The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland held its Spring Meeting from 11th-13th March 2024 at Schoenstatt Retreat Centre, Clachan of Campsie.

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Bishop Francis Dougan, newly ordained Bishop of Galloway, attended for the first time; Canon Kevin Golden attended for the final time as Diocesan Administrator of Dunkeld, prior to the Episcopal Ordination of Fr Martin Chambers on 27th April in Dundee.

Also present were Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the UK and Bishop Mar Joseph Srampickal of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy.

Topics discussed included current consultations at Holyrood regarding buffer zones and assisted suicide, ecumenism (including the recent joint pilgrimage of Catholic and Anglican Bishops to Rome and Canterbury for the Octave of Christian Unity), a presentation of the books of the new translation of the Lectionary that will be launched in parishes from Advent 2024, this year's national pilgrimages in Carfin and St Ninian’s Cave, the training of seminarians, ongoing formation of the clergy, safeguarding, care of creation, the new Scottish Catholic Museum and Archive, marriage, family and life issues, Catholic education, the training of deacons, and finance.

The Conference was also joined by Fr Bruno Le Peu, of the Paris Foreign Mission Society who spoke about the Catholic Hong Kong communities in Scotland and also by Shabir Beg of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society to mark the anniversary of Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq. 

There was also the opportunity for the Conference to celebrate Mass in the Schoenstatt Shrine and pray for the Church in Scotland.