Scottish Catholic Observer

The school, which was saved from closure last month after campaigning parents convinced the local council to scrap plans for a merger with Our Lady’s High School, was receiving its first visit from Bishop Toal since his installation as Bishop of Motherwell.

Taylor High was named after Canon Thomas Taylor, parish priest of St Francis Xavier’s and founder of Carfin Grotto. Canon Taylor was an admirer of St Thérèse of Lisieux and championed her cause for sainthood in Scotland. Each year, Taylor High celebrates a feast day Mass for the saint at the beginning of October.

Bishop Toal had celebrated the feast Mass last year in his role as administrator of Motherwell Diocese, and returned this year to speak to pupils and staff before celebrating Mass.

The bishop spoke to the young people about their impressions of the school and his role as bishop—discussing how the Church works for young people—and met with the school’s year group council and had a lunch with the Taylor High captains (above).

Mass was accompanied by compositions from the school’s music department and was followed by a buffet for guests and a presentation of a cheque for £1000 raised for the  work of the Scottish Catholic  International Aid Fund (SCIAF).

Gerry McCormack, headteacher at the school, said the bishop was very relaxed throughout the visit and that he enjoyed it.

“He got to know Taylor High School much better,” he said. “We look forward to future occasions when his lordship attends the school and celebrates Mass with us.”

North Lanarkshire Council announced at the start of this year plans to close Taylor High and merge it with Our Lady’s in a new build on the site of the former Ravenscraig steelworks. Parents said they were concerned about the travelling distance to the new school as well as possible contamination of the land.

Bishop Toal had opposed the planned closure, and in a submission to council had  criticised ‘the inequitable  treatment of pupils attending Catholic schools,’ and said the council were happy to maintain non-denominational schools with rolls lower than that of Our Lady’s and Taylor High.

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—     Pic: Tom Eadie

—Read the full version of this story in October 17 edition of the SCO in parishes from Friday.