Some birthdays deserve an extended celebration and that is clearly the case for the St. Mungo Singers’ 40th birthday. In the latest chapter of their celebrations, a busload of singers, families and friends (including Bailie Cathy McMaster and her husband, and Deacon Kevin Kelly and his mother) took the St. Mungo Trail to Hoddom on 21 April.

On the St. Mungo Trail

Despite the forecasts of heavy rain, they were fortunate to have dry weather to walk along part of the Trail on the banks of the River Annan to the site which has been traditionally associated with St. Mungo and where a monastery complex has been identified. Within the old cemetery there, the choir held a short service which included a reading from Jocelyn’s Life of St. Mungo, and Bailie McMaster explained some of the history behind the development of the St. Mungo Trail.

On the site of St. Mungo's church/monastery

The Mass itself was a warm, intimate community celebration. Dr. Noel Donnelly played clarsach airs before the Mass began, and the choir sang Botor’s “Misericordias Domini”. Then the Mass started with the processional “Grace to You and Peace”. The Penitential Rite and Gloria were sung, followed by the Noel Donnelly setting of Psalm 4, and Deacon Kevin chanted the Gospel reading. Mgr.Gerry Fitzpatrick, the principal celebrant, thanked everyone present and the choir members in particular for all they did in support of the liturgy. Referring to the Gospel reading, he invited them to recognise that they by their love of music and of the liturgy helped others to appreciate the presence of God in the midst of the church and supported them in their journey of faith.

Mgr. Gerry with Fr. Hugh and Deacon Kevin

At the end of the Mass, Mgr. Gerry thanked his fellow concelebrant, Fr.Hugh O’Donnell, and Deacon Kevin, for their support, and the community of St. Luke’s for their generous welcome. He also took the opportunity to thank Bailie McMaster for all she had done to develop the celebration of St. Mungo’s life and the Christian roots of Glasgow, and the choir presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the choir and parishioners at St. Luke's

 

 

Bailie McMaster explaining the St. Mungo Trail