BY Martin Dunlop | December 24 | 
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Joy of Papal visit project partners
— Cardinal Keith O’Brien drops in to give thanks for and to celebrate a special schools collaboration
A special day was enjoyed at St Ninian’s Primary School, Stirling, last Monday as Cardinal Keith O’Brien visited to celebrate a day of thanksgiving for September’s visit of Pope Benedict XVI.
Joining the St Ninian’s community were representatives and pupils from St Mary’s Primary School, Bannockburn.
Special project
St Ninian’s is a non-denominational school, which came together with its Bannockburn friends in September to produce a special project marking the visit of the Holy Father to Scotland on St Ninian’s Day.
Last Monday’s celebration took the form of a further project collaboration and Christmas concert between the two schools, which was enjoyed by Cardinal O’Brien and Rev Gary McIntyre, St Ninian’s school chaplain, staff and parents from both schools and education officials.
Elaine Wyllie, St Ninian’s headteacher, spoke of her joy at inviting the cardinal and the school chaplain to celebrate with them.
“It was a marvellous day, enjoyed by both schools,” Ms Wyllie said.
“Both schools planned a presentation on the whole adventure of the Papal visit and their involvement in the event.”
St Ninian’s had been invited to send pupils to take part in Edinburgh’s St Ninian’s Day parade, welcoming the Holy Father to Scotland on September 16, while their St Mary’s counterparts were cheering on their friends from Edinburgh’s Princes Street.
Presentation
Prior to September’s Papal visit St Ninian’s pupils researched their school patron while St Mary’s worked on a project on Pope Benedict. Both schools shared their work in a joint presentation prior to the Holy Father’s arrival on St Ninian’s Day.
Theresa O’Hanlon, St Mary’s headteacher, was delighted with the success of last Monday’s thanksgiving and, like her St Ninian’s counterpart Ms Wyllie, hopes the two schools will continue working together in future.
“The children thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, including the preparations, which were a little bit hampered by the weather” Ms O’Hanlon said.
“It was a lovely collaboration by both schools,” Ms Wyllie added. “The cardinal and Rev McIntyre spoke to the children and we all enjoyed lunch together.
“There was a joint blessing after the concert from the cardinal and Rev McIntyre which was very much appreciated.”
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