Canmore

Canmore is the home of the Catholic chaplaincy at St Andrews University. It struck me that the dour frontage could serve as a set for the Addams family. Inside, however, it is a very friendly place. Students wander in an out during the day in between lectures and the Catholic Society is thriving. The current President who was kind enough to invite me up, is Jamie McMorrin. Here he is, captured as he muses on a new creative liturgy composition "Together let us break the bread of social justice."

After being treated to dinner cooked at the chaplaincy by the students, I joined them for Mass, in St Margaret's Chapel (in the chaplaincy) celebrated by Canon Brian O'Halloran who combines being parish priest with being the University Chaplain. Then I had to sing for my supper. There was a good gathering of students for the talk on the Church as a Living Link with Christ.


I began with the idea of the pre-existent Church as found in Origen and Hermas Pastor, and tried to show that the Church is the means by which our Blessed Lord continues his living presence in the world, teaching us through the magisterium and feeding us through the sacraments.

After the talk, the students hang around at the Chaplaincy for a bit...

After saying Compline together, they go on to one of the many pubs with which St Andrews is blessed, being a University town and all that. In fact, they have recently changed allegiance. The hotel which was a regular haunt for many years, has priced them out and we repaired to a more modern establishment. The Canmore crowd formed most of the customers but there was an enthusiastic group engaging in a live piano singalong which gave the evening a pleasantly rowdy flavour.

The morning Mass today was a little earlier than usual, at 8am because of a clergy funeral in Edinburgh. I concelebrated with Canon O'Halloran in the Church of St James, a beautiful and well-kept parish Church, just across the road from Canmore.

It was the feast of St Margaret of Scotland so it was good to be able to honour her in her own country.

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