Scottish Catholic Observer

Michael McGrath, the long-serving first director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES), is to retire.

Under Mr McGrath’s (above) leadership, SCES has achieved many goals including the introduction of the much-lauded This is Our Faith religious education syllabus in schools; the creation of the popular Pope Benedict XVI Caritas Award for senior secondary school pupils and the recent introduction of the Pope Francis Award for primary school pupils. Of late he has been very active in the open education forums throughout the country, such as last Saturday’s in Dundee [see this week’s SCO, in parishes on Friday.]

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland—newly restored to full strength (below with the Apostolic nuncio)—this week accepted Mr McGrath’s request to retire from his position from August 1 this year and thanked him for his consistent and valuable input to the work of Catholic education in Scotland.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, president of the conference and of SCES, thanked Mr McGrath for all his innovation and work.

“On behalf of the Bishops’ Conference, I would like to thank Michael for his dedicated service to the church in the field of Catholic education over many years and particularly for his 13 years service as director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service,” the archbishop of Glasgow said. “Together with all the bishops, I wish him a long and happy retirement.”

The former Our Lady’s High, Cumbernauld, headteacher was appointed as the first director of SCES in August 2003, having taught English and RE since 1975.

The SCES director is the chief officer of the Catholic Education Commission, providing strategic leadership in the formulation of policy and supporting its work in all its aspects, in particular liaising with local and national Government. A recruitment process to appoint a new SCES director will begin shortly.

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