St Patrick's set for 250th anniversary celebrations

St Patrick’s in Edinburgh celebrates its 250th anniversary as a Christian Church on Wednesday (9 October 2024).

Vespers will be held at the church, in the city's Cowgate, at 6:00pm and Archbishop Cushley will give a homily, before a reception at St Cecilia's Hall in Niddrie Street

Fr Gerard Hatton, Administrator of the Church, said: “We are really looking forward to the event on 9 October and so pleased to be able to welcome back the other denominations who have also played a part in the life of the Church.

It is so important to give thanks to God and celebrate such an occasion.

The Church holds a very special place in the affections of Catholics both in the City and beyond. Many Clergy have served the parish over the years and many people still regard St Patrick’s as their spiritual home.”

“Fr Gerard, along with Fr Ninian Doohan, arrived at St Patrick's last year, at the invitation of Archbishop Cushley, to work on the Edinburgh Oratory Project.

History

When the 'square style' church opened in 1774 it was Episcopalian and known as St Paul’s Chapel.

The great and the good of the day worshipped here with a Congregation of more than 1,000.

The writer and diarist James Boswell said:“It was striking to see so grand a place of worship in Edinburgh”.

The Congregation commissioned several religious art works by the Scottish artist, Alexander Runciman, one of the most distinguished painters of the day, to decorate the Apse.

Many of the well to do congregation started to move into the plusher New Town of the city, and in 1818 the Chapel was sold to a Presbyterian Congregation, the Scottish Relief Church.

They made changes to the interior overpainting the mural of the Ascension on the ceiling of the Apse (the Runciman Trust has been established to oversee the restoration of the mural as funds become available) and replaced the Altar with a pulpit.

The next few years were an unsettled period, factions emerged, and they ran into financial difficulties.

When the congregation decided to move out of the Church they agreed to sell their redundant building to the Catholic Church.

At that time, Bishop James Gillis knew he had to do something to meet the spiritual needs for the growing number of Irish immigrants who had arrived in Edinburgh to escape the famine.

Becoming a Catholic Church

The Catholic population had risen from 1,000 to 14,000 and the old St Patrick’s in Lothian Street had become inadequate for the many who had settled in the insanitary and disease-ridden slum area of the Cowgate.

The new church cost £4,300. Half was paid for by the Church, the rest by the people.

They may have lived in poverty but were determined to raise money for a church of their own.

The new Church, dedicated to St Patrick, was officially opened on Sunday 3 August 1856.

The congregation present for the opening Mass was estimated at 2,600.

It became a vibrant parish. At its busiest there were more than 600 baptisms a year.

The parish has the honour of being the first St Vincent de Paul Society in Scotland.

The Church became a hub for those living in Edinburgh who were enduring much bigotry and alienation from the local community.

Many met their future husbands and wives there as it was a great place for socialising!

The Cowgate became known as “Little Ireland” and still is to this day.

Founding Hibernian

One of the Priests, Limerick-born Canon Edward Hannan, worked tirelessly for the souls under his care and was committed to the youth of the parish.

In 1869, he introduced the Catholic Young Men’s Society (CYMS).

It was from their meeting place in the nearby St Mary’s Halls that he, and a young Irish Parishioner, Michael Whelahan, suggested forming a football team to promote the physical wellbeing of these young men.

Players had to be practising Catholics and members of the CYMS.

And so Hibernian Football Club, with the Harp as its crest, was founded on 6 August 1875, joining the Edinburgh Football Association in 1876 and the Scottish Football Association not long afterwards.

They found a permanent home at Hibernian Park on Easter Road in 1880 and went on to win the Scottish Cup in 1888.

A bust of Canon Hannan can be found at Hibernian’s Easter Road Stadium and a Memorial to him is kept in the entrance of St Patrick’s.

Many fine people have passed through the great doors of the Church, good living people who strive to support the church in many ways as well as those who have made their mark not just in Edinburgh but across the world.

It was in St Patrick’s that James Connolly, born of Irish parents, was baptised, Leaving St Patrick’s School at aged 10 he eventually joined the British Army which he came to despise.

He left for Ireland, became involved in politics, formed the Irish Labour Party becoming a commander in the Irish Republican movement.

For his part in the Easter Uprising, he was court marshalled and was executed in front of a firing squad on 12 May 1916.

A saint in the making

St Patrick’s is also fortunate to have one of its former parishioners on the road to being declared a Saint.

The Venerable Margaret Sinclair was taught and received her Sacraments in the Church.

Her remains lie in the Sacred Heart Altar and many thousands of pilgrims bring their petitions and prayers to her.

The annual Margaret Sinclair Pilgrimage is a national event at the Church each September.

Article (abridged) by Uriel Jamieson, published in the Irish Voice, September 2024.

WATCH: A look at the new Lectionary

Fr Paul Denney spoke at The Gillis Centre on Saturday about the new translation of the Lectionary.

He was just one of several speakers at 'Celebrating the Gift', an event hosted by the Archdiocese on Saturday to help people prepare for the introduction of the Lectionary from Advent (Sunday 1 December). Watch below or on YouTube.

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Fr Paul Denney, of St James' in Coatbridge (Motherwell Diocese) has spent four years being part of a team working on the editorial side of the Lectionary, which contains the Scripture readings for Mass and the Sacraments.

Thanks also Bishop Hugh Gilbert OSB (Aberdeen Diocese), Fr Jamie McMorrin and Fr Adrian Porter SJ, who all spoke at the event, which was organised by Sr Miriam Ruth Ryan RSM and the Catechetics team of the Archdiocese.

More videos to follow.

Psalms & The New Lectionary: A day for readers, cantors and anyone with an interest in the psalms, takes place at Sacred Heart Church, Lauriston Street, Edinburgh, on Saturday 26 Octover from 2:30pm-5:00pm. Register here.

Dennis Canavan hits out at Assisted Dying Bill

Dennis Canavan has spoken about the death of his children as he highlighted his opposition to assisted suicide.

The former parliamentarian has suffered the loss of four of his children, including three sons who died as the result of terminal illness.

He said: "My sons undoubtedly experienced some pain but it was minimised by dedicated health professionals in the NHS and our local hospice.

"My sons died in dignity and I disagree with supporters of the Bill who claim that the suicide option is necessary to ensure dignity in death.

"We ought instead to be concentrating on ways to try to alleviate pain and suffering for people who are terminally ill.”

Dennis was speaking at an event titled Assisted Suicide in Scotland – the Beginning of a Dangerous Spiral at Our Lady & St Ninian’s parish, Bannockburn, on Wednesday night.

He has a long association with Strathcarron Hospice in Denny and campaigns for more investment in palliative care to minimise the suffering of terminally ill patients.

Dennis said that, if the Bill were to become law, many vulnerable people would come under pressure to choose the suicide option because they would not want to be a burden on their loved ones. The so called "safeguards" in the Bill would not give adequate protection from such pressure or coercion.

The meeting also heard from Dr Richard Lenton (below), a retired geriatrician, who worked for three decades as a consultant for NHS Forth Valley.

He said: "In geriatrics you get to know your patients, they trust you. If assisted suicide was available that trust would be not just diminished but non-existent."

Like Dennis, Richard also had close links to the palliative care service at Strathcarron Hospice.

He told the meeting that he believes that palliative care should be researched and strengthened and that in countries where assisted suicide was legalised, hospice's funding has been withdrawn, forcing them to close.

Using examples from Canada, Richard explained how so-called “strict safeguards” are of no value, and that assisted suicide laws are invariably interpreted in an expansive way.

MSPs are still making their minds up and want to hear what constituents think.  You have one directly elected MSP and several, regional, MSPs and you should write to them all.  Find your MSPs on the Scottish Parliament website:  https://www.parliament.scot/msps/current-and-previous-msps

Images: @Crusader_Tobias  

 

 

 

Annual Safeguarding Statement

Our annual statement is read out in parishes around the time of the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, which this year falls on 2 October.

In echoing this spirit of guardianship, we would like to remind you of our obligation to ensure that parish communities are safe and welcoming places, where children and vulnerable adults are protected.

Our procedures are designed to create a safe culture.

Safe recruitment practices ensure that volunteers only start their ministry once a series of suitability checks have been completed, including a Protection of Vulnerable Groups, or PVG, check if appropriate. We have reporting measures so that concerns can be passed on.

Our Mandatory Reporting Policy is designed to ensure that any allegations of abuse are reported to the police. Safeguarding training ensures that volunteers, group leaders and Parish Safeguarding Coordinators know what to do if a safeguarding situation arises.

Whilst statutory procedures such as PVG checks are an essential and mandatory part of our protocols, adopting a culture of care is equally important – being vigilant, looking out for each other,and passing on any concerns.

Archbishop Leo Cushley wishes to express his sincere thanks to clergy, parish safeguarding coordinators, group leaders, and volunteers, as we work together to ensure that our people, places and activities are safe.

Full details of safeguarding staff for the Archdiocese can be found on the safeguarding page of this website here.

Bishop Brian in Rome for second session of Synod

Bishop Brian McGee is in Rome to represent the Catholic Church in Scotland at the second session of the Synod.

The task of the Synod, which begins on Wednesday, is to complete the discernment begun at the first session and offer the result of this discernment to Pope Francis in a final document.

Bishop Brian will share regular updates on the Facebook page of the Diocese of Argyll & the Isles.

On Saturday he posted: "I am just heading out the door for the Synod of Bishops in Rome. I was given this icon of St Thérèse when her relics visited Scotland.

"I am praying a Novena seeking her intercession during the Synod.

I am praying that I will constantly strive to listen and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

"Please pray for me and all the Synod participants that as we gather our sole desire will be to seek God’s will through listening to God’s Word, his presence in others and then discerning prayerfully what we hear. Thank you."

Synod Sessions will be broadcast live on the YouTube page of Vatican News. Main image: Bishop Brian (second left) with assembly members at last year's first session of the Synod in Rome

Buffer Zone law comes into force in Scotland

A new law which makes it illegal to pray in parts of Scotland is now in force, writes the Catholic Parliamentary Office.

The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024 establishes zones around hospitals and other facilities where abortions are carried out, currently there are 30.

The zones are comprised of the hospital or clinic, the public area of any grounds of the hospital or clinic, and any public areas within 200m of the boundary of the ground.

The law

The law prohibits conduct which seeks to influence the decision of a person regarding accessing, providing, or facilitating abortion services, or which prevents or impedes a person from accessing, providing or facilitating abortion services.

This will mean that women experiencing a crisis pregnancy may be denied the opportunity to freely speak to people and organisations who may be able to help them.

The new law also criminalises causing harassment, alarm or distress to a person accessing abortion services.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has repeatedly condemned all harassment and intimidation of people, including those attending hospitals and other medical facilities.

The Conference has also pointed out that laws are already in place to protect people from such unacceptable behaviour, and it is significant that, in written evidence to the Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Police Scotland stated that “existing powers and offences are sufficient to address any unlawful behaviour in the vicinity of health care premises.”

Disproportionate

The disproportionate law will have a devastating impact on human rights, including the right to free expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Most alarmingly, official documentation accompanying the legislation admits that the proposed new law anticipates criminalising ‘praying audibly’ and ‘silent vigils’.

It is deeply troubling that so many MSPs are so supportive of a law which will make it illegal to pray in certain parts of the country, in an unprecedented example of state overreach.

Only one MSP, John Mason, the member for Glasgow Shettleston, voted against the proposals.

The law will also prohibit certain conduct within private homes, churches and schools situated within the designated zone.

For example, placing a pro-life poster in the window of a private home which happens which is within the zone could be considered criminal behaviour.

When asked about the possibility of having to police people’s thoughts, including whether they were silently praying, Superintendent Gerry Corrigan told the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee that policing thought is an area “we would stay clear of”, later adding “I do not think we could go down the road of asking people what they are thinking or what their thoughts are. That feels really uncomfortable.”

People have already been arrested for praying silently in England and, with the new law, this may now happen in Scotland.

Some MSPs did raise concerns about the threat to silent prayer and a few suggested helpful amendments to the Bill, including a reasonableness defence and a specific exemption for chaplains who may be caught by the law and criminalised for having conversations about abortion. However, these were either withdrawn or voted down by the Parliament.

Chilling Day

Bishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley and spokesperson for the Bishops’ Conference on life issues said:

“This is a chilling day for fundamental freedoms, including our basic right as citizens in Scotland to manifest our beliefs in public, religious or otherwise.

“None of the arguments made were able to get around the basic premise that Police Scotland had never asked for more powers and even told the Parliament they were “really uncomfortable” with the bewildering suggestion of having to police people’s thoughts under the new law.

“The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland condemns all harassment and intimidation of people but continues to note the poor case made that this sort of behaviour was in any way the ethos of Scottish vigils, and endorses the view of Police Scotland, that there are already ample laws in place to deal with such behaviour.

"This law is certainly unnecessary in terms of public order and will disproportionately affect citizens of faith.”

Bishop Keenan added: “While we commend the one MSP who was prepared to recognise and call out the injustice of this draconian law which now criminalises citizen’s thoughts and makes it illegal to pray in certain parts of the country, it is concerning that there was only one.”

Police Scotland will be responsible for enforcing the new law. If an individual or individuals are deemed to be in breach of the law, they could be fined up to £10,000 under summary procedure or to an unlimited amount under solemn procedure.

HOMILY: Red Mass at St Mary's Cathedral

The annual Red Mass to mark the beginning of the new legal year in Scotland took place yesterday (Sunday 22 September) at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Members of the legal fraternity took part in the traditional procession before Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Leo Cushley.

His homily is published below. (Pics: @jamiejkerr).

Homily

My dear friends,

A renewed word of welcome to the Senators of the College of Justice, the Right Honourable Lord Pentland and his fellow judges Lord Doherty, Lord Matthews, Lady Carmichael and Lord Scott.

We are also joined by Sheriffs who sit in courts across the country, as well as solicitors, advocates, King’s Counsel and a range of others involved in the legal profession, along with their families.

We welcome representatives of the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates, the Society of Writers to His Majesty’s Signet, as well as representatives from local bar associations and law schools.

We also extend a special Scottish welcome to a delegation of judges and lawyers from the Terry Carey American Inns of Court in Delaware in the USA who have been in Edinburgh this week and able to join us on this very special occasion.

And now a few remarks on law and Christianity.

We will all of us be aware that the legal systems in Europe and America draw a great deal of their shape and purpose from the laws first crafted for the Roman Republic, over 2,000 years ago.

We are also indebted to others who came along later, and codified and tidied up the centuries of legislation and judgements and accumulated wisdom.

New impetus was breathed into non-Christian Republican Roman law and its application by great figures like the Christian Emperor Justinian, resident in Constantinople and a ruler with an immense impact on the Christian east and west alike.

For Europe, perhaps Charlemagne is the next great legislator who deserves our attention as he builds the holy Roman Empire in the west.

Charlemagne is notable to us as Catholics too, because not only did he want to unify the various peoples in his empire into one state, he was also a consciously Catholic Christian emperor.

Just in one example, he had himself crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome on Christmas Day 800 AD.

Charlemagne wished to bring order to the heart of Western Europe, and he wanted to enlist a healthy, vigorous Catholic Church in his enterprise.

And the Church appears to have been willing to help him.

Famously, he asked for a copy of the Roman Missal, the book we still use for Mass to this very day, and a supposedly “definitive” copy of the Missal was sent from Rome to him in his capital in Aachen, at what is today the crossroads between Germany, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, France and Belgium, very much the heart of Western Europe.

Charlemagne wished to bring clarity, order, and stability to the life of his empire.

He also wished to bring the Catholic faith, already widespread, into an ever more central role in the life of his people.

The alliance he created between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy was one of convenience, to be sure, but in a good way too.

By doing so, Charlemagne also became a model of governance which other rulers wanted to imitate for centuries to come, including in these islands.

In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that Charlemagne became the gold standard for what it meant to be a king in Europe from then until the Reformation.

Now, you must be wondering where I’m going with all this… Well, all that I’ve touched upon so far continues to touch our lives to this day.

First, we still have the Roman Missal, the basis of which was presented to Charlemagne, and it continues to be heard and used for Mass throughout the entire Western world, from here to the Solomons and all the way round again.

It has become the means by which we offer the Sunday Eucharist in almost every country on the face of the earth.

But we also have a body of law that is used to this day in different ways by both Anglo-Saxon and Roman-based systems of law, which covers just about every state in the world.

And, interestingly, that body of Christian-Roman law foresees the head of state having a unique role in legislation and its application in the land.

This is because, in the hands of Justinian and Charlemagne, and those who followed their model, the head of state took on a very different role to previous, non-Christian rulers.

It is not much of an exaggeration to say that, until Christian times, the law was often made by the ruler himself, and the law changed according to the whim of that leader.  The word of the leader was law. The morality of the law, the rightness of the law, was neither here nor there.

The ruler had the power to make the law, and the freedom to apply it as he or she saw fit.  There was no appeal to a higher ideal.

Duty

With Christianity however, the ruler, the Christian king or queen has not only the right to make laws and apply them, he or she has the duty to make laws that are right, laws that are just, and to apply them without fear or favour.

We’ve heard of the post-Reformation idea of the “divine right of kings”.  We need only think of James VI or Charles I.

But before there was the divine right of kings, there was the divine duty of kings: Kings were accountable to God and to a higher moral law, above any human justice.

By embracing this ideal, Christian kings and their Christian laws were to seek and to treasure a humility and objectivity that were unknown among rulers prior to the Christian era.  They didn’t value or apply the criteria of political correctness or expedience or fashionable social theories.

They valued and applied facts in an endeavour to get at the truth of things as they truly are, and make their judgments accordingly.  That humility, that recognition that our law-making is imperfect, gave Christian legislation strength and durability in Europe.

It pointed legislators towards an application that didn’t favour the wealthy and the powerful or the people with the biggest sticks.  Instead, Christian-inspired legislation favoured reality, truth, honesty and integrity.

And the king or queen or president became not an arbitrary legislator or judge, but the guarantor of the law, in so far as human beings can create and apply laws.

The head of state had not only the right but – far more importantly – they had the duty to see that justice be fair and that mercy be equitable.  In this country, we still have a king, and he is officially a Christian king at that.

This should make us think again and notice titles like “King’s counsel”, and “His Majesty’s signet”, as they are a quiet reminder of a tradition that wishes to serve the common good, for the sake of all peoples, of all religions and none.

It is one of the greatest political legacies of Christianity to the concert of nations of today.

Lords and Ladies, dear friends of the legal profession, as you go about your tasks in this new legal year, continue to reflect upon this high calling that you have on our behalf.

Be proud of your Christian heritage in law, and continue to strive for justice and mercy informed by our sense of duty towards our fellows.

May the Holy Spirit guide you and keep you all in the coming year.  Thank you for listening, and God bless you!

GALLERY: Venerable Margaret Sinclair Pilgrimage

People gathered at St Patrick's Church in The Cowgate, Edinburgh, for the  Annual Margaret Sinclair Pilgrimage.

It was is a time of prayer, stillness and reflection to ask for her intercession and that she may be Scotland's next 'blessed'.

The day featured blessings at the shrine of Margaret, talks, and a presentation frmm pupils at Sinclair Academy, Winchburgh.

The day concluded with Mass, with Archbishop Cushley as the principal celebrant. View the Sancta Familia video on Facbook here.

Gallery

Fr Joe McAuley, praying at the Shrine of Margaret Sinclair. He is Archbsihop Cushley's Episcopal Delegate for the Promotion of the Cause of Venerable Margaret Sinclair.
Teacher Carly Johnston and pupils from Sinclair Academy, Winchburgh, with Archbishop Cushley ahead of Holy Mass.
Fr Ninian Doohan of St Patrick's confers a blessing to those present ahead of Holy Mass.
The Missionaries of Charity chat with Archbishop Cushley after Mass.
Praying at Mass.
Holy Mass. From left: Fr Edward Toner (Archdiocese of Glasgow) Fr Ninian Doohan, Archbishop Cushley, Fr Peter Shankland and Fr Joe McAuley (Archdiocese of Glasgow).
Fr Peter Shankland, of St Mary's in Stirling, reads the Gospel at Mass.
The choir of St Patrick's led the congregation in a beautiful sung Mass.
Pupils from Sinclair Academy in West Lothian gave a presentation before Mass.

Find out more about Venerable Margaret Sinclair at https://www.margaretsinclair.scot/

WATCH: Study Catholic Theology in Edinburgh

Find out about studying Catholic theology in Edinburgh this October with our Open Evening Webinar.

It's a chance to hear from course leaders of the MA in Applied Catholic Theology. We also chat to a recent graduate of the course, and give you a whistlestop tour of the Gillis Centre Campus.

The video is divided into chapters so you can quickly find the section you want, and includes a Q&A section with attendees. Watch below or on YouTube.

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The MA in Applied Catholic Theology is a two year, part-time course hosted by St Mary's University, Twickenham, at its Scottish Campus in Edinburgh. SAAS funding now available. Deadline for applicants is 30 September.

Find out more at www.stmarys.ac.uk/edinburgh or email the course leader Dr Susan Longhurst, who will be happy to answer your questions susan.longhurst@stmarys.ac.uk

The Open Evening webinar was broadcast on Zoom on Wednesday 29 May 2024. 

WATCH: Fr Gerard highlights role of St Patrick's

Fr Gerard Hatton was invited to give the Time for Reflection at The Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.

He highlighting the role of St Patrick's Church, Edinburgh, summarising how all churches provide a place of peace and prayer. Watch below or on YouTube.

St Patrick's celebrates its 250th anniversary this year with Solemn Vespers (the evening prayer of the Church) at 6:00pm on Wednesday 9 October.