Parish News Round-up

Thursday April 28

Our regular round-up of news received from churches

Please send items of parish news to magazine@lifeandwork.org or Life and Work, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN. Digital photographs should not be reduced. Please check the quality of your pictures: images which are blurry or too dark cannot be used. If there are children in any picture please confirm that their parents or guardians have given permission for publication.

At the morning service at Ayr St Columba Parish Church on Sunday April 17 the Rev Fraser Aitken presented long service certificates to four senior members of the Guild who between them have served for more than 250 years.

Pictured, along with Mr Aitken and the Guild Convener, Dorothy Bone, are (back row) Jane Harbison. who joined the Guild at Strathbungo, Glasgow 62 years ago and Daisy Milne who joined in Inverurie, 61 years ago. Seated left is Claire Howat who joined at Bridge of Allan, where her late husband was Minister, 63 years ago, and on the right is Mary Martin who joined at Welllington Church in Glasgow, 67 years ago.  They are still active members of Ayr St Columba Guild.

The Rev Bill Jackson of New Monkland Parish Church, Glenmavis, Airdrie does not have a difficult job memorising the names of the Kirk Session as no less than nine elders have the same Christian name.

Margaret Taylor, Margaret Dick, Margaret Blades, Margaret Croall, Margaret Carmichael, Margaret Anderson, Margaret Wyatt and Margaret Watt. Seated is the Rev Bill Jackson with his Session Clerk - Margaret Millar.

 Meadowside St Paul’s Church in Dundee said goodbye to the Rev Robbie Donald and his wife Moira on April 24. Robbie stepped down as locum minister, his final ministry in a career spanning 60 years.

A Church of Scotland congregation has fostered closer links with its Roman Catholic neighbour after agreeing to share buildings.

St Patrick’s RC church in Old Kilpatrick was partially destroyed by fire in mid-August last year. Immediately, the Kirk Session of Old Kilpatrick Bowling Parish Church offered the use of their building to the Catholic congregation.

Mass was consequently celebrated in the historic Old Kilpatrick Bowling Parish Church the following Sunday by Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, Archbishop of Glasgow, assisted by the Parish Priest, Father Willie McGinley.

Since then the Catholics have celebrated their Mass at 9.30am every Sunday, with the Kirk folk coming in for their morning service at 11.30. St Patrick’s also use the Kirk’s church halls for masses and other activities during the week.

The relationship between the two congregations has always been good, but it is even closer now. A shared service was held on the Sunday in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, with the Catholic congregation staying on after their Mass for the Kirk’s morning service. Locum minister John Harris led the worship, with representatives of both congregations reading the Scripture Lessons, and Father McGinley preaching the sermon.

Such was the enthusiasm for the service that it has been agreed that it should be repeated next year, in St Patrick’s Church, once repairs have been completed.

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