Scottish Catholic Observer

The 700 pupils and staff of St Joseph’s Academy gathered on March 19 for the Mass led by Fr Stephen McGrattan with Fr Martin Chambers and Fr Philip Kitchen.

Altar servers were Michael Duff, Hamish Campbell and John Savage.

The whole-school Mass was only the second to be celebrated in the new St Joseph’s Academy building and was the first with new headteacher Joseph Kane, who took up the post February.

Fr McGrattan opened the Mass by encouraging all to be ‘protectors’ like St Joseph was to Our Lady and Jesus.

The first and second readings were delivered by head boy James Johnston and head girl Kiera Ovens, the Psalm was sung by S6 pupil Morven Campbell, and the bidding prayers were delivered by a representative from each year group.

In his homily, Fr Kitchen produced a packet of Jacob’s Cream Crackers—which was met with great wails of laughter.

However, the priest explained that there was a thought-provoking message behind the item: the crackers did what they said on the pack and so do the pupils of St Joseph’s Academy, he said.

Annie Fraser Robertson, an S5 pupil, said the Mass was a lovely way to ‘celebrate the inspiring life of St Joseph.’

“He was a saint of justice, Faith and wisdom—words that we try to live by in our school and parish communities,” she said. “Fr McGrattan, Fr Chambers and Fr Kitchen did a fantastic job of educating us on the life and values of St Joseph, encouraging us to take these values and apply them in all aspects of our lives.”