Scottish Catholic Observer

Michael McGrath stood down as director of SCES in July, and Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, president of the Catholic Education Commission, was joined by fellow bishops William Nolan, Joseph Toal, and Bishop Emeritus Peter Moran in celebrating a thanksgiving Mass (above) in Motherwell Cathedral on September 14.

Schoolchildren from across Scotland joined teachers and staff, including former pupils of Mr McGrath from as long ago as 1975, in paying their respects.

“Michael McGrath has made a unique contribution to Catholic Education in our times,” Archbishop Tartaglia said. “As a successful teacher and headteacher he lived out the vocation of the Catholic educator. And as the founding director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service he gave of his considerable intellectual, spiritual and human qualities tirelessly.

“His period of office has seen a new ‘coming of age’ for Catholic education in Scotland. The new curricula at primary and secondary levels, the improved working partnerships with national government, new and strong links with the University of Glasgow, timely new initiatives to promote teacher recruitment and engagement work with parents are just some elements of his rich legacy.

“Michael is still a relatively young man and I hope he will continue to support the Church in future in different ways. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.”

Mr McGrath is a former headteacher of Our Lady’s High in Cumbernauld and has spent four decades in Catholic education, 13 of them at SCES having been director since the organisation’s inception in 2003. One of his most notable achievements was the introduction of the Caritas Award, resulting in thousands of pupils each year spending their final school year on a faith journey.

Anthony Thomson, a former pupil at Our Lady’s, said he noticed an immediate positive affect when Mr McGrath took over at the school in 1996. “Mr McGrath taught our register class for RE in S6, and his passion for Catholic education was evident,” he said.

“He shared personal testimony of how his faith had helped him through difficult times in his life, something we hadn’t experienced before in school RE.”

Mr Thomson added that his former headteacher took pupils to volunteer helping the homeless. “I recall one particular time when Mr McGrath helped a man who couldn’t read or write by writing a letter for him—a memory upon which I have often reflected over the years.”

Pauline Barr, principal teacher of RE at St Peter the Apostle High School in Clydebank, said it was a privilege to work alongside someone so committed to Catholic education. “He was a great support to me throughout my career and gave me opportunities to get involved in things at a national level,” she said.

Mr McGrath said he was overwhelmed and delighted with the Mass, the words of the Scottish bishops, and ‘most pleasing of all’ the presence of so many young people.

“As I look back on 41 years of working with young people, teachers, parents and clergy in Catholic schools, I know how much we should all appreciate the opportunity of Catholic education as a precious gift which enriches the lives of young people by helping them to see God’s place in their lives,” he said.

“I hope that the Catholic community will always appreciate that gift and nurture it so that it can be handed on to future generations. I thank God for all the teachers, colleagues, priests, parents and young people who inspired and supported me in my vocation and I pray that they will be rewarded for their lives of dedicated service.”

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