Kevin McKenna: Cuba releases Review of Church prisoners ahead property could help of Pope’s visit refugees and to the country. community. Page 10 SUPPORTING 50 YEARS OF SCIAF, 1965-2015 Pages 6-7 No 5638 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday September 18 2015 | £1 WALKING IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD Young people from across Scotland took part in a pilgrimage to Nunraw Abbey last Sunday to mark The Year of Consecrated Life. The Catholic Youth Service Scotland organised event saw almost 200 young people joined by religious, parish priests and Archbishop Leo Cushley as they walked from Haddington to the Cistercian Abbey of Sancta Maria I For more on the pilgrimage, see pages 4-5 PIC: PAUL McSHERRY Scottish Church is open to refugees I Many of our parishioners hail from families with a history of fleeing conflict and poverty, hierarchy says; Paisley answers Bishop Keenan’s call by setting up a refugee welcome group By Ian Dunn Church’s help to ‘support and assist the curial offices in Paisley on Monday of Mr Henry, MSP for Renfrewshire “Many Scots Catholics—myself new arrivals to our country.’ politicians from the SNP, Labour and the South, said he, like many people in the included—hail from families that once SCOTLAND’S bishops are The archbishop tells the First Minister Conservative parties, representatives West of Scotland, was the child and fled oppression and poverty in all sorts responding decisively to the refugees that the Scottish Church stands ready to from Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire and grandchild of those who had not been of places in the 19th and 20th century, crisis in Europe, collectively and answer Pope Francis’ call for ‘every Renfrewshire councils and local born here. to find a new home in this country,” he individually, as Europe tightens its Catholic parish community in Europe Christian leaders. Participants at the “This is too important to be left to said last weekend. “So how could we borders this week to the flood of to offer support to refugee families event, which the bishops called, all politicians,” he said. “But the fact that not place ourselves at the service of mainly displaced Syrians. currently fleeing to our continent from pledged to do all they could to help we are all here and united in our desire those 21st century newcomers who are In a letter on behalf of the bishops, the Middle East.’ refugees in a new group under the name to work together on this is, I think, very in the greatest need? Archbishop Philip Tartaglia tells First “Many of our parishioners hail from Renfrewshire Refugee Support. significant.” “And, as a visible example of our Minister Nicola Sturgeon the Catholic families with a history of fleeing Bishop Keenan said he was ‘incredibly Among the representatives from the willingness to help, I too would be happy Church will do all it can to assist the conflict and poverty in the 19th and heartened’ by the response of all those local churches was Rev Tom Wilson, a to give a home to somebody fleeing war Scottish Government in welcoming 20th centuries to find a new home in at the meeting. minister of the Holy Trinity and St or oppression. Hopefully, though, we refugees and the Scottish Church has Scotland,” he writes in his letter. “In the “There was an impressive grasp of Barnabas Episcopal Church in Paisley, who can find each family their own home. already taken concrete steps to help subsequent decades we have established the situation and of our responsibility as said those heading to Europe from Syria Scotland is a big country populated by refugees. Bishop John Keenan of Paisley an effective network of parishes that well as an overwhelming desire for were ‘fleeing death and persecution— big people with big hearts.” has set up a refugee welcome group in exist to promote the Christian faith and everyone present to support the refugees they’re using chlorine gas on these people!’ On the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Paisley and Archbishop Leo Cushley of thus contribute to the common good.” in all the ways we can and to ensure the “If we are to be true to Christian September 15, a Mass took place in Our St Andrews and Edinburgh has offered “In front of the tragedy of the tens of best possible Renfrewshire welcome,” teaching we have to help these people,” Lady of Good Aid Cathedral in Motherwell to put up refugees in his own home. thousands of refugees escaping death by he said. “Refugees are coming and we he said. to pray for refugees throughout the world. In spite of such efforts, and global war or hunger on the path towards the want to be ready to give them the fullest Renfrewshire Council has agreed to Those who attended were invited to vigils for refugees over the weekend hope of life, the Gospel calls us, asks us, welcome possible.” administrate the new group Renfrewshire pray for all refugees and to plead to the that began in Glasgow, refugees were to be ‘neighbours’ of the smallest and George Adam, SNP MSP for Paisley, Refugee Support. Those wishing to Lord to help us find a solution to the crisis. stranded at the Serbia-Hungary border most abandoned. In the days since, the said he believed that the number of offer space housing and other support on Tuesday after the Hungarian UK Government has unveiled its plan refugees the British Government had were to be directed to sign up to the I [email protected] Government closed the frontier with a to accept up to 20,000 refugees from agreed to re-home so far is not enough. Engage Renfrewshire database, so they new razor-wire fence. The move aims Syria over the next five years and I note “But however many come, we need could be contacted to volunteer. to stop the current flood of migrants that your government is fully committed to figure out how we can make this work who are trying to enter the EU. to cooperating with the UK authorities in our community,” he said. “I want us Personal touch in whatever action needs to be taken to to be leading the way in Scotland on this.” Archbishop Cushley of St Andrews and National efforts help alleviate this humanitarian crisis.” Other MSPs present included Annabel Edinburgh echoed the stance of many Archbishop Tartaglia, president of the Goldie of the Conservatives, and Neil Catholics in Scotland when he said at Bishops’ Conference, said that he was Paisley leads the way Bibby, Hugh Henry and Mary Fee of the weekend that he personally would ‘inspired by Pope Francis’ to offer the Bishop Keenan chaired a meeting at the the Labour Party. take in refugees. SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] 2 WHAT’S ON SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2015 What’s On A weekly guide to upcoming Church-related events, more online at www.sconews.co.uk SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19 be Archbishop Leo Cushley of I Doors Open Day will take St Andrew’s and Edinburgh. place this weekend in The homily will be given be Aberdeenshire, Dundee, Fr Joe McAuley, the Falkirk, Glasgow (some Archbishop’s Delegate for events have already begun on Venerable Margaret’s Cause Monday, September 14). of Beatification. Highlands: Caithness, Scottish Borders—Galashiels (Saturday MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21 September 19 only) and West I For anyone thinking of Fife (Sunday September becoming a Catholic, there 20 only). will be a meeting to introduce Amongst the churches the 2015/16 Rite of Christian taking part are St Andrew’s Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Cathedral in Glasgow, St programme on Monday Andrew’s Church, Braemar, St September 21, at 6.30pm in St Joseph’s Church, Dundee. Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow. Seven new members of the Equestrian Order of the For a full list visit: Advance registration, while www.doorsopendays.org.uk not essential, would be helpful. Holy Sepulchre welcomed by Cardinal Edwin O’Brien SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24 I The annual pilgrimage in I On September 24, at 11am By Daniel Harkins responsibilities which fall to them as they said, reflecting on their decision to join honour of the Venerable in St Michael’s Primary members of the order. the order. “It is our time, not to just say Margaret Sinclair will take School in Moodiesburn, the THE Scottish Lieutenancy of the The order is dedicated to supporting the ‘how dreadful,’but to do something tangible place on Sunday September school will celebrate its 50th Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre Christian presence in the Holy Land, a and the EOHS is for us the perfect vehicle.” 20, will begin at 2pm with a anniversary with a Golden were joined by the head of the global support, members heard in a meeting after Many of the new members will be joining Holy Hour and will conclude Jubilee Mass—that is open to order as they welcomed seven new the Mass, which is currently greatly needed. others on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Holy Mass at 4.30pm at previous staff—celebrated by members at a ceremony in Glasgow’s Due to the current unstable political situation, next November where they will see at first St Patrick’s in Edinburgh. Bishop Joseph Toal and Fr St Andrew’s Cathedral. the congregation heard, Christians now form hand the impact of the work they are doing The principle celebrant will Michael Briody.