BY Daniel Harkins | August 19 | 
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Baby Maria brings WYD home to Scotland
At a closing Mass in Krakow, Pope Francis told more than a million people that World Youth Day continues tomorrow in your homes—and one Motherwell pilgrim took his words literally as he arrived back in Scotland to welcome his new baby girl into the world.
Emmet Dooley helped lead a Motherwell Diocese group to Krakow for the international Catholic gathering, and rushed back home at the end of the festival to be by the side of his pregnant wife Lucy.
Flying home on Monday August 1, he arrived just in time to see Lucy give birth to baby Maria Martha Dooley on the Wednesday night through Thursday morning.
Emmet leads the Gonzaga youth project in the diocese, and he flew out to Poland with a 34-strong contingent at the insistence of his wife. “My wife is the real hero here,” Emmet said. “She said the night before we flew out: ‘Even if I go into labour tonight you still have to bring those young people to World Youth Day!’ So this was truly a case of Jesus I trust in you!”
Emmet kept his mind occupied in Krakow as he took part in the week of celebrations with nearly 500 other pilgrims from Scotland and more than a million from across the world. The Gonzaga group raised more than £17,000 over a year and a half leading up to the Krakow events, working with the parishes of Holy Family in Mossend, St Bride’s in Bothwell and St John the Baptist in Motherwell.
Emmet said there was always a risk he would miss the birth of his child but the Gonzaga youth group were worth the risk and deserved his full attention. “With the young people they know when you are making an extra effort and putting them as a priority and I think young people want that—to feel that you are invested in them,” he said. “It’s something they might not feel elsewhere.”
“It was grand, though I did miss my family,” Emmet said about his time in Krakow. “There was few nervy moments but I was always in contact with the wife.”
Emmet is now home with Lucy, son Dominic and baby Maria—a fitting name for the newborn as the parents have just completed the St Louie de Monfort total consecration to Our Lady, begun in the lead up to her birth.
“We are just really blessed—we weren’t expecting the baby to come early but you just never know,” Emmet said, adding that he had unfortunately missed the anniversary of his wedding on July 29 due to his World Youth Day commitments. “I usually miss something at this time of year but I got back for Lucy’s birthday on August 2. She’s some woman—the sacrifices she makes!”
—This story ran in full in the August 19 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.
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