Scottish Catholic Observer

The pupils (above) were taking part in a commissioning service that marked their entry into the Caritas Award. The annual scheme run by the Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES) encourages pupils in their final year of school to help out in their parishes and communities, volunteering in care homes and homeless shelters, assisting lay groups such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul and learning about their faith.

Every school in the diocese was represented at the service and invitations were sent out to each parish priest. Presiding over the service—celebrated five years after the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Scotland—Bishop Joseph Toal spoke about Matthew the tax collector, who met Jesus and had his life instantly transformed. An unhappy, shunned and wealth obsessed man, Matthew saw an alternative in Jesus, the bishop said.

“My dear young people, you have already set out on a journey to encounter Jesus,” he added. “During this year of the Caritas Award, you will try to live out the Christian idea of love in your school, your home, and your parish community. But that idea of love will only make sense if you make a genuine effort to encounter the person of Jesus of Nazareth.”

To those who will support the Caritas students—teachers, priests, parishioners and families —he said we must pass on what we have received in faith and must constantly challenge ourselves to grow in faith and in love for Jesus.

In total, 350 pupils from Motherwell Diocese have enrolled in Caritas this year. Barbara Coupar, RE coordinator in the diocese, said the service was organised to show the young people that Caritas is bigger than just their school and parish and is part of the universal Church.

Pic: Tom Eadie

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—This story ran in full in the October 2 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.