POPE BENEDICT XVI calls for peace Members of SC OTLAND’S HIERARCHY speak in Syria and throughout the world in directly to their priests in their homilies his Urbi et Orbi message on at annual Chrism Masses throughout Easter Sunday Page 9 the country. Pa ges 12-13 No 5462 www.sconews.co.uk Friday April 13 2012 | £1 Prayers for nation’s newest priest I Critically ill Fr Graham Turner was ordained on Easter Monday from his hospital bed by Cardinal O’Brien By SCO reporters SCOTLAND’S newest priest was ordained at short notice on Easter Monday at a Greater Manchester hospital after his treatment for leukaemia failed. Fr Graham Turner’s ordination was postponed last June after he was diagnosed and doctors began aggressive treatment. When Cardinal Keith O’Brien heard during Holy Week that the prognosis was bleak for the critically ill deacon of St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, he appealed for prayers at the Chrism Mass and plans to ordain him for St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese were revived. Despite the deacon’s physical frailty, he was ordained by Cardinal O’Brien at 2pm on Monday in the chapel at Salford Royal in the presence of Mgr Michael Regan, St Mary’s Cathedral admin- istrator and Fr Turner’s parish priest, Mgr Rod Strange, Rector of the Pontifical Beda College in Rome, Fr Turner’s parents George and Marilyn, brother, Ian, sister, Sue, and clergy friends from Salford Diocese and St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese. Terrible news then hope The renewed plans for the ordination got under- way after Deacon Turner’s father contacted Car- dinal O’Brien during Holy Week with the news that his treatment had failed and that nothing more could be medically done to help him. “The night of the Chrism Mass his father told me that he had no further chance and that they were stopping treatment,” the cardinal told the SCO. Fr Graham Turner (centre) was ordained to the priesthood that the ordination had taken place. while based at the Pontifical Beda College in However, later that week there was a glimmer at Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester on Easter “The help and cooperation from the local dio- Rome, gaining his BD through Lampeter Univer- of hope when the Turner family was given the Monday where he is being treated for advanced cese, the ecumenical chaplaincy and Salford Royal sity, Wales. leukaemia. Fr Turner, a deacon at St Mary’s Cathedral for news that there was the trial of a new treatment at St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese, was ordained by Trust was beyond our expectations,” he added. “He was ordained to the diaconate while in his hospital, which they were considering him for. Cardinal O’Brien with cathedral administrator Mgr Michael Fr Turner Rome in June 2010 and was preparing for ordina- Cardinal O’Brien decided to ordain the deacon, Regan by his side tion to the priesthood on Wednesday June 29 2011 a convert to Catholicism, to the priesthood before PIC: MGR REGAN Cardinal O’Brien said that Fr Turner is a ‘brilliant when, sadly, it was discovered that he was suffer- he began further treatment. academic.’ ing from leukaemia,” Cardinal O’Brien said. Born and raised in England, after his initial Ordination schooling he studied at Nottingham University Prayers and celebration The hospital chaplains at Salford Royal prepared with help from nursing staff, to stand for a short where he qualified as a BSc Hons in chemistry and, After the very intimate and moving ordination cer- everything in the chapel for the ordination cere- time at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer later, as a PhD in that same subject. It was during emony in the hospital chapel on Monday, the Sal- mony under the leadership of the lead chaplain, before he had to sit down again. this time that he felt the call to become a Catholic. ford Hospital Trust provided a buffet reception for Reverend Ian Carter, and principal Catholic chap- “He participated fully and was aware of every- After some years of work as a research chemist, the guests. lain, Fr Frank Waterworth. Bishop Terence Brain, thing that was going on,” the cardinal said. “During he studied at Glasgow University and gained an Cardinal O’Brien has asked for continued the Bishop of Salford, sent the Oil of Chrism for the actual ordination, I anointed his hands and sem- MSc in information technology and then worked prayers for Fr Turner’s health and vocation. the ordination ceremony from his own cathedral. inarian Jeremy Milne put the stole around his neck.” as a computer programmer. He felt the call to “You are asked to pray for Graham as he con- “The ordination went beautifully,” Cardinal They were joined by fellow seminarian Paul Lee become a priest and lived in a large presbytery in tinues his ongoing journey in the priesthood, being O’Brien said, before adding that Fr Turner was at the ordination which Fr Sandy Mitchell and St Andrew’s, Ravelston, for some five years, help- an excellent example to all of us in his embracing ‘wheeled in his hospital bed to the chapel at Canon Joseph McMullan, a classmate of Cardinal ing with the care of retired priests. the Cross of Jesus Christ as he prepares for the 1.50pm and transferred into a padded wheelchair O’Brien, also attended. He was accepted as a student for St Andrews glory of the Resurrection,” the cardinal said. for the ceremony.’ Mgr Regan, who was MC at Monday’s cere- and Edinburgh Archdiocese and successfully com- Fr Turner assisted in the Mass and was able, mony, said that Fr Turner’s family was delighted pleted his priestly formation and academic studies I [email protected] BISHOP TARTAGLIA JOHN McLAUGHLIN HARRY SCHNITKER’S says Christian talks about pop new series starts faith must remain music, faith and this week and looks in the public working with at the role of women forum of debate Simon Cowell in the Church CATHOLIC WOMEN CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN FAITH Page 3 Page 4 CELEBRITY INSIGHT Page 21 visit www.sconews.co.uk SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] 2 PICTURE NEWS SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER Friday April 13 2012 Clockwise from top left: Cardinal Keith O’Brien with the new members Easter celebrations of the Catholic Church, and their sponsors, at the Easter Vigil at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh; Cardi- in the capital city nal O’Brien blesses the Easter Fire and lights the Paschal candle at the Easter vigil; Cathedral Administrator CARDINAL Keith O’Brien The cardinal returned to St Mgr Michael Regan washes the feet and priests of St Andrews Mary’s for Easter Sunday morning of parishioners at St Mary’s on Holy and Edinburgh Archdiocese Mass, at which, during his homily, Thursday and one young parishioner celebrated the Easter he urged Catholic Faithful to wear takes the cardinal’s Easter homily Triduum at Edinburgh’s St a visible sign of the Cross as a words on the Cross to heart Mary’s Cathedral. show of support for Christian val- PICS: PAUL McSHERRY The Easter Liturgies began ues, which are often being mar- with Holy Thursday Mass and ginalised in the UK today. the Washing of the Feet, at which One parishioner who seemed Mgr Michael Regan, St Mary’s to take the cardinal’s message to Cathedral administrator, joined heart was seven-month-old Cardinal O’Brien. Thomas Andrew Marino, who The following day marked the took a real shining to the cardinal’s celebration of the Lord’s Passion Pectoral Cross, when the leader of with the Veneration of the Cross, Scotland’s Catholics enjoyed a before the cardinal welcomed chat with the youngster’s parents, the newest members into the Michael and Sarah, after Sunday Church at Saturday evening’s morning’s children’s Mass. Easter vigil Mass. The candidates and catechumen I Members of the Bishops’ were joined by their sponsors as Conefernce of Scotland send they were received into the Church messages to their priests at in front of a packed St Mary’s annual Chrsim Masses, see Cathedral. pages 12-13 FIND THE NEW SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER PAGE ON FACEBOOK SPOTLIGHT ON... Medjugorje 2012 June 20th and 9th September £534 excluding insurance Departing from Edinburgh contact Roger Foster 01475 793 987 Bishop Joseph Devine of Motherwell is assisted by altar servers Rebeka Craig and Amy Boyle as he washes the feet of 12 parishioners at the Mass of the Lord's Supper in Sacred Heart Church, Bellshill PIC: TOM EADIE Friday April 13 2012 SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER NEWS 3 Conservative smear campaign against Fight back and protect Christianity a majority Catholic council is revealed By Ian Dunn cal and religious bias, lavishing Bishop Tartaglia warns Catholics that defence of Faith must be robust in face of attacks millions in public funds on RECENTLY unearthed Scot- Coatbridge while neglecting By Ian Dunn ple of the Holy Father in resisting this trend. land Office files have revealed Protestant Airdrie. “We must not allow ourselves to be John Major’s Conservative Mr Black was commissioned BISHOP Philip Tartaglia of Paisley dominated by what Pope Benedict XVI Government attempted to by the council to compile a used his Good Friday homily to warn has called the ‘dictatorship of relativism’ smear a largely Catholic Scot- report in an effort to end the alle- that Catholics must fight back against or sleepwalk through inattention or faint- tish council by launching an gations, but his findings in 1995 the ‘menacing’ voices of ‘politicians, heartedness into this dangerous threat to inquiry into whether it was exacerbated the situation, also judges and celebrities’ that are seeking our freedom of religion,” he said.