The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀

The bishops of Scotland have begun a period of consultation with clergy and religious as part of their careful consideration of the revised translation of the Liturgy of the Hours, an essential element of the Church’s daily prayer. A one-week sample of the Divine Office has now been distributed digitally, enabling clergy and religious to pray with the text and offer their reflections and feedback.

The Church actively encourages all the People of God to pray the Divine Office as a way of nourishing their spiritual lives and deepening communion with the universal Church. For clergy and religious, however, the Liturgy of the Hours holds a uniquely central place. Through their ordination or profession, they undertake a solemn commitment to pray the Office each day for the Church and for the world. It is therefore not only a liturgical duty, but also an intimate and deeply personal part of their daily prayer.

In light of this, the bishops emphasise the importance of this consultation. The lived experience of clergy and religious, who pray the Office daily, will offer rich and invaluable insight.

This period of reflection will help ensure that any future decision supports the spiritual life of clergy and religious while also serving the wider mission of the Church, strengthening the rhythm of prayer that unites clergy, religious, and faithful alike.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, the Church invites us to listen for the voice of Christ, the Good Shepherd, who continues to call men to follow Him and serve His people.

Have you ever felt a quiet nudge in your heart, a sense that God might be asking something more of you?

The call to the priesthood often begins gently. It can grow through prayer, through serving others, or through a deep desire to give your life completely to Christ and His Church. If you have been wondering whether God could be calling you to become a priest, you are not alone.

Here in Scotland, we give thanks that just last year four men were ordained to the sacred priesthood. Their “yes” is a reminder that Christ is still calling, and that His voice is still heard today.

The next step is simple. Speak to someone. Each diocese in Scotland has a Vocations Director who is there to listen, to guide you, and to help you discern what God is asking of you.

If you are considering this call, take that step and get in touch today.
Visit https://priestsforscotland.org.uk/diocesan-vocations-directors/ to find the contact details for your diocesan Vocations Director.

Come and see where the Lord may be leading you.
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Gospel
Mark 16:15-20
‘He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.’

At that time: Jesus appeared to the Eleven and he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

On Saturday, the Diocese of Galloway’s Youth Office celebrated their Easter Youth Gathering. The day took place at St Teresa’s Church in Dumfries. They welcomed sixty-five young people in P5-S4 from across the Diocese who came together for a day of fun and games, faith, and prayer.

The day began with games and activities led by their S3 Junior Leaders, supported by their S4 Junior Leader Mentors – who gave up their day to support the event while also studying for their exams. The team led the young people in a variety of different games and activities, intended to help the young people have fun while also meeting one another and making friends.

Before lunch, the young people heard a talk from Monica, one of the Junior Leaders, reflecting on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how she had experienced them in her own life. She introduced the various gifts and encouraged the young people to be open to the Spirit in their lives and respond to the promptings of the Spirit. During Mass, Fr Kevin, the Diocesan Youth Chaplain, continued reflecting on the theme of the importance of being open to the Holy Spirit – encouraging the young people to open their hearts to the Spirit and to have faith and trust in God so that they may be open to receiving the gifts he is offering them and to being his missionary disciples in a modern age.

After Mass, the group enjoyed lunch – pizza and BBQ – prepared by volunteers from the parish, as well as some fantastic homebaking which parishioners had donated. After lunch, the young people enjoyed more games and activities led by the Junior Leaders.

To end the day, the group gathered in the Church and two of the Junior Leader Mentors – Magda and Feranmi – spoke further on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. In their talk, they reflected on how they felt called to live out the Gifts of the Spirit in their lives, as well as giving practical examples from their own experience. Afterwards, the group spent some time in prayer and adoration before concluding with an invitation from the Youth Office team to join them at more of their upcoming events, including the monthly Youth Evenings, Summer Youth Gathering, Whithorn Youth Pilgrimage, Advent Youth Retreat, or Galloway’s Seoul in 2027.

Everyone had a fantastic day with many of the young people enjoying seeing friends from other regions. In addition, the event was one of the first open to P5 as they look towards the move to P6 in the summer. Not only the youth, but the entire Youth Office team had a fantastic day and enjoyed seeing the young people enjoying themselves, as well as seeing so many returning to events showing how much they enjoy being part of Galloway Youth and growing in faith and friendship through these events.

The Diocesan Youth Office runs monthly events throughout the year in all four deaneries, facilitated by their team of Junior Leaders and supervised by volunteers from the Youth Office. These monthly events are intended to help young people grow in faith and friendship, as well as supporting the transition journey for those in P7 and moving to S1.

Throughout the year, the Youth Office also runs larger events – like the Easter Youth Gathering – to bring all four clusters together in order to help young people meet others from across the Diocese and to develop their understanding of their Diocesan identity and the church throughout Galloway.

Learn more about their work, follow their events, and see even more photos on their social media channels: Diocese of Galloway Youth

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗙𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮

The Bishops of Scotland are delighted to announce that Fr Stuart Chalmers, the Spiritual Director of the Royal Scots College Salamanca, will soon take up a new position as Lecturer in Theology at the Fremantle Campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia. This is a prestigious appointment and reflects Fr Stuart’s expertise in the area of Moral Theology for which he holds a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St Patrick’s, Maynooth. With his usual humility, Fr Stuart would suggest that he deserves no great praise for this, and so the Bishops and staff of the College want to put on record their deep thanks for the years he has given to the seminary in Spain and offer him our deepest congratulations, best wishes and prayers.

Fr Stuart has been Spiritual Director and a teacher at the propaedeutic seminary for the past eight and a half years, working with two rectors, Fr Tom Kilbride and Fr John Carroll. During that time, he has also been an Associate Professor at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, teaching courses in Moral Theology, Professional Ethics, Christian Anthropology and Catholic Social Teaching.

A priest of the Diocese of Aberdeen, Fr Stuart has previously served in parishes in the City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and in the Highlands, as well as Vicar General of the Diocese. Fr Stuart says that he is “delighted to have been offered the post” and is “most grateful for the support of Bishop Hugh and of the Bishops’ Conference in encouraging him to undertake this exciting, new role.” He is also grateful for his time in Spain as Spiritual Director at the Scots College. He said, “It has been a joy and privilege to have been involved in the formation of seminarians for Scotland and Ireland in the beautiful surroundings of Salamanca.”

Upon completion of the term in Spain, Fr Stuart will travel to Fremantle, Perth, at the beginning of July to commence teaching later that month.

Please keep him in your prayers.