Scottish Catholic Observer

A Glasgow school will become the first in Scotland to honour the late Cardinal Thomas Winning after staff and pupils decided to name their school after the former Glasgow Archbishop.

A special ballot was held following the merger of St Aidan’s and St Joan of Arc secondary schools—for young people with additional support needs—last October and councillors ratified the decision to name the school in honour of the cardinal last week.

The new school will be situated in the former site of St Vincent’s High School in Glasgow’s Tollcross area and staff and pupils at St Aidan’s and St Joan of Arc are looking forward to moving into their new surroundings in the spring.

Fitting tribute

Cardinal Winning’s successor as Glasgow Archbishop, Mario Conti, said it is very fitting that the new school will be named in honour of a man who, as president of the Catholic Education Commission on the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland from 1977-2001, had a strong attachment to Catholic education.

“In this tenth anniversary year since the death of Cardinal Winning, it is very fitting that his name should be recalled in the new school,” Archbishop Conti said. “The cause of Catholic education was very dear to him and he had a special place in his heart for children with special needs.

“I am delighted that future generations will recall his enormous contribution to education in Glasgow through the naming of the new school in his honour.”

Cardinal’s legacy

Gerard McDonald, headteacher of the merged secondary schools, shared similar sentiments to the archbishop, commenting on the many occasions the late cardinal visited both St Aidan’s and St Joan of Arc.

“We were very keen for the school to be named after Cardinal Winning,” Mr McDonald said. “I feel it will create a legacy for the cardinal and is a great way of ensuring people will remember him and remember his work for many years to come.”

Mr McDonald added that Cardinal Winning celebrated Mass on many occasions at both schools, who are very active in pro-life issues, which were very close to the heart of the cardinal.

Thomas Winning was born in Wishaw on June 3, 1925. He was ordained a priest of Motherwell Diocese in Rome on December 18, 1948, as auxiliary bishop in Glasgow in 1971, and as Glasgow Archbishop on April 25 1974. He was elevated to cardinal priest on October 29, 1994. He died on June 17, 2001.

Bailie Jean McFadden, Glasgow City Council’s executive member for education, said she was ‘delighted the parents, staff and young people at the newly-merged school have decided to honour the late Cardinal Winning’ by naming their school in his honour.

“The people of Glasgow have many fond memories of him and he will be remembered daily by pupils and staff for many years to come,” she said.

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