The weather forecast could have put people off heading to Culross for this visit which was planned in light of the upcoming 850th anniversary of the designation of Glasgow as a Bishop’s Burgh.  However two hardy busloads of pilgrims took the road east to the place where their founding Bishop, St Mungo, had been born in the 6th century.  The travellers included over 50 members of the Ukrainian community in Glasgow.

However our prayers were answered in that we did not experience any rain, despite the black clouds which gathered and the rumbles of thunder heard close by.  The weather indeed was warm enough for the children to play in the park on the foreshore, and adults and children to enjoy wonderful locally made ice cream from an ice cream van, something we certainly hadn’t expected.

The welcome we received from the local Culross Abbey church community was equally warm, with one of their number taking the time to explain for the Ukrainian visitors in particular of the link between Culross and Glasgow through St Mungo and his mother, aided by a young member of the Ukrainian group who translated for her group.

A short service was held in the Abbey church, introduced by Rev Roy Henderson, which took as its theme our common baptism and Christ’s prayer for the unity of his followers.  Captain Les Heal of the Salvation Army, Chair of Glasgow Churches Together, centred on this theme in his reflection, reminding those present that we are the one body of Christ and it is disappointing when Christians do not get on with each other.

Appropriately the Baptismal Creed was now sung as a reminder of our common baptism, before intercessions in English and Ukrainian were said, followed by the Lord’s Prayer (which was also then chanted in Ukrainian, led by Fr Andriy Chornenko).  The service ended with the singing of the “Glasgow Anthem”, Let Glasgow Flourish.  Then we had a beautiful and passionate hymn sung by one of the Ukrainian group.

There was time after the service for the pilgrims to have lunch or visit the historical buildings of Culross, before heading home – and still it had not rained!