Scottish Catholic Observer

Staff and pupils at Trinity High School in Rutherglen welcomed Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell Diocese to lead the school community in the celebration of Mass, along with Fr Pat Hennessy, the chaplain to Trinity High School, Fr Bernard Mournian, and Deacon Pat McMillan.

The school’s new statue of Our Lady was blessed and sprinkled with holy water by Bishop Toal, before the presentation of an incredible £7,000—the rewards of the school’s dedicated Lenten alms fundraising—was made between representatives from 10 different charitable organisations.

The new statue of Our Lady was carved by a man who is becoming increasingly recognised as one of the most prominent providers of Catholic statues, and is made up of a single piece of wood.

Free of charge

Taking 18 months to create, from its carving to the finished product, the statue was provided to the school pupils free of charge due to the kindness of individuals who are beneficiaries towards the school.

Headteacher Peter Bollen explained that the statue has drawn interest from both the press and the local community.

“Already [the statue] has attracted significant interest,” he said. “On this particular day it was the most talked about of all the activities, which brought an immediate buzz around the school because of our ongoing work in relation to Lourdes.

“For us, it was one of the many dreams that we’ve brought to fruition, and we will use it in so many ways: as a symbol for the school, but also as a way to highlight Our Lady’s love for others.”

School celebrations

Mr Bollen praised the ‘magnificent’ day of celebrations at the school, which saw more than 500 young people in attendance at the Mass.

“During that time, we had an opportunity to do three major things,” he said. “First, we witnessed Bishop Toal blessing our statue to Our Lady of Lourdes.

“This was the culmination of a dream and indeed paying back a debt of honour to Our Lady the mother of our Church, the mother of our school, and the mother of the world.

“We’ve had ongoing links with Lourdes and over the 12 years, when I have been headteacher of the school, we have raised in excess of £20,000 to enable pupils to go to Lourdes, and simultaneously they have sent 20 pilgrims who have benefitted from this experience.

“On another level, it also allowed us to give away cash to charities identified by the school and by the pastoral planning committee as worthy recipients. These included charities dedicated to the promotion of life, to preventing and limiting world hunger, and to provide genuine care for those in need.

“We also provided over 110 backpacks for Mary’s Meals, as well as a cash sum, and we remembered in our prayers that we believe in a God who is a giver of life, and provided a host of appropriate good to protect life, specifically providing for the innocents.”

Beneficiaries

Among the charities receiving the financial donations were the Hosanna House and Children’s Pilgrimage Trust (HCPT), Let the Children Live, St Andrew’s Hospice in Airdrie, Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride, Missio, SCIAF and You Are My Sunshine (YAMS) which specialises in mental health support and advice.