Presidential position for Missio Scotland's Gerard

THERE was a resounding endorsement of the work of Missio Scotland at the recent meeting of the European Conference of the Missionary Children Society (CEME) recently, as Communications Officer, Gerard Gough, was appointed as its new president.

The four-day meeting, held in Bratislava in April, saw participants from 20 European countries, share their experiences of faith developed with children and adolescents in a constructive and fraternal atmosphere. The central theme of the meeting was ‘creativity in the new evangelisation.'

Secretary General speaks

“The combination of creativity and new evangelisation represents one of the central challenges of the contemporary Church, as Pope Francis emphasised on several occasions,” Sister Inês Paulo Albino, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood, said.

Sr Inês began her address by stating that it's not about seeking new content, but about using creativity, passion and intelligence to convey the Gospel message, as also emphasised by Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, Apostolic Nuncio to Slovakia, who spoke of missionary zeal.

She also highlighted four key elements: boldness as an essential factor for this change of direction; the importance of witness and the ability to use creativity to move beyond ‘it's always been done this way’; creativity as a divine characteristic reflected in human beings, capable of bringing novelty and hope to contexts marked by disillusionment; and, finally, attention to culture, since the new evangelisation requires a conversion of mind and heart that transforms the community into a creative space, open to dialogue and the signs of the times.

Sharing her personal experience, the nun referred to her visits to various National Directions, especially in rural areas where many children are deprived of their rights and, at times, victims of abuse and mistreatment.

“In every child is contained God’s dream for him or her,” she said. “There is nothing more human than trying to make it a reality. Unaccompanied minors are not a problem from which we must protect ourselves; they are children and young people who need help. Investing in them, in their protection, and in the defence of their rights is a benefit for everyone: for them, for us, for our cities, and for the world.”

Presentations and workshops

As well as input from Sr Inês and the Apostolic Nuncio, Father Andrew Recepción delivered a presentation on creativity in evangelisation, singer Miro Jilo led a workshop offering a practical perspective on creativity in the service of faith and Andrea Draganova offered her insight into the responsible and creative use of artificial intelligence in animation, which reflects the current challenges of the digital world.

The CEME Conference provided not only a space for exchanging experiences, but also a platform for building international community and discovering new ways to bring the message of faith to children in diverse cultural contexts.

New president

During these days, Bratislava became a hub of dialogue, cooperation and creativity that transcends borders and languages and when the vote came around to elect a new president, serving CEME board member, Gerard Gough, was chosen.

“I firstly want to thank Martin Farbák, Gabriela Valábková and the entire team at Missio Slovakia for providing us with a fantastic few days of hospitality, collaboration, joy, friendship, creativity and love,” Gerard said, speaking after his election to the post. “I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we were looked after fantastically well from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. That care shown to every single participant contributed to a wonderful CEME 2026 experience. We cannot thank you enough.

“To Nancy Camillieri who I succeed as president, all I can say is I have some very big shoes to fill. You have been a fantastic president—loving, caring, joyful, attentive, creative, patient… There's not enough adjectives to describe how wonderful a person you are and I’ve been delighted to come to know you not just as our president but also as a friend.

“To the CEME 2026 Board, I have loved being a part of it for the past four years, working with Fr Vincent Goulmy, Elke Grün, Fr Eugen Blaj's team in Romania and the Slovakian team too. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you all and I’m thrilled that I'll be able to continue working with some of you still and also with Chiara Uglietti who will be a superb addition to the board.

“To every single one of the participants this year, it was brilliant to meet with friends old and new once again. Thank you so much for your contributions to this year’s CEME. As always, we at Missio Scotland are inspired by your work, your creativity and your unwavering commitment to faith and mission. Hopefully, even in a small way we inspire you too.

“Finally I am very humbled and to be honest a little daunted to have been named the new President of CEME, but I will put my faith in God that he will guide me, in the CEME Board that they will continue to provide that solid foundation upon which a President can thrive and serve and in my colleague Andrea Grant, who, as I mentioned at the start of the conference, inspires me on a daily basis and helps me to be the best that I can be in my role at Missio Scotland. I offer you all my love, support and prayers now and in the future.”

The spiritual dimension of the conference was also supported by daily prayers, Eucharistic adoration and Holy Mass. A key moment was the celebration of Holy Mass at St Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava, celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Jozef Halko, combined with a guided tour of the historic city centre.

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