A MAJOR new resource produced by Missio Scotland aimed at helping Catholic schoolteachers prepare children for Confirmation has been launched and been given Archbishop Philip Tartaglia’s seal of approval.
Missio Scotland, the Scottish branch of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS)—Pope Francis’ own charity and official mission aid agency of the Catholic Church—has created the colourful Missionary Saints resource, which includes a booklet focussing on the lives and examples of missionary saints from across the five continents and ties in with the Missionary Rosary already provided by the charity to schools throughout Scotland. It is hoped that every Catholic school in Scotland will provide each of their future Confirmandi with a copy of this new booklet.
Accompanying the booklet is an activity book, which aims to help teachers foster a missionary spirit in their classrooms, especially at the time of preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Stephen Callaghan, Creative Director of the Archdiocese of Glasgow Arts Project, is also working on writing plays based on the lives of each of the missionary saints contained within the booklet, two of which—St Teresa of Calcutta and St Charles Lwanga—will be provided to all Catholic schools to consider performing, after the resource is delivered to each of them at the start of 2018.
“Two ideas which are central to Confirmation are the Mission of the Church and the sense of the Church as a family,” Sr Stacey Cameron of Missio Scotland said. “This sense of Church as a family and the Church going out to the world is also what the Society of the Holy Childhood is all about. Here in Scotland the Holy Childhood is now called Missionary Children and is run by Missio Scotland. This workbook aims to equip teachers to foster this missionary spirit in their classrooms especially at the time of preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.”
The Missionary Saints resources were launched in vibrant fashion by the pupils of St Gerard’s Primary School in Bellshill, who dressed up as some of the saints contained in the booklet.
The resource has been endorsed by Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow, who said that he hoped pupils would be ‘inspired’ by the example of the missionary saints to follow in their footsteps and also thanks Missio Scotland for all its hard work in producing such a valuable resource.
“This Missionary Saints Booklet provides a charming introduction to the life and works of numerous saints from across the five continents,” Archbishop Tartaglia said. “It is a bright and colourful resource which offers a useful insight into the lives of the missionary saints for pupils preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
“The accompanying activities allow students the opportunity to reflect on the faith which inspired the saints and the actions they undertook in order to bring the Good News to others.
“It is my hope that in reading and reflecting upon the lives of these missionary saints, pupils will be inspired by their example and be eager to follow in their footsteps.
“In commending this resource, I want to thank Missio Scotland for offering it to us for our young candidates for Confirmation.”
Scotland’s Bishops have also thrown their weight behind the new resource, with Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell saying: “I would like to encourage schools to consider using the Missionary Saints book to complement Confirmation preparation.”
If you would like to find out more about this excellent new resource contact Missio Scotland’s Communications Officer Gerard Gough by e-mail: gerard@missioscotland.com or call: 01236 449774