Mass of our Celtic Roots

The annual Mass of our Celtic Roots, timed to take place during the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, was held on 28 January 2024 in St Aloysius, Garnethill.  This year the main celebrant was Fr John Gannon and the preacher Fr Stephen Hannah.  Among the congregation were members of the Scots Gaelic and Irish communities, and representatives of the Knights of St Columba.

In addition to the St Mungo Singers and the parish choir from St Mungo’s Alloa, there were members of the St Mungo Ensemble and the Ceilidh band of Trinity High School with their music teacher, Carissa Swan, to provide music, both before and for the Mass.  The beautiful vestments produced by the Sacred Threads embroiderers to designs by Netta Ewing added further colour to the celebration as the clergy processed through the church to the sanctuary.

After Fr Gerard Mitchell SJ had welcomed the congregation on what he described as a dreich day outside but a cheery one in the church, Fr Gannon began the Mass by inviting those present to take the opportunity for reflection.  In our multicultural city and society, this service was for those of us with Celtic roots to celebrate not just those roots but also the roots of our Church and its spirituality.

Fr Hannah in his homily took up the theme of roots again.  Roots are important.  We need to know where we come from, before we can spread and develop and become who we are.  This personal development brings responsibilities and obligations too.

Turning to the Gospel reading for the Sunday, he pointed out that Mark does not tell us what Jesus taught but the reaction of his listeners – they were astounded because he taught with authority.  The Lord speaks and acts with authority throughout the Gospel, and he hands on this authority to his Church “in My Name” to continue his mission, to serve and to love.

Today with this Mass, he said, we honour great men and women of the past who served the Lord and their brothers and sisters – our ancestors – though they  were without authority in political or state terms, and built churches, schools and communities.  We now in our turn need to be the ones who challenge and who offer hope to the people of our time.

The Mass itself marked our Celtic Roots with hymns whose words and music reflected the Celtic culture, with the Liturgy of the Word and the Prayers of the Faithful being said in Scots Gaelic, Irish and English, and with instrumental pieces from the Celtic repertoire.  As all good Celtic celebrations do, it ended with refreshments and an opportunity for talking and catching up, in the Ogilvie Centre.