Scottish Catholic Observer

Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow joined the community of St Mungo’s Church in Glasgow to celebrate the feast day of its patron saint last Friday.

The feast day Mass was celebrated on the penultimate day of the St Mungo Festival, a seven-day series of events marking the life of Glasgow’s patron saint, which this year also marked the 14th anniversary of the founding of the city.

The archbishop joined Fr James Berrie, St Mungo’s parish priest, 13 other priests and two deacons in celebrating last Friday’s Mass.

A large congregation, which included members of the Knights of St Columba, and pupils from St Mungo’s Academy, enjoyed the singing of the St Mungo Singers, directed by Mgr Gerry Fitzpatrick, musical director for Glasgow Archdiocese, and a musical performance by pupils from St Mungo’s Primary School.

Let Glasgow Flourish

Speaking in his homily, the archbishop directed the congregation to consider the words of the anthem, Let Glasgow Flourish, and how we must ‘repeat them’ in our everyday lives. The archbishop added that the Church’s term for ‘this living out of the Gospel in the modern world’ is called New Evangelisation, and highlighted the Year of Faith, which was called for by Pope Benedict XVI and will begin on October 11 and last until November 24, 2013.

“This year, in the words of the Holy Father, will be a special occasion for us to understand more profoundly that the foundation of our Faith is ‘the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction’—namely Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Conti said.

He noted Pope Benedict’s words that there is ‘a need for stronger ecclesial commitment to New Evangelisation in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the Faith.’

“Here in Glasgow we must take these words to heart,” the archbishop said. “We must ask ourselves how we can be better witnesses of Christ, more credible children of Mungo.”

Final celebration

The archbishop assured the congregation that, despite a similar statement last year, this year’s feast day Mass would be his final St Mungo’s Day sermon as Archbishop of Glasgow.

“This very celebration of St Mungo is in itself a special grace,” Archbishop Conti said, and added that next year ‘I hope to be here assisting my successor in celebrating the feast with you.’

Fr Berrie was pleased to welcome the archbishop to the parish for the feast day Mass and was delighted to witness a busy church for the celebrations.

“It all went very well and the Mass was very well attended,” Fr Berrie said.

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—     Pic: Paul McSherry