We take a look back at 2023 with a selection of photo highlights. Have a good New Year when it comes!

January: On New Year's Day (Feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God) Archbishop Cushley celebrated Mass at the home of the Missionaries of Charity in Hopetoun Crescent, Edinburgh. From left: Sr Leajose, Archbishop Leo, Sr Gracie, Sr Mercy & Sr Premila.

January: A joy-filled afternoon at the graduation ceremony for the Diploma in Catechetics. Course leader Sr Anna Marie McGuan receives a  hug from a graduate.

February: Archbishop Cushley distributes ashes as part of an Ash Wednesday service for MSPs and staff at the Scottish Parliament.

February: Praying for peace in Ukraine at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh. Archbishop Cushley said: "This is about coming to the house of God, asking him to grant us a peace that we are unable it seems to give ourselves, to do that with humility."

March: We welcomed our international priests to The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh today. It was a chance to catch-up with our Curia team, share information, enjoy lunch and pray together. We thank them and all clergy in the Archdiocese for their dedication and service.

March: A joyful celebration at St John Ogilvie's RC Church in Wester Hailes as Archbishop Cushley joined Fr Anthony Quinlan OMI, fellow clergy and parishioners to celebrate the parish feast day and Golden Jubilee (50 years)!

April: Fr Aidan Cannon (left of Archbishop) marked his 50th anniversary of priestly ordination and was joined by clergy, family and friends at St Mary & St David in Hawick.

April: The Holy Chrism Mass at St Mary's Cathedral. Archbishop Cushley blessed the holy oils that will be used in sacraments in parishes across the Archdiocese and many clergy gathered to renew their priestly promises.

April: People gathered in Edinburgh for the annual Pro-Life Chain in Lothian Road. It's a peaceful, public act of witness for the unborn. Prior to the event Archbishop Cushley led the Rosary at Sacred Heart Church to pray for unborn children, their mothers and all pro-life intentions.

May: St Margaret was celebrated in Dunfermline by senior political figures from Hungary. A gift was presented to the church from the community of her birthplace of Mecseknádasd. Pictured is Árpád János Potápi, State Secretary for Hungarian communities abroad (centre) with Katalin Szili, Chief Adviser to the Hungarian Prime Minister and Fr Syriac Palakudiyil.

May: Archbishop Cushley continued visiting parishes across the Archdiocese for Confirmations, including St Cuthbert's Church in Slateford. Clergy pictured from left: Fr Tony Quinlan OMI, Fr Shinto Karimattathil SSP, Fr Baji Puthiyaparambil SSP, Archbishop Leo Cushley and Fr Francis Ututo SMMM.

June: Paul Henderson (left) and Peter Shankland were ordained as Deaconsby Archbishop Leo Cushley at the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome on Wednesday 14 June 2023. They are expected to be ordained to the priesthood in 2024.

June: Married and engaged couples took part in our Celebration of Marriage Mass at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh.

June: Archbishop Cushley lays flowers at the Shrine of St Margaret at Dunfermline Abbey as part of the St Margaret's Pilgrimage.

June: Children praying at St Francis Xavier's in Falkirk as part of the annual Corpus Christi procession through the town centre.

July: Archbishop Cushley blessed a new atrium at St Theresa's Church in East Calder. The catechesis space is where young chidren can have a fun, hands-on experience of learning about prayer and liturgy from specially trained catechists.

July: People from across the Archdiocese had a lovely time on our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes. During the pilgrimage Archbishop Cushley congratulated Gary Rutherford for his 30 years as an altar server.

July: Canon Hugh White, who today celebrated the 60th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood at Mass in St Mary's, Bathgate. In his homily he said it had been a "privilege and joy to live by the gospel and preach the gospel".

August: Archbishop Cushley with Annalisa, Sofia, Olivia and Andre of St Albert's Chaplaincy (Edinburgh University) at the World Youth Day Ceilidh in Lisbon.

August: His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, had his first official visit to Scotland as the Pope’s ambassador to the Court of St James’s at the Festival Mass in St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh.

September: Douglas Robertson receives a hug from a fellow deacon after being ordained by Archbishop Cushley at St Michael's in Linlithgow.

September: Celia Sweeney is presented with a bouquet of flowers from Fr John McFadden OMI at St Mary's Star of the Sea in Leith. Her husband Michael Sweeney was posthumously awarded the Archdiocesan medal for 25 years' dedicated service at the altar. Pat Campanile also received the award on behalf of her late husband Douglas for his 70 years' dedicated service at the altar.

September: Pope Francis welcomed Archbishop Cushley and Fr Mark Cassidy, rector of the Pontifical Scots College, Rome to the Vatican for an informal meeting which included discussions on a new location for the Scots' College.

September: Altar servers from across the Archdiocese enjoyed a day of games, training and prayer at The Gillis Centre. Archbishop Cushley is pictured with Fr Martin Eckersley of St Francis Xavier's in Falkirk and servers. The certificates show they have become members of the Guild of St Cuthbert.

October: Students on our Diploma in Catechetics course attended a Day of Reflection at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh.

October: Holy Mass was celebrated recently to mark the official opening of a new Catholic High School in Winchburgh, West Lothian. Sinclair Academy is named after Venerable Margaret Sinclair, who is revered for her life of holiness.

October: Lawrence Curran, Molly Wade and Cathy Regan of Our Lady & St Bridget's in West Calder received the Archdiocesan medal from Archbishop Cushley at Our Lady & St Bridget's in West Calder. The medal was awarded for their long service and dedication to the Parish in various roles over many years. From left: Lawrence Curran, Molly Wade, Archbishop Cushley, Cathy Regan and Fr Marcin Motyka.

November: Richard Steinbach received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal. The award is given to those who have shown distinguished service to the Church and the papacy and is the highest medal that the Pope can award to a layperson. He was awarded the medal for his dedication to the Society of St Vincent de Paul over the years, in which he served as President for the Archdiocese.

November: A fun and faith-filled day at our youth event at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh which helped children prepare for Christmas.

Archbishop Cushley and The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland released a joint Christmas message. The collaboration between Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton and the Archbishop is a symbol of Christian unity in a deeply troubled world. Read the message here.