of July, but today is more convenient for most of us, so here we are.  A particular welcome to my family and friends, to those who have travelled from across the country, and even across the Pond to be here. It’s lovely to have you all here.

The priesthood for me has been a bit of an adventure, and an unexpected one.  I was ordained for Motherwell Diocese in 1985, and I was very happy working and living in Lanarkshire.

The furthest I had been sent was to our parish in Biggar, but that all changed on 1 December 1992, when I was asked to leave all that and go back to Rome and retrain, this time as a diplomat.

I spent the next twenty years at the service of the Holy See, including six years in Africa, five years in the Vatican, four years in a civil war, three years in the United Nations in New York, and three years in Portugal.  None of this was in my plans.

Coming to Edinburgh wasn’t part of my plans either, and yet, apart from my time in Rome, Edinburgh is now the place I’ve lived the longest, and before you ask, yes, I am very, very happy here.

And these are perhaps the first lessons I might to pass on to the next generation of priests and leaders in the Church: first, the Lord has plans for you, and they may be very different to the ones you had in mind.  And you have to learn that and accept that at some point.

And, related to that, learn to be obedient and be trusting, and you will happy.  Doing your duty gets a bad rap these days, and I am mystified by this.

Keeping your promises, doing your duty, embracing obedience, is one of the most liberating and fulfilling things I can think of.  To place your will in the hands of your superiors might seems scary out there in the world, but in the Church, it is a liberation.

Once you give up careerism, or the drive to make more money, the greed, the pride, the rat race, you are free.  You are free to give yourself with trust and confidence and an open heart.

By putting my will at the disposal of the Pope and my superiors in the Holy See, I’ve travelled all over the world, met wonderful people, seen our brothers and sisters in the Church serve their neighbours and overcome adversity, and learned what a loving, welcoming world-wide family we all belong to in the Church.  It's difficult to describe briefly, but you know it when you see it, whether you’re in Cairo or the Kalahari.

I saw a lot and, I hope, I learned a lot.  Pope Francis made much of us learning again to listen to each other.  If we talk all the time, we stop listening; if we stop listening, we stop learning; if we’ve already made up our mind, that mind will perforce be more limited.

And maybe that’s the second thing I would pass on to future priests and leaders: learn to be open, to listen, to learn.  One of our friends loves to say, “Every day’s a school day”, and he’s usually right.

There are the eternal, wonderful truths of our faith, and of nature, and of the cosmos around us.  There is also so much to learn, or see again, and see afresh. The Church proposes the truths of Jesus Christ to the ages, but that doesn’t mean that we, her members, have got all the answers, all of the time.  New problems require fresh thinking.

Thinking that is true and faithful to our divine Master, Jesus of Nazareth, thinking that is an authentic and therefore helpful development of the faith passed down to us, and that we strive to pass down faithfully to the next generation.  We need to be both prudent and open as well.

And to do that we must keep Jesus Christ at the centre of our vision.

And at the centre of that vision, we need to keep the Sunday Eucharist, the constant, sure focal point that binds us all together in communion with our living Lord, and, through the successor of Peter in the See of Rome, with all our brothers and sisters, both alive and asleep in the Lord.

It should also be fairly obvious that the priesthood is a life of service.  And for the avoidance of doubt, it is a service of other people, not oneself.

Too often those of us who have promised a celibate life become withdrawn, shrivelled up, enclosed within themselves.  Celibacy is intended to encourage the gift of ourselves fully to others: a gift of our time, our talents, even our lives.

But if we don’t nourish that gift-of-self within us and keep that spirit alive, consciously and unconsciously, over the years, that space that we ought to fill with service of others, can be easily filled instead with self-regard, self-pity, self-serving.

Of course, you don’t have to promise to be celibate for this to happen to you; plenty of people are only interested in Number One; but it’s a greater tragedy when it’s a man or a woman who has promised to serve others through celibacy, and instead ends up serving only themself.

Like consecrated virginity, celibacy should be liberating, it should be filled with joyful and contented service of God’s people; again, something for us all to notice and to better in ourselves from time to time.

Priesthood is also about knowledge, respect and promotion of the sacred mysteries of our faith, and in passing – as we say in the Ordination rites - about conforming ourselves to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.  We are to have a heart for action and a soul for prayer.  As it happens, this very point arises in today’s gospel: are we to be like Martha or like Mary?  Should priests give priority to a heart for action, like Martha, or a soul for stillness, like Mary?

It’s a good question for all the Lord’s disciples, so it’s also a question for us priests.

Are you a Martha or a Mary kind of disciple?

Are you a Martha or a Mary kind of priest?

First of all, it’s curious to me that in the history of the Church, it is Martha, not Mary, who is the one who has become by far the more celebrated of the two sisters.  And yet our Lord gently directs us, and Martha, to the example of her sister Mary, apparently doing nothing.  But, as our new translation has it, the Lord says that Mary is the one with the ”good portion”.  Mary’s got the good bit.  It’s not a criticism of Martha’s service, but more of a gentle reminder to get things in the right order.

We are first to give patient attention to the Lord; if not, what kind of service are we going to give?  Our service risks being empty or, at least, more remote than it need be from the mind of the Lord, and how He wants us to serve.  And the Lord never says, “Look, it’s one the other, either the heart of Martha or the soul of Mary”.

Disciples need both heart and soul.  Without the heart of Martha, nothing would get done. Without the soul of Mary, we would have little relation to God.  We ought to embrace action; but it’s better if it’s informed first by stillness before God, learning of His will for us, and embracing it lovingly and willingly. Then acting.

My friends, I didn’t set out today to give you a synthesis of what it’s like to be a priest, or what it has been like to be this priest.  These are just a few preliminary notes, a couple of insights.

But briefly, for my part, being a priest has been a wonderful, unexpected adventure that has brought me, to my great and contented surprise, to here and now.

I’m very, very grateful to all of you who have been part of the journey, and I ask you to continue your affection and support for me and my brother priests here.  Help us to continue to seek the will of God, and to embrace it wholeheartedly and cheerfully, wherever the Lord wishes to take us.

Please pray for us, as we pray for you, that we will all be good and faithful brothers and sisters to each other, and that the good Lord will bring us all one day together, to be happy with Him forever.

Thanks for listening and God bless you all!

Day for grandparents & elderly

This Sunday is the annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, will celebrate Mass at St Francis Xavier's at Carfin Grotto at 3:00pm.

In his Message for the Day, Pope Leo offers a scriptural meditation on old age, beginning with biblical figures such as Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, as well as Moses, all of whom were called in old age to be part of God’s saving plan.

Message of the Holy Father for the World Day for Grandparents & The Elderly

Dear brothers and sisters,

The Jubilee we are now celebrating helps us to realize that hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age. When that hope has also been tempered by fire over the course of a long life, it proves a source of deep happiness.

Sacred Scripture offers us many examples of men and women whom the Lord called late in life to play a part in his saving plan. We can think of Abraham and Sarah, who, advanced in years, found it hard to believe when God promised them a child. Their childlessness seemed to prevent them from any hope for the future.

Zechariah’s reaction to the news of John the Baptist’s birth was no different: “How can this be? I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years” (Lk 1:18). Old age, barrenness and physical decline apparently blocked any hope for life and fertility in these men and women.

The question that Nicodemus asked Jesus when the Master spoke to him of being “born again” also seems purely rhetorical: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (Jn 3:4). Yet whenever we think that things cannot change, the Lord surprises us with an act of saving power.

The elderly as signs of hope

In the Bible, God repeatedly demonstrates his providential care by turning to people in their later years. This was the case not only with Abraham, Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, but also with Moses, who was called to set his people free when he was already eighty years old (cf. Ex 7:7).

God thus teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope. Augustine asks, “What do we mean by old age?”

He tells us that God himself answers the question: “Let your strength fail, so that my strength may abide within you, and you can say with the Apostle, ‘When I am weak, then I am strong’” (Super Ps. 70,11). The increasing number of elderly people is a sign of the times that we are called to discern, in order to interpret properly this moment of history.

The life of the Church and the world can only be understood in light of the passage of generations. Embracing the elderly helps us to understand that life is more than just the present moment, and should not be wasted in superficial encounters and fleeting relationships.

Instead, life is constantly pointing us toward the future. In the book of Genesis, we find the moving episode of the blessing given by the aged Jacob to his grandchildren, the sons of Joseph; his words are an appeal to look to the future with hope, as the time when God’s promises will be fulfilled (cf. Gen 48:8-20).

If it is true that the weakness of the elderly needs the strength of the young, it is equally true that the inexperience of the young needs the witness of the elderly in order to build the future with wisdom.

How often our grandparents have been for us examples of faith and devotion, civic virtue and social commitment, memory and perseverance amid trials!

The precious legacy that they have handed down to us with hope and love will always be a source of gratitude and a summons to perseverance.

Signs of hope for the elderly

From biblical times, the Jubilee has been understood as a time of liberation. Slaves were freed, debts were forgiven and land was returned to its original owners.

The Jubilee was a time when the social order willed by God was restored, and inequalities and injustices accumulated over the years were remedied. Jesus evoked those moments of liberation when, in the synagogue of Nazareth, he proclaimed good news to the poor, sight to the blind and freedom for prisoners and the oppressed (cf. Lk 4:16-21).

Looking at the elderly in the spirit of this Jubilee, we are called to help them experience liberation, especially from loneliness and abandonment.

This year is a fitting time to do so. God’s fidelity to his promises teaches us that there is a blessedness in old age, an authentic evangelical joy inspiring us to break through the barriers of indifference in which the elderly often find themselves enclosed.

Our societies, everywhere in the world, are growing all too accustomed to letting this significant and enriching part of their life be marginalized and forgotten.

Given this situation, a change of pace is needed that would be readily seen in an assumption of responsibility on the part of the whole Church.

Every parish, association and ecclesial group is called to become a protagonist in a “revolution” of gratitude and care, to be brought about by regular visits to the elderly, the creation of networks of support and prayer for them and with them, and the forging of relationships that can restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten.

Christian hope always urges us to be more daring, to think big, to be dissatisfied with things the way they are. In this case, it urges us to work for a change that can restore the esteem and affection to which the elderly are entitled

That is why Pope Francis wanted the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated primarily through an effort to seek out elderly persons who are living alone.

For this reason, those who are unable to come to Rome on pilgrimage during this Holy Year may “obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they visit, for an appropriate amount of time, the elderly who are alone... making, in a sense, a pilgrimage to Christ present in them (cf. Mt 25:34-36)” (APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY, Norms for the Granting of the Jubilee Indulgence, III). Visiting an elderly person is a way of encountering Jesus, who frees us from indifference and loneliness.

As elderly persons, we can hope

The Book of Sirach calls blessed those who have not lost hope (cf. 14:2). Perhaps, especially if our lives are long, we may be tempted to look not to the future but to the past.

Yet, as Pope Francis wrote during his last hospitalization, “our bodies are weak, but even so, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being there for one another, in faith, as shining signs of hope” (Angelus, 16 March 2025). We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of: it is the freedom to love and to pray. Everyone, always, can love and pray.

Our affection for our loved ones – for the wife or husband with whom we have spent so much of our lives, for our children, for our grandchildren who brighten our days – does not fade when our strength wanes. Indeed, their own affection often revives our energy and brings us hope and comfort.

These signs of living love, which have their roots in God himself, give us courage and remind us that “even if our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16). Especially as we grow older, let us press forward with confidence in the Lord. May we be renewed each day by our encounter with him in prayer and in Holy Mass.

Let us lovingly pass on the faith we have lived for so many years, in our families and in our daily encounter with others. May we always praise God for his goodness, cultivate unity with our loved ones, open our hearts to those who are far away and, in particular, to all those in need.

In this way, we will be signs of hope, whatever our age.

Volunteers all set for Lourdes!

The Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes begins on Friday, led by Archbishop Cushley. We spoke to Scott Johnston, 52, a volunteer nurse on this year’s Archdiocesan Lourdes pilgrimage, to find out more about the brilliant care and support that the sick and infirm assisted pilgrims receive.

What is the main role of a volunteer nurse in Lourdes?
Pilgrimage nurses undertake a variety of roles across the year. All of our team are primarily focused on providing 24-hour nursing care whilst we are in Lourdes. We are also involved in meeting with assisted pilgrims and their families before travelling to discuss care needs and how this will be provided in the St Frai (the accommodation for assisted pilgrims). The Nursing Team deliver training sessions to support existing and new volunteers. I usually travel independently to Lourdes and help to set up our section of the St Frai before our pilgrimage group arrive. I then provide nursing care to pilgrims during the pilgrimage.

What is the best part of being a volunteer nurse?
I really enjoy being able to spend time with the assisted pilgrims and the other volunteers. As a pilgrimage nurse I also participate in all the masses and activities during the week. Lourdes allows me to use my clinical nursing skills in a way that I no longer do regularly in my day job in the NHS (National Maternity Improvement Advisor).

And the most challenging?
The week is very tiring, but it is also very enjoyable, so that makes up for it!

What kind of professional care do assisted pilgrims get?
The care we provide varies depending on the need of the pilgrim. This can include personal care, medication administration and assisting with eating and drinking. The nursing team are also responsible for dealing with any emergency situations that may occur (this is not very often).

From your experience, what parts of the pilgrimage do assisted pilgrims enjoy the most?
When I speak with pilgrims, they all speak of the spiritual side of Lourdes, the activities and the companionship as the parts they enjoy the most.

What support do volunteer nurses get in their role?
We have preparation meetings and training sessions. As a team we are very conscious of the variety of skills that we all have and we work very closely to support each other before and during the pilgrimage.

What feedback have you had from the families of assisted pilgrims about their experience in Lourdes?
 The feedback from families that I have had is very positive. Many families end up joining the pilgrimage in future years!

How do I find out more about this year’s pilgrimage?
Go to the www.edinburgh-lourdes.com which has all the info on this year’s pilgrimage.

This interview was originally published in February 2025.  www.edinburgh-lourdes.com/lourdes25

Clergy moves and appointments

Here are the latest clergy moves & other appointments of note, to take canonical effect on 6 September, unless otherwise noted.

Appointments:


Parish Priests and Administrators

Assistant Priests

Retirement

Rev Patrick Carrigan to retire from the active diaconate at the end of September 2025.

Here is a reminder of the clergy moves announced in June


These moves become canonically effective on 2 August 2025.

Pilgrims' joy on 1899 visit to Lourdes

Ahead of the Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes on Friday, we share fascinating insight into a 19th century pilgrimage from Edinburgh to Lourdes reveals the devotion of Scotland's Catholics to Our Lady.

Around 100 lay people from across Scotland travelled together in September 1899, along with nearly 30 priests.

A report of the pilgrimage describes their "tears of joy" as they took part in the famous torchlight procession at the French holy site.

A photo of the pilgrims in Lourdes has been shared by Donald Shaw, a longtime Lourdes Pilgrim himself, and a former principal teacher at Holy Rood High School.


It was on the pilgrimage that his grandfather, Donald Stuart Shaw, manager of the Ben Nevis distillery in Fort William, met future wife Belle Barnard of Edinburgh (both highlighted, above).

The Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage was led by Archbishop Angus MacDonald of St Andrews & Edinburgh (pictured bottom left, seated between Bishop James Augustine Smith (Dunkeld Diocese, right) and Bishop Aeneas Chisholm (Aberdeen Diocese, left). Bishop Smith would later become Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh from 1900-28.

The Pilgrims first visited Paris, which included a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral.

They then headed to Lourdes with the report in The Tablet stating: "All credit is given for the cheerful manner in which they bore the great fatigue of the twenty hours' journey".

The report continues: "The first glimpse of the church of Lourdes, as its bright lights broke through the darkness of night, was hailed with an enthusiastic singing of ‘Hail Queen of Heaven.’

"During the five days' stay at Lourdes the pilgrims from Scotland occupied the place of honour in the various processions.

"On the Feast of the Nativity, the Archbishop carried the Blessed Sacrament in a procession which had a congregation of 50,000.

“The thrilling hymns, the long line of invalids on couches, the living faith and the stirring sermons, all combined to produce a scene of religious splendour never to be forgotten by those privileged to witness it.

"On the last day of the pilgrimage a Pontifical High Mass was sung by the Archbishop, the sanctuary being filled with a crowd of Scottish, Belgian, Irish, American, German and French priests.

"At the end of the Mass the magnificent banner of St Andrew with the Royal Arms of Scotland was laid on the steps before the high altar, and thus Scotland's tribute of devotion to the Mother of Jesus takes its place among the standards of the world which fulfils the words, 'Behold all nations shall call Me Blessed'.

"At the immense torch-light procession the Scots again led the procession with their three Bishops in front.

Cries were raised by the Belgians for God's blessings on the brave Scots.

"The scene baffled all description. The Aves of so many different nations, said by their tens of thousands as they moved round the beautifully illuminated buildings, rendered it impossible to restrain the tears of joy.

"Particularly impressive was the moment when Archbishop MacDonald was called upon to bless the immense multitude.

"A piper in full dress formed a striking figure."

"His voice rang through the air as the kneeling crowd responded, and then fervent faith prayers were said for the conversion of Scotland and the welfare of France.

"Cries were raised by the Belgians for God's blessings on the brave Scots, and this was most heartily responded to by ringing cheers for France and Belgium.

"Never will the Scottish pilgrims forget the hospitable reception accorded them.

"It was the pride of these faithful friends of Scotland to prove that they still remembered that both nations once recognised the same faith and were the children of the beautiful and beloved Sovereign, Mary Queen of Scots.

"Headed again by the piper as he played his lament, the pilgrims bade farewell to Lourdes, each repeating, 'If God spares me, I will visit Lourdes again.'"

The Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes takes place 11-18 July 2025, led by Archbishop Cushley. This article was first published in March 2025.

Support Pope Leo with Peter's Pence

With your donation to Peter's Pence, you offer tangible support as the Holy Father takes his first steps as Pope.

This Sunday a special collection takes place at parishes across Scotland to support the Holy Father in his mission at the service of the universal Church.

Your contribution is an expression of support for the needs of the Catholic Church around the world and the charitable works it carries out.

Help him proclaim the Gospel to the world and extend a hand to our brothers and sisters in need.

Aims of Peter's Pence

●  To support the Holy Father’s mission, which extends throughout the entire world, from the proclamation of the Gospel to the promotion of integral human development, education, peace, and brotherhood among peoples: thanks also to the many activities of service carried out by the dicasteries, bodies and organs of the Holy See who assist him every day.

●  To support the numerous charitable works in aid of people and families in difficulty, populations afflicted by natural disasters and wars, or who are in need of humanitarian assistance or support for development.

Assisted Suicide vote: 'Do not give up hope'

Archbishop Cushley has urged Catholics not to lose hope and to continue praying and working to reject assisted suicide.

On Friday, MPs narrowly voted in favour of introducing assisted suicide in England & Wales, supporting the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by 314-291 votes. Find out how Scottish MPs voted here.

The Archbishop made his comments at St Patrick's Church in Kilsyth on Sunday which hosted the annual Archdicoesan Corpus Christi procession.

He said: "People talk about choice, compassion and dignity - but I fear that all three risk being lost in what we are seeing happening in our country.

I will continue to speak about it and point out in all charity the mistakes and the flaws that are contained in these decisions

"As Catholic Christians we have a consistent principled position that has not changed and that cannot change; life is a gift that we receive and that we pass on to others, it is a gift from God.

"Even if you don’t believe in God, life is something given to us that we cannot take, we can only give back, we can only nurture and we can only love.

"I will continue to speak about it and point out in all charity the mistakes and the flaws that are contained in these decisions, even if they are well intentioned and well meaning."

He echoed the message of Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland who assured the poor and vulnerable that the Church will never abandon them, writes the Catholic Parliamentary Office.

He said: “I make this promise to all people: the Catholic Church will continue to offer her unwavering commitment to the poorest and most vulnerable. We will never abandon you.”

He added: "Despite the deeply held and clearly expressed concerns of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, including the disabled, MPs have decided to progress this Bill and move one step closer to the establishment of state facilitated suicide.

“There is no dignity in handing a lethal concoction of drugs to a vulnerable person to help them kill themselves.”

“Despite yesterday’s result, we still hold out hope that sense will prevail and this Bill will not pass into law.

Paul Atkin, Pro-Life Officer for the Archdiocese said: "We will continue to advocate for a culture of life, promoting palliative care and ensuring that all individuals receive the love, respect, and assistance they deserve, especially during their most vulnerable moments.

"Our efforts will also include greater education and resources for Catholics and all people of good will on the Church's teaching against euthanasia and assisted suicide."

The Bill will now pass to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.

The dangerous Bill, which has been criticised by medical bodies, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians, has also been strongly opposed by organisations representing vulnerable people across the UK, including the disabled, the elderly, those with eating disorders and victims of domestic abuse, who fear that people will be coerced into an early death.

Whilst the law would not apply to Scotland, it is likely to influence similar legislation currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament and which is expected to be considered by MSPs later in the year.

Keep up to date on this issue by visiting the website of the Catholic Parliamentary Office.

Andrew awarded posthumous Archdiocesan Medal

Tributes were paid today at a Memorial Mass for an inspirational Christian who was posthumously awarded the Archdiocesan Medal.

Andrew Sharkey was a well-known and much loved headteacher at St Kentigern's in Blackburn, West Lothian, when he died aged just 54 in November last year.

Archbishop Cushley with Siobhán and sons Andrew and Benjamin after Mass.

In his homily at St Margaret's Chapel at The Gillis Centre, Edinburgh, Archbishop Leo Cushley said Andrew displayed "love, faith and fidelity" throughout his life.

He told his widow Siobhán and their two boys Andrew and Benjamin: "Today, on behalf of his colleagues from across the Archdiocese, we all want to say thank you for the extraordinary man he was.

"He did so much good in the time he had with us."

Andrew had been head teacher at St Kentigern's since 2014.

Andrew's family, friend, colleagues along with pupils from St Kentigern's Academy.

As chief catechist Andrew led the school community in placing Jesus at the centre of daily life and sharing the moral teachings and the faith of the Church.

He was also awarded the Archdiocesan medal for his commitment to social justice and the common good, which manifested itself in his commitment to serving others in serving others.

This included his long-term commitment to scouting since 1998, where he championed opportunities for young people through his inspirational leadership.

In 2018, Andrew was appointed to lead Scottish Scouting as its Chief Commissioner, a role he held until 2023.

Today's Mass was attended by family, friends and colleague and was concelebrated by Fr John Deighan, Vicar Episcopal for Education.

Read more about the life of Andrew Sharkey here. The Archdiocesan Medal for Outstanding Service to the Church was established in 1975 by Cardinal Gordon Joseph Gray. It is awarded for outstanding voluntary service to the Church at a local level. 

Stella Maris: A Good Samaritan for Seafarers

When a fisherman fled his boat after allegedly being abused by the captain, he ended up stranded at Buchanan Street bus station in Glasgow.

Robert King, Regional Port Chaplain for Stella Maris at ports including Leith and Grangemouth, was informed of his plight and went to find him.

“I quickly identified the fisher, who was from Ghana, sitting on a bench looking scared and lost," he said.

"He had no money and was so grateful to see a friendly face. By now it was after 6:00pm and a storm was raging.

Stella Maris paid for a hotel room for the fisher to spend the night. He was glad to be away from the bus station and in the comfort of the hotel.

"I made sure he had a phone charger so he could keep in touch with his family and myself, and I gave him some money for essentials.”

“Because of the storm, he had to spend a second night in the hotel. Acting on advice from the International Transport Workers Federation, I persuaded the fisher to return to Campbeltown, where his boat was anchored, to report the alleged abuse by the captain to the local police station, which he did.”

A resolution was reached, and the fisher has now started working on a different vessel in Scotland. “He was very grateful for the assistance that I gave him,” said Robert.

A friend when one is needed

When seafarers and fishers arrive in a port, they are strangers in a foreign land.

They do not know the locals and often don’t know who to turn to when they need help.

Port chaplains and volunteer ship visitors from Stella Maris (the Catholic Church's maritime agency and formerly known as Apostleship of the Sea) are there for them.

They are concerned for the welfare of seafarers and fishers.

This year’s Gospel for Sea Sunday which falls on 13 July reminds us about the love and care that the Good Samaritan showed to the stranger that he found upon the road.

For seafarers and fishers, Stella Maris is that Good Samaritan.

Their simple acts of kindness by Stella Maris port chaplains and ship visitors mean so much to seafarers who are far from home and feeling isolated.

On Sea Sunday, which falls on 13th July this year, let us pray for seafarers, fishers, and the work of Stella Maris.

Parishes have the option of having a special collection for Sea Sunday on 13 July. Donations can be made to Stella Maris here. 

Holy Mass celebrated by Bishops at Holyrood

Bishops from across Scotland gathered at the Scottish Parliament to celebrate Mass with MSPs and staff.

The Mass marked the feast of Ss John Fisher and Thomas More, the patron saint of politicians, and featured

MSPs from all parties and the Parliament’s Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, attended the Mass, with the Presiding Officer and sponsoring MSP, Mark Griffin, assisting with readings.

Alison Johnstone, the Parliament’s Presiding Officer, reads the bidding prayers during the Mass.

After the Mass, Paul O’Kane MSP presented the bishops with a framed copy of a parliamentary motion welcoming the election of Pope Leo and which attracted cross-party support in the Parliament.

Paul O’Kane MSP presenting Bishop Keenan with a framed copy of a parliamentary motion.

The motion highlights how Pope Leo’s first words from the balcony at St Peter’s Square included the need to “build bridges”.

After accepting the motion and thanking Mr O’Kane, Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “That’s what Pontifex literally means, being a bridge builder.

“That’s part of why we are here today – to build bridges between the church and parliament and we appreciate this opportunity to come here, to make friends and discuss things.

“Some things we’ll agree on, some things we won’t, that’s part of the process.

“But there is so much work to be done in Scotland together as we continue to get to know each other, to think how we can work better together for the common good.”

In his homily during the Mass, Archbishop Leo Cushley, said: “One of Pope Francis’ lessons was that we listen to each other and be merciful to each other; listen to each other without prejudice and with humility and goodness and openness of heart.

“The Bishops and the Catholic Church in Scotland is a willing and open partner to work with you and to listen to you and, for our part, to accompany you when we possibly can.”