The children of St. Mungo’s Primary in the Mungo Rhyme
The annual Archdiocesan Mass in honour of its patron saint, St. Mungo, was held, appropriately, in the church which bears his name, St. Mungo’s Townhead, on 13 January 2013. The Mass was also the occasion of the induction of the community’s new Parish Priest, Fr. John Craven, as well as the beginning of the celebration of 40 Hours’ Adoration – a great combination of celebrations. Archbishop Tartaglia joined the Passionist community as principal celebrant for the Mass.
Before the liturgy began, Dr. Noel Donnelly played quiet clarsach music, a group of children from St. Mungo’s Primary sang the St. Mungo Rhyme (with appropriate mime), and the St. Mungo Singers led the congregation in singing the St. Mungo Song.
The Mass itself began with the singing of “Be Thou my Vision” as Archbishop Tartaglia and the clergy processed to the sanctuary. Archbishop Tartaglia welcomed the capacity congregation, including guests Cllr. Gordon Matheson (Leader of Glasgow City Council), the head teachers of St. Mungo’s Primary and St. Mungo’s Academy, the School Captains from St. Mungo’s Academy and the children representing St. Mungo’s Primary, and Mr. Charlie McLuskey and members of the Knights of St. Columba, to the celebration in honour of the first Bishop of Glasgow.
The music of the Mass was a rich blend from a wide range of periods and traditions: Gerry Fitzpatrick’s Dunkeld Kyrie, the plainsong Gloria, Frank Duffy’s Psalm 95, John Bell’s Psalm 62/63, the Taizé “O Lord, Hear my Prayer”, the Schubert Sanctus, Noel Donnelly’s Dalreoch Agnus Dei, and well-known hymns such as “Soul of my Saviour” and “Praise to the Holiest”. There was also the sung proclamation of the Gospel for this special occasion by Deacon Kevin Kelly.
St.Mungo’s beautifully decorated for Exposition
In his homily Archbishop Tartaglia expressed his sense of honour and pleasure at being present in what was his “end of town” where his family had lived and worked and where he had grown up and gone to school. He recalled taking Cardinal Pell, on his recent visit to Glasgow, to Glasgow Cathedral where he had used that opportunity to go down to the tomb of St. Mungo and, placing his Episcopal ring on the tomb, to invoke St. Mungo’s blessing.
He invited the congregation to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm, and to view the future with confidence. The Gospel reading for the day (Luke 5:1-11) left, he said, no room for lack of faith or confidence – “Duc in Altum” – “put out into the deep”. In this Year of Faith, we are all invited to renew our faith by a personal encounter with the Lord.
After the homily, the Archbishop presented Fr. Craven to the congregation as the new Parish Priest , the latest in the 150 year history of the Passionist community in Glasgow. Fr. Craven then renewed the promises that he had taken at his ordination.
The Intercessions were:
On this feast of St Mungo, we pray for the people of the Archdiocese, for the Archbishop, clergy and religious who serve them, and for all whose participation in parish life helps the church to flourish. We pray particularly for this parish of St Mungo’s, and for the staff and children in the schools which bear his name.
Lord, hear us
We pray for all the churches of Glasgow, that drawn together by veneration of St Mungo, we may learn to work more closely together.
Lord, hear us
We pray for our city, for our Lord Provost, for Cllr Gordon Mathieson and the members of the City Council: that we may have sound government, kindly and just leadership, and effective public services.
Lord, hear us
We pray for peace throughout the world. For the work of the United Nations and for the other international bodies established to help countries work together. We renew our support for the efforts made by our own country to work with other countries to alleviate hardship and distress.
Lord, hear us.
For all who are ill, and for those who support and care for them
Lord, hear us.
For our deceased relatives, friends & fellow-parishioners, including Fr Dan Friel and Mgr James McShane,
Lord, hear us
At the end of Mass, the celebration of 40 Hours’ began with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.
The community of St.Mungo’s brought the celebration to a fitting end with a generous buffet in the church hall,
giving everyone the opportunity to mingle and enjoy the day.
