The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Today is the Memorial of St Agnes, a fourth-century martyr. To mark this, in the Urban VIII Chapel at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV was presented with two lambs on the Memorial of St Agnes of Rome.

In keeping with long-standing custom, the lambs were later blessed at the Basilica of St Agnes Outside the Walls, built over her tomb. The wool from these lambs will be used to make the pallia for newly appointed Metropolitan Archbishops.

The pallium is a liturgical sign of honour and pastoral responsibility worn by the Pope and Metropolitan Archbishops within their own dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces. Made from white wool and marked with six black silk crosses, it symbolises the shepherd’s care for the flock entrusted to him.

References to the blessing of lambs on the feast of St Agnes can be traced back to the sixth century. The practice is linked to an early tradition which recounts that St Agnes appeared to her parents after her martyrdom while they were praying at her tomb, holding a pure lamb as a sign of innocence and faithfulness.

Historically, the offering of lambs was also connected to the relationship between Roman basilicas, with lambs presented to the Pope for blessing. For centuries, the wool was then prepared by Benedictine nuns at the Basilica of St Cecilia in Trastevere, who would shear the lambs during Holy Week and weave the pallia.

While some practical details of the tradition have changed over time, its meaning remains unchanged. It continues to express the bond between the witness of St Agnes, the pastoral ministry of bishops, and the unity of the Church centred on Rome.

Holy Mass of the Memorial of Saint Agnes | 21 January 2026
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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.

📝JOURNALS FROM JERUSALEM - "Justice for our people, justice for our land, and justice for our olive trees."

⛪On 18th January, the Holy Land Coordination travelled to Taybeh to join the parish community of Christ of the Redeemer. Mass was celebrated in Arabic by Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, Chair of the Committee on International Justice & Peace at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

🕊️During the Offertory local children brought forward the gifts along with a peace lamp that was placed before the altar. It symbolised our shared prayers and hopes for peace and healing for all people in Palestine and Israel.

📰Numerous news outlets, including Vatican News, have reported a surge in settler violence in Taybeh, forcing residents to live under constant fear and intimidation. Following Mass, the Bishops and those accompanying them met with members of the parish to listen first-hand to the hardships they are enduring. Many people stood up to recount incidents of cars being set alight, homes and property vandalised, and community members assaulted or threatened.

🫒One woman spoke of her family’s land, where they grow olive trees. In order to protect it they erected a fence last year. Recently settlers removed the fence, entered the land, and took down the trees. When she was asked what we could do for her, she gave an emotional response that echoed the pleas of many in Taybeh:
“Seek justice for our people, justice for our land, and justice for our olive trees.”

✝️To seek justice and peace for everyone in this land must begin with telling the stories of injustice experienced by those who live there. Taybeh is the last fully Christian town in the West Bank. While the injustices we heard about on Sunday affect many Palestinians, regardless of faith, the people of Taybeh hold a particular significance for Christians around the world. They are the "living stones": a living link between the places associated with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the worldwide Church he founded. As another parishioner shared, speaking of the fear caused by settlement expansion:
“If we lose our land, you lose the living stones.”

🙏We pray for the people of Taybeh, for the protection of their land, their livelihoods, and their dignity; and we pray for a just and lasting peace for all throughout the Holy Land.

📸Image credit: Marcin Mazur - Catholic Bishops' Conference (England and Wales).

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.”