Vibrant Glasgow will be theme of city’s St Mungo Festival

 By BILL HEANEY

Sunday, 06 January 2013

Preparations for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and how Glasgow shapes up as a major European city will be just two of the themes explored during this year’s St Mungo Festival.

The Festival, celebrating the life ofGlasgow’s patron saint, will involve a multi-cultural presentation of events across the city and will be officially opened by Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, on Thursday, January 10.

Clr Matheson will introduce the Molendinar Lecture entitled Glasgow and Europe — the care and repair of Cities, which will be given by David Mackay, an international architect and city planner, who has lived and worked in Barcelona for 50 years.

The lecture will take place in the Satinwood suite of Glasgow City Chambers in George Square at 7pm following a civic reception for invited guests at 6.30pm.

On Friday (Jan 11), the City Chambers will echo to the sound of music from Mungo’s Bairns when primary school children will sing and dance recount stories of St Mungo. Students from Glasgow University will assist the young people with presentations and pupils from Lourdes Secondary School will be involved with the production and performance which takes place in the Banqueting Hall from 10.00 -11.30am.

Later in the day, at 1pm, the third annual presentation of the Molendinar Awards will take place when recognition will be given to schools successful with themes from heritage and preparation for Commonwealth Games.

Schools which have been invited to present a picture of a vibrant, exciting city and the best of the entries on the theme Glasgow – their City will be recognised with awards which have been sponsored by Joe Logan Factoring & Management Limited.

The city’s Mitchell Library will be the venue on Saturday, January 12,

from 12.30-1.00pm to view a copy of Vita St Kentigerni the 12th century book commissioned by Bishop Jocelyn ofGlasgow to promote the story of St Mungo. Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia, the city’s Roman Catholic prelate, and the Rev Dr Laurence Whitley, the Church of Scotland minister of Glasgow Cathedral, will read texts in Latin and English text and Glasgow Russian Children’s choir and the St Mungo Singers celebrate story of birth of Mungo in song.

On Sunday, January 13, which is the Feast of St Mungo, the midday Mass will be celebrated in St Mungo’s RC Church in Parson Street, Townhead, when Archbishop Philip Tartaglia will be the principal celebrant.


Later, at 4pm in Barony Hall,StrathclydeUniversitywill celebrate the Feast of St Kentigern – the alternative name for St Mungo – with medieval music and readings by the Canty Trio.

And at 6.30pm, Glasgow Churches Together will host an ecumenical service in Glasgow Cathedral with the Salvation Army band; Russkaya Capella, the Visual Statement Dance Group and the St Mungo Singers.

Monsignor Gerry Fitzpatrick, of St Leo’s RC Church in Dumbreck, who has helped to organise the music for the Festival, said: “The theme of this service will be to pray for the City and its people with Civic leaders and representatives of the Trades House and merchants groups from across the city. Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia will give the homily.”

Then, on Monday, January 14, at midday pupils from St Mungo’s Academy and Whitehill Secondary School will join Dr Laurence Whitely for the dedication of the Youth of the City at the tomb of St Mungo in the crypt of Glasgow Cathedral.

On Saturday, January 19, the Society of Friends of Glasgow Cathedral will meet at 10.30am for a service at the tomb of St Mungo.

This will be followed by their AGM in Cathedral Hall in the Museumof St Mungo& Religious Life when the meeting will be open from midday for a talk by architect John Gilbert on the Gatehouse visitor orientation centre. Contact Alison Gifford at gifforda@sky.com for information on this.