Lay Ministers in the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh went on pilgrimage to the historic city of Dunfermline this week.

From left:
▪ Carol Chamberlain (St Kentigern’s Academy, Blackburn)
▪ Miriam Reynolds (St Thomas of Aquin’s, Edinburgh)
▪ Angela Cheney (St Columba’s High, Dunfermline)
▪ Sr Mary Benedicta RSM (Lay Co-ordinator)
▪ Margaret Russell (Sinclair Academy, Winchburgh)

The event was led by Sr Mary Benedicta RSM, Lay Co-ordinator for the Archdiocese. She said: “The lay ministers grew in collegiality and friendship, sharing ideas about their schools, their faith, and building a community together in their special ministry at our Catholic secondary schools.”

Lay Ministers help spread the good news of Jesus Christ at Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese by working with school chaplains to support the faith journey of students and staff.

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:1-6)

At that time: Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Come here.’ And he said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. And he looked round at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

A Catholic charity worker has recently become an author of a children’s book, which explores how communities flourish.

Mum of one Elaine McGinlay has worked for the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund for 12 years and is their Education Officer. She has written a children’s book drawing on more than a decade of work in development education.

Elaine was inspired to write the book The Wisdom of the River after she visited SCIAF’S partner communities and witnessed how they supported one another to flourish in the face of challenges such as severe droughts.

Every Catholic primary school in Scotland will now receive a free copy.

Elaine said: “My wee boy Matthew thinks it’s really cool that his mum wrote his new favourite bedtime story, although he is a wee bit young for it. It’s mainly aimed at 7-10 year olds.

“Matthew goes to the same primary school I went to – St Timothy’s. My mum used to be known affectionately in the school as “the SCIAF lady” for her long-term commitment to fundraising! He loves choosing different paths through the story and is looking forward to sharing with his teacher.”

The book follows the story of a community which lives on the banks of a wide, flowing river and the choices they face as they work together to help their town flourish and ‘sing again’. On each page, readers choose what happens next and which characters they wish to speak to, creating an interactive, choose-your-own-story adventure.

The book is a gentle introduction to Integral Human Development — the Catholic Church’s holistic vision of human flourishing, which considers the whole person and whole community. This vision shapes SCIAF’s work around the world.

The Wisdom of the River has been written for families and classrooms and explores the themes of faith, sustainable development and human flourishing.

The book allows readers to navigate challenges drawn from the real experiences of SCIAF’s partner communities around the world, such as collecting rainwater.

There is also a Gaelic version of the book.

Elaine added: “The Wisdom of the River brings SCIAF’s work to life in a gentle way, and I think it is a wonderful addition to any school or home library.

“My hope is that families enjoy reading this book aloud together and learn how flourishing isn’t only about material needs or simple solutions to complex global issues, including poverty and hunger, but about many connected solutions.”

MSP withdraws support for Holyrood Assisted Suicide Bill.

The SNP’s Audrey Nicoll cites significant concerns around coercion, the risk of a slippery slope and rejection of reasonable safeguards by Holyrood’s Heath Committee as the reasons why she has changed her mind.


SNP parliamentarian Audrey Nicoll, convenor of Holyrood’s criminal justice committee, had backed Liam McArthur’s members bill at its first stage…

Gospel of the day (Mark 2:18-22)

At that time: John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to Jesus, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins — and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.’