The proceeds of this collection are divided 75% to SCIAF and 25% to our new St Mirin’s Fund. SCIAF is the official aid and international development charity of the Catholic Church in Scotland. It works in sixteen countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America to help the poorest in the world, regardless of religion, to work their way out of poverty. The St. Mirin’s Fund awards small grants for good causes that promote the Kingdom of God among us, with special consideration to: children and young people, the elderly, those with disabilities and special needs, or suffering from poverty, mental illness, homelessness or refugees.

In March 1982 the Scottish Bishops published a pastoral letter on Peace and Disarmament. In this letter they challenged not just the use of nuclear weapons, something the church has always condemned, but they challenged also the very notion of deterrence and the morality of deterrence. That challenge was not accepted at the time but now more than ever the church has come to recognise that deterrence to is something which is unacceptable. Unacceptable also is the fact that 40 years on these weapons still exist but also that countries are spending vast sums of money making new and worse weapons of destruction – money, resources and personnel that could all be better used building up peace rather than in weapons of war. We commemorate now the 40th anniversary of this document by reading it again today and seeing how relevant it is to our world today. Archbishop Nolan. Please visit https://youtu.be/pn7GrhK6h60

There will be a Part One training session taking place on: Wednesday 30th March at 7pm in the Diocesan Offices, Paisley, PA1 1HR Saturday 23rd April at 10.30am in St. John the Baptist Parish Hall, Port Glasgow, PA14 5HD As part of the safe recruitment procedures for the Catholic Church in Scotland, new volunteers undertaking regulated work should complete an application form for their role, apply to become a member of the PVG scheme and attend Safeguarding Part One Training. If you would like to attend one of these training sessions please contact SarahJane Colhoun on 0141 847 6138 or safeguardingadmin@rcdop.org.uk