Gaza’s parish priest to visit Glasgow

Gaza’s parish priest to visit Glasgow

By Ronnie Convery

Glasgow is to hear first hand from the Parish Priest of Gaza about the horror his parishioners are living every day.

Fr Gabriel Romanelli has been invited to the city later this month by Archbishop Nolan to appeal for help for his stricken parish – the only Catholic parish in Gaza, which has already seen many of its people killed or injured in recent months.

Fr Gabriel will come to Glasgow on April 26, and hopes to meet political, civic, and religious leaders. He will also concelebrate the 1pm Mass in the Cathedral with the Archbishop.

At 11am on the day of the visit a Public Event is planned at the Trades Hall, Glassford Street – “Hope For Peace in Gaza: A Conversation With Fr Gabriel Romanelli”.

There will be a first hand account of the horors happening in Gaza by Fr Gabriel, and a discussion panel with Archbishop Nolan and the Moderator, a public statement and the signing of a plea for peace.

Details of how to attend the event will be published on the Archdiocesan website and social media streams in coming days.

At 1pm Archbishop Nolan and Fr Gabriel will concelebrate the lunchtime Mass in the Cathedral and Fr Gabriel will preach. All are welcome to attend this Mass to show their support and solidarity for the small Catholic community caught up in the conflict.

Ahead of his visit the Gaza priest said: “The situation continues to be extremely grave and worsens by the hour. Our Christians have faith and hope in the Essential, in Jesus Christ. They have been enduring relentless Calvary for months.”

Fr Romanelli lamented the terrible toll of the war, saying, “This conflict has already resulted in more than 32,000 deaths, 12,000 of which are children.”

He himself has been stuck in Jerusalem since war broke out on October 7, but he constantly stays in touch with his parishioners in every possible way.

Refuge

Members of the parish have been taking refuge in the parish compound along with other displaced Christians, totalling about 600, who have lost everything in the bombings.

Fr Romanelli spoke of reports from inside Gaza which he has received from his curate, Fr Youssef Asaad, who remains in the parish.

“You cannot imagine the pain we are experiencing and the desperation of the people,” he said.

He described the scene in the area surrounding the parish in Gaza City, with mountains of rubble, garbage, and burst sewers.

“Despite everything,” adds Fr Romanelli, “they pray for peace every day and offer their suffering and hardships for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”

Archbishop’s Easter message

By Archbishop William Nolan

Christ is Risen, Alleluia.

We should say those words with joy in our heart for this is the core of the Christian message. This is the centre of the good news.

These words assure us that death is not the end. That the sufferings of Calvary, the cross and crucifixion do not last. That death will be overcome by life, the fullness of life. Justice for Jesus and so also for us, the light of day will banish the darkness of night.

Therefore, if we struggle just now with our own Calvary may the resurrection of Jesus encourage us to persevere.

If we mourn the death of a loved one, may the resurrection lighten our sadness with the assurance of life eternal.

If we struggle to see how the many problems of the world can be overcome let the resurrection give us hope that Christ has risen. He is risen indeed, Alleluia.

The ‘best church windows in Britain’

By Brian Swanson

Its Parish Priest cheerfully admits that his church has been said to resemble “a disused bingo hall”, yet Sacred Heart Church Cumbernauld is a classic example of never judging a book by its cover.

To look inside, as award winning Scottish author Peter Ross did in his new book, just published in paperback, is to be overawed by the most exquisitely detailed stained-glass windows depicting the Stations of the Cross created by artist Sadie McLellan for the opening of the church which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

Parish Priest Father John Campbell said: “Someone once described being in Sacred Heart, especially at sunset, was like sitting inside a jewellery box with the walls covered with colour. I’d say that’s a very fair description – but from the outside who would know?”

Author Peter was so impressed with what he saw that he described them in his book Steeple Chasing, as ‘the best church windows in Britain’ making Sacred Heart, (one of 14 modernist Catholic churches built by the architectural practice of Gillespie, Kidd and Coia between 1957 and 1972), the only church in the Archdiocese to feature in the publication.

Father Campbell added: “I’m a big fan of Coia churches but a lot of people hear the name and all they want to talk about are leaks – which is bonkers.

‘I’m very proud of the church and I know the parishioners feel the same. Over the years we’ve had countless architects, artists and other people who make a point of coming to the area just to look at these magnificent windows.

“‘I always tell them to come as the sun is setting which is the very best time to get the full effect – I never get tired of seeing them even after all the years.“

Technique

The windows were created by internationally acclaimed stained glass artist Sadie McLellan, who pioneered an innovative technique known as dalle de verre which involved painstakingly setting thousands of pieces of coloured glass into concrete.

Sadie, from Bearsden who died in 2007 aged 92, also created windows for Pluscarden Abbey, Glasgow Cathedral, The Robin Chapel, Edinburgh and Our Lady of Lourdes Church Cardonald.

Sacred Heart was one of around 50 churches Glasgow-based Peter visited while working on the book, ranging from the former St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross, Pluscarden Abbey to Southwark Cathedral in London.

It has won extravagant praise from reviewers: “What makes Steeple Chasing so compelling – and it is a wonderful book; thoughtful and challenging – ... is Ross’s essential kindness, his unfailing empathy with the people he meets on his pilgrimage,” said the Daily Telegraph.

His previous book , Tomb With a View: The Stories and the Glories of Graveyards won the non-fiction prize at Scotland’s National Book awards and was BBC Radio Four Book of the Week in 2023.

Steeple Chasing is published by Headline priced £10.99. To contact the publisher email: enquiries@hachette.co.uk

Jesuits mark Glasgow anniversary

By Brian Swanson

With solemn step they process, while behind them in this most magnificent of churches, walk the honoured spirits of those who came before them to bring the Society of Jesus to Glasgow.

It is their legacy that is being celebrated here in a Mass of thanksgiving in St Aloysius’ Church, Garnethill, officially described as solemn but in truth most joyful – to mark the arrival, 165 years ago, of the first two members of the Jesuit order in Glasgow.

For context it must be remembered that when they arrived from England in 1859 the Catholic Church in Glasgow was in its restoration infancy and outsiders such as the Jesuits were viewed with widespread suspicion by the largely Protestant population.

Yet many more followed and the legacy, left by these humble but cultured men of God, whose Victorian age studio portraits stare steadfastly at us from these pages, is considerable.

They provided education, created parishes, founded St Aloysius’ College, surely a story for another day, and gave Glasgow St Aloysius’ Church which houses the National Shrine of Saint John Ogilvie, their fellow priest and brother Jesuit, martyred at Glasgow Cross on March 10 1615, making him Scotland’s only post-Reformation saint.

And all this they did, as the Latin translation of their motto reminds us, ‘For the greater glory of God’.

But as a congregation we were also invited not just to remember the past but to celebrate what has been achieved by generations of Jesuits in the intervening years.

School

Listed in the order of service they were: Celebrating the Shared Mission and Life of the Jesuit Community in Glasgow, St Aloysius’ College, the Ignatian Spirituality Centre, St Aloysius’ Church and St Aloysius’ Refugee Language School.

The latter was founded eight years ago, during which time volunteers have taught thousands of refugees and asylum seekers – one of whom, Valentyn Chos from Ukraine, delivered the second reading.

Today St Aloysius’ is the only Jesuit church in Glasgow, routinely described as one the most beautiful in the UK, but the early Jesuits were more concerned with practicality than beauty, as those attending a reception in St Aloysius’ College after the Mass were to learn.

We discovered that in the early days two energetic Jesuits, Frs Kay and Parkinson, were sent north to form a new mission, and soon built the forerunner of today’s church which stood on the site of what is now St Aloysius’ College Hall.

And what would Father Kay and the other Jesuits think of the many achievements that have occurred in the past 165 years?

Father Roger Dawson SJ, Superior of the Jesuits in Scotland does not hesitate with his answer.

“Quite simply, they would be absolutely astounded,” he said. Few, you feel, would argue with that.