Scottish Catholic Observer

Hundreds of Catholics gathered in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow last Sunday to launch the campaign for a permanent memorial to St John Ogilvie at Glasgow Cross, the site of his execution.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow, one of the patrons of the campaign, said the memorial mattered because the saint had been killed for religious freedom, which he believes ‘will be a defining issue of the 21st century.’

“It may seem old fashioned to some that we are here remembering a man who died 400 years ago,” he said. “But out saints are not in the past: they are here now, with us.”

He also said that while the archdiocese was fully behind the campaign, it was ‘great to see lay people stepping up to lead it, and it’s wonderful to see such a coalition of Catholic groups coming together.’

The event began with the Archdiocese of Glasgow Arts Project performing the enthralling trial scene from their play about the life of the saint, before a Rosary, with beads supplied by Missio Scotland

Fr John Gargaro, parish priest of St Jude’s and St John Ogilvie parish in Barlanark, said his parish was firmly behind the campaign.

“We are the parish where the miracle took place that confirmed his sainthood,” he said. “We have great devotion to him and he is truly a saint for out time.”

Sr Roseann Reddy of the Srs of the Gospel of Life said: “The time is right for this recognition. It’s remarkable we haven’t had a statue to date. And in this day and age when religious freedom is so important and we need heroes it would be a great thing.”

Charlie McCluskey, supreme knight of the Knights of St Columba and a key organiser of the campaign, said: “It was an excellent day today. The cathedral was filled with people. This is the beginning—watch this space. A lot will be happening, so come and join us, get involved.”

The campaign for a permanent memorial to the saint on the site of his death began earlier this year, after a widely-shared online post by Sancta Familia Media—a parish group from Motherwell Diocese that makes Faith-based videos—flagged up the lack of a memorial at the site.

St John Ogilvie, a Jesuit, is Scotland’s only Catholic martyr and was hanged at Glasgow Cross in 1615.