Inside this week’s SCO, a special section on CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK 2016. This year’s theme, Learning to be Merciful, coincides with the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pages 9-15 No 5656 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday January 29 2016 | £1 Tributes paid to the late Bishop Ian Murray I Funeral arrangements being made for the Bishop Emeritus for Argyll and the Isles, the St Andrews and Edinburgh priest who studied, and became rector, at the Scots College in Spain By Ian Dunn Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell, who is also a former rector of the col- CATHOLICS across Scotland have lege and who followed Bishop Murray been mourning Bishop Ian Murray, as Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, said: former Bishop of Argyll and the “We will remember Bishop Murray Isles, after his death last Friday, with great fondness both as Emeritus aged 83. Bishop of Argyll and the Isles and also Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glas- his wonderful contribution to the Royal gow, president of the Bishops’ Confer- Scots College in Spain. ence of Scotland, lead the tributes, “We ask God to grant him eternal rest saying: “On behalf of the Bishops’ Con- after his fruitful and happy ministry as a ference of Scotland I would like to offer priest and bishop in Scotland—and we Bishop Murray’s family our deepest appreciate all that he did for the Church and most prayerful sympathies. in our country over the past 60 years of “During his active years as a bishop, his priesthood.” Ian Murray played a full part in the life and work of the Bishops’ Conference Life well lived contributing with humanity, faith and Born in in Lennoxtown, Dunbarton- humour to everything that we did. He shire, on December 15 1932, Bishop will be sorely missed. May God rest his Murray was the eldest of the four chil- generous soul.” dren of John and Margaret Murray. He The Scottish bishops were gathered began his education at St Machan's Pri- in session at the Royal Scots College in mary School in Lennoxtown before Salamanca, Spain, when they heard the moving onto St Ninian's High School in news. It was an institution to which Kirkintilloch in 1944. Two years later Bishop Murray had a lifelong bond as he began life as a seminarian at St both student and, subsequently, rector. Mar’s College, Blairs, Aberdeenshire. The bishops of Scotland celebrated a In 1950, Ian Murray was one of a Mass for him in the college last Satur- group of 11 students selected by the day morning. bishops of Scotland to reopen the Real “When we heard the sad news this Colegio de Escoceses or Royal Scots afternoon, Archbishop Tartaglia immedi- College in Valladolid which had been ately halted proceedings and we paused closed since the outbreak of the Span- to pray for the repose of Bishop Murray’s ish Civil War in 1936. He was ordained lege. His first major task was to negoti- the previous bishop, Roddy Wright, had repose of his soul with gratitude to God soul,” Archbishop Leo Cushley of St as a priest there in 1956. ate the relocation of the college to its resigned under difficult circumstances. for his service and his leadership in our Andrews and Edinburgh said. “Ian Mur- He served in his native St Andrews present site in Salamanca. This he did However Bishop Murray worked hard diocese,” he said. ray was a happy priest, a good bishop and and Edinburgh Archdiocese in many successfully in 1988. to heal the diocese and adapt to the Bishop-elect Brian McGee of Argyll a father to his people with a particular parishes down the years, including St Upon returning to Scotland in 1994, unique culture of Argyll and the Isles and the Isles said: “It was with great corner of his heart for the students of the Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, St Ken- Fr Murray served in Galashiels and then before he retired in 2008. sadness that I learned of the death of Royal Scots College in Spain.” neth’s, Lochore, Our Lady and St as parish priest of both Slamannan and Bishop Ian Murray, I will pray for the Bride’s, Cowdenbeath, and St Ninian’s, Falkirk as well as being vicar general of Argyll and the Isles repose of his soul while I am in Rome Restalrig. the St Andrews and Edinburgh Arch- Mgr Jamie MacNeil, diocesan adminis- and join with so many others across In 1970, Fr Ian Murray became the diocese. In 1999 Fr Murray was nomi- trator of Argyll and the Isles, said Scotland, mourning his loss.” first resident Catholic chaplain of nated the 9th Bishop of Argyll and the Catholics there had ‘very fond memo- the then recently founded Stirling Isles and ordained (above) on Decem- ries of Bishop Ian and are very sad to I Last SCO interview with the late University. ber 7, the feast of St Ambrose, Patron hear the news of his death.’ Bishop Murray, page 7. In 1987 he returned to Spain, this of the Royal Scots College. It was a “The priests and people of the dio- I [email protected] time as rector of the Royal Scots Col- challenging appointment to take on as cese will make heartfelt prayers for the PIC: PAUL McSHERRY SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] Now recruiting volunteers for Project Truth, Summer2016 0141 221 2094 Building a Culture of Life www.spucscotland.org 2 WHAT’S ON SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY JANUARY 29 2016 Visionary Pluscarden pilgrimage A fond farewell A VISIONARY idea has been over 30 years proposed to retrace the jour- earlier. In fact, ney behind the founding of an old name for Pluscarden Abbey nearly 800 the Pluscarden years ago. valley, the Kail Circa 1230, the Abbey was Glen, is nothing founded with the arrival in more than a Morayshire, in North East Scot- translation into land, of Valliscaulian monks from Scots of the French Val des the French region of Burgundy, and Choux or the Latin Vallis it is now hoped that The 1230 Plus- Caulium. carden Pilgrimage retracing that The pilgrimage of those early journey will take place in the sum- Valliscaulian Monks from Bur- mer of 2017 to raise funds towards gundy to Pluscarden will be the £5 million rebuilding of the repeated from June 5 to 3, Sep- iconic South Range—the climax of tember 2017, and will cover nearly 70 years of restoration work. approximately 1300 miles and The idea is the brainchild of will be broken down into 12 legs retired Gordon Highlander, Lt of 100 miles and a final leg of 80 Col David Broadfoot MBE miles. Each leg, less the final leg, (right), who has been tasked with will have a ceiling of 40 partici- PICS: TOM EADIE raising the required money for pants, will take six days, Monday this daunting task. The draft to Saturday inclusive, and Sun- route, produced following a day will be a day of rest, worship CHILDREN lined the Lady’s High School, Mother- meeting in Rome between David and changeover of participants streets of Viewpark on well. He was ordained in 1958 and Professor Philip Adamo, and sponsors. Monday as the parish of St and later served as spiritual author of New monks in old The final leg will have 60 par- Columba’s paid tribute to director of the Royal Scots habits, an expert on the Vallis- ticipants, will cover 80 miles over Canon Edward Glackin, College in Spain. caulians, will be fleshed out if five days leading to a final week- who died January 18 at He was involved with a num- the uptake reaches its required end of worship and celebration. Wishaw General Hospital. ber of school’s during his min- target by March 31. Each participant, on each leg, Bishop Joseph Toal of istry, including St Aiden’s in Pluscarden Abbey as we know must achieve a minimum sponsor- Motherwell celebrated the Wishaw and Cardinal Newman it today owes its foundation to ship of £1230. The money raised funeral Mass for the parish High in Bellshill, who posted a King Alexander II of Scotland in will go towards Pluscarden Abbey priest. The respect for the for- tribute to the priest on their web- the year 1230. At the same time South Range Project bill. A stone mer canon, who was suffering site. “Although he was unable to grants were made to two other from the original abbey will be from cancer, was reflected in take a leading role in the last cel- sister houses, Beauly in Ross, carried throughout the pilgrimage. the large numbers who turned ebrations he did manage to and Ardchattan in Argyll. and will constitute the foundation out for the funeral, including attend and took the opportunity The community that served stone of the new South Range. Bishop Emeritus Maurice to speak to our third years about these churches was one of Vallis- Visit www.appealpluscarden- Taylor. Amongst those at the his illness, his acceptance of caulians. The parent house in abbey.org.uk. funeral was Canon Glackin’s death and the important role that France, the Priory of Vallis The closing date for applica- cousin Eddie Linden who said his faith had in helping him Caulium, had been founded just tions is March 31, 2016. he was very impressed with approach his death,” it says. the number of people at the “Sharing his thoughts and inspi- funeral.