St Gerard's Parish, Bellshill Golden Jubilee Commemorative Book

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Fifty years ago…

There was great joy and excitement when the Catholics of the North Road area of Bellshill heard the announcement that a new parish, under the patronage of St Gerard, was to serve their community. For years, both the old and young had made their way every Sunday to Mass in Sacred Heart Church, a considerable distance away. The late Canon Patrick Moss was to be the new Parish Priest and the old Noble School, allocated to the Diocese, was to serve as a Church. Outside contractors were brought in to make the building fit for purpose. Furnishings were donated from other parishes and the place was cleaned by a team of volunteers in preparation for the first ever Sunday Mass in the new Parish of St Gerard’s.

After that first Mass, Canon Moss called for a meeting of his parishioners and this appeal was met by what can only be described as an overwhelming response; painters, joiners, builders, plumbers, all came along and offered their services. That old school building was soon to become a truly fitting place for both liturgical celebration and social events. In those very early years, a vibrant, faith filled community was emerging in this corner of Bellshill.

Today, fifty years on…

The old Noble School has long gone and St Gerard’s Church stands proudly on Fleming Road. Priests and parishioners have come and gone over the years but the strong Catholic faith and community spirit, instilled by Father Moss and those first parishioners, still lives strong today.

In 2017, our Parish is joyfully celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of our founding which has brought to mind many wonderful memories and stories from the last fifty years of St Gerard’s Parish. Many of these are recorded in this Golden Jubilee Commemorative Book which has been produced by St Gerard’s Parish to recall all of the great priests and people who have faithfully served the Church in our community and all the great things that have gone on.

Kathy Morris, Founding Parishioner of St Gerard’s

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Correspondence address St Gerard’s Presbytery Fleming Road Bellshill North Lanarkshire ML4 1NF Web: www.stgerards-sacredheart.org Scottish Charity Number SC011041 Published by St Gerard’s Parish, Bellshill Book Design by Daniel Horisk Printed and Bound by Book Printing UK

Copyright Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, only with permission in writing of the publisher, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Agency. Every effort has been made to fulfil requirements with regard to reproducing copyright material. The publisher will be pleased to rectify any omissions at the earliest opportunity.

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Contents Introduction

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Papal Blessing

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Message from Bishop Joseph Toal

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Message from Father Kevin McGoldrick

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History of our Parish

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Parish Clergy

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Parish Vocations

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Religious Orders

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Parish Schools

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Parish Life

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Acknowledgements

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Papal Blessing from His Holiness Pope Francis

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14th November 2017

Dear Father McGoldrick and parishioners of St Gerard’s, I congratulate the parishioners of St Gerard’s on the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the parish, which has been marked through the course of 2017. It is good for us to thank God for the blessings received through these 50 years and to remember with pride all who have contributed to the life and worship of the parish.

I ask the Lord to continue to bless you, the present parishioners, and to inspire within you a strong faith and commitment to the mission of the parish into the future. I look forward to sharing the times ahead with you and seeking to do all we can to build up the Church in Bellshill and in the Diocese of Motherwell.

With my prayers and asking the Lord to bless us all,

A Message from our Bishop Rt. Rev. Joseph A. Toal

+ Joseph Toal Bishop of Motherwell

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1st September 2017

Dear Parishioners of St Gerard’s, It is an honour and a privilege to be part of the celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the foundation of St Gerard’s Parish.

During the past 50 years, clergy and parishioners have passed through the doors of St Gerard’s and experienced a place of welcome, friendship and faith.

Inspired by these gifts they have gone on to achieve great things in life and speak fondly of St. Gerard’s. Generation after generation reflect on their memories of the parish as being a place filled with the love of Jesus Christ.

And today, 50 years since the official foundation of St. Gerard’s Parish, we give thanks to God for the many graces and blessings He has shown to the clergy and parishioners of this Parish community.

God bless each and every one of you.

Father Kevin M. McGoldrick Parish Priest ______________

A Message from our Parish Priest Rev. Kevin M. McGoldrick

Dear God, Thank you for watching over our parish community and guiding St. Gerard’s through the last 50 years.

We are proud to belong to St. Gerard’s where many wonderful memories and friendships have been made and will be made.

We pray that you continue to guide us now and into the future as we spread Your word and love, just as Jesus your Son taught us.

Amen.

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The old North Road Public School which served as the original St Gerard’s Church from 1967 until 1971. A hub of activity from where the Parish of St Gerard’s as we know it today began, fifty years ago.

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Saint Gerard Majella, Parish Patron

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n the little town of Muro, some fifty miles to the south of Naples, Gerard Majella was born of pious parents on the 6th of April, 1726. His father was a struggling tailor.

Gerard was twenty-three when he made his final and successful bid to become a Redemptorist Brother. He made attempts to join a Religious community twice before; the first time presenting himself to a convent of the Capuchins. His youth he was sixteen at the time - and his very indifferent health decided against him. Later, he inquired of a Redemptorist Brother, who dissuaded him from joining. It was on17 May, 1749, that Gerard entered the monastery of Our Lady at Iliceto.

Within these walls he was to spend the greater part of his religious life. That life was to last but six short years; but they were six years of unremitting domestic work, of countless conversions, of astounding miracles, of unspeakable austerities and trials, and of a love of God and his neighbour.

A witness described him as "a man made entirely for God, unable to retain a single instant without God." So obvious was Gerard's sanctity that his novitiate was shortened and he was admitted to profession on 16 July, 1752. He was now a Redemptorist laybrother; henceforth after his own sanctification, domestic work of all kinds was to be his professional duty. Gerard knew well that all 8

authentic holiness is to be found in the sphere of life allotted to each by God, and the thoroughness and constancy in the discharge of the duties of one's state; that is not the what one does in God's service, but the why and the how that matters; that whatever we do for the glory of God will be amply rewarded.

Gerard was not a Priest, and yet he converted innumerable sinners. From childhood he was aflame with zeal for his Master and his Master's interests. "I would give my life a thousand times," he would say, "that God might not be offended." His God-given power to read the consciences of men has won for him from grateful souls the title of, "Patron of a good confession".

God seems to give Gerard special powers to help mothers. During his life he showed that power more than once. Since his death, his help has been so great and so frequent that he is often called "the Saint of happy deliveries". Thousands of mothers have cause to thank him, and many boys have his name in gratitude.

He was only twenty-nine when he died on the 15th of October, 1755. His feast is kept on October 16.

A Brief History of the Area

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lthough in the Diocese of Motherwell, few visible signs remain of our Catholic past, there are many place-names which call to mind our ancient religious associations. The Cathedral town of Motherwell itself and the Well named after Our Lady – the Matris Fontae of the Bishop’s Pastorals – Chryston in the northern part of the Diocese, Chapelhall and Tannochside – a word presumed to be derived from St. Thewnaw, mother of St. Mungo – all proclaim the existence of a long established Catholic tradition.

The work of St Mungo in Glasgow and the surrounding area is familiar, but after his death in 612, we have sparse knowledge of the progress of the Church until after the Norman Conquest. The Normans with their genius for order and organisations, not confined to political administration but exhibited also in ecclesiastical affairs, made their presence felt in Scotland, and in the reign of David I from 1124 until 1153, the

Catholic religion was firmly established in Lanarkshire. Collegiate churches were set up in Bothwell in 1398 and in Carnwath in 1424. These are of interest since they are still in good condition and used as places of worship by the Church of Scotland. The Earl of Douglas enlarged the church in Bothwell and named it St. Bride in honour of his family’s patron saint. It shares with St Mungo’s Cathedral, Glasgow, the architectural feature of having a stone roof and the good fortune to have escaped the zeal of the Reformers. Coming nearer the present day, we find that in 1836 there were 118 Catholics on the Parish of Bothwell, an area contained approximately within the boundary of the present Bothwell Parliamentary Constituency.

The Parish of St Andrew, Glasgow (now the Cathedral) was established in 1816 and during the following years various factors were combining to cause a considerable increase in the population – including the number of Catholics – in Central

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Scotland. The harsh realities of the Irish Famine and the Highland Clearances, added to the greatly increased demands for labour, caused by the onset of the Industrial Revolution, were responsible for a great influx of people to Lanarkshire. To tend to their spiritual needs the first Mission was established in Airdrie in 1836, dedicated to St Margaret.

There were at that time extensive deposits of iron ore in the Calderbank-Chapelhall region, and in 1857 a school was built in Chapelhall in which Mass was celebrated by a priest from Airdrie. The priest in charge of the Catholic mission in Chapelhall was Father James Milne, from the Enzie, Banffshire. But in the early 1860’s the local iron ore was exhausted and the workers had to move elsewhere, many of them transferring to Holytown, Mossend and Bellshill, where the coal and iron industries were beginning to thrive.

Our Mother Parishes Holy Family, Mossend

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n 1868, Father James Milne (1868-81) opened a new chapel-school in Mossend, dedicated to the Holy Family. Father Milne continued to be in charge of both Chapelhall and Mossend and resided in Chapelhall for another two years or so after which he took up residence in the new presbytery built at Mossend. In 1873, Chapelhall and Mossend became independent missions and Father Milne remaining in charge at Mossend until 1881.

The population of the district was increasing rapidly at this time and Father Michael Fox (1881-92) immediately sought to extend the school, providing accommodation for 460 pupils. Church accommodation too was proving to be no longer adequate to the needs of the parish and in 1883 work began on a new Pugin Church which opened on 16th November 1884 and still serves as the Parish Church today.

The late 19th and early 20th century saw a steady growth in the size of the parish as immigrants

continued to come from Ireland and, especially from the early 1900s, large numbers from Lithuania. As Early as 1904, parish priest, Father John Scannell (1904-07), saw that the increasing growth in population would soon necessitate new school premises and thanks to his efforts a new school opened in 1907.

The depression of the 1920’s and 30’s brought hardship and hunger to most families and as pits and steelworks closed down, many moved away in search of work. At the same time parish life was vigorous as Catholics found strength and support in their faith.

The post-war years saw a great increase in the creation of new churches and parishes. Father William Flannigan (1937-51), played a large part in the establishment of two new parishes, St John Bosco's, New Stevenson, in 1946 and Sacred Heart, Bellshill, in 1949. This and the subsequent building of the Sacred Heart School in 1957 led to

a great reduction in the size of Holy Family parish and the school roll.

Today the parish is served by Father James Grant, who has been Parish Priest since 1995, and the is preparing to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding in 2018. We take this opportunity to congratulate the parish community on this momentous occasion.

With such a history, I am confident that Saint Gerard’s will come to be known not only as a church building but also as a living parish, the beginnings of which we have already seen so clearly during the past four years since the foundation of the parish.

Bishop Francis Thomson on the occasion of the opening of St Gerard’s Church, 1971

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Our Mother Parishes Sacred Heart, Bellshill

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fter the end of the World War II, considerable rehousing had taken place in the area of Bellshill, resulting in the need for a new Parish. The founding of a new parish in Bellshill was announced from the pulpit in Holy Family, Mossend, on Sunday 19th September, 1949, with Father James Butler, a curate at Mossend, named as the founding Parish Priest, assisted by Father Niall Hayes. Father Butler had previously served in The Sacred Heart Parish, Bridgeton, for 14 years and asked that the new Parish in Bellshill also be dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and be named 'The Sacred Heart'.

The parishioners of the new parish worked relentlessly in raising funds to support the building of a new Church for Bellshill. The Solemn Opening of The Sacred Heart Church took place on Sunday 8th April 1951, presided by His Lordship, Bishop Edward Douglas, First Bishop of Motherwell.

In 1955, the current Sacred Heart Presbytery was built. Until then, the clergy of the parish resided at Holy Family and spent many hours walking or cycling from Mossend to Bellshill and around their new parish. Father James Butler (1949-1958) died in 1958 and was succeeded by Canon Patrick Heaney (1958-1967).

Sacred Heart Primary School, the first Roman Catholic School in Bellshill, opened in 1957, with around 700 pupils transferring from Mossend to the new school. The official opening took place on 3rd June 1957 by Mr James Dempsey and His Lordship, Bishop James Scanlan, dedicated the new school building.

The new Parish of Saint Gerard, founded only 18 years after The Sacred Heart, took in around a third of the Sacred Heart Parish. By this time, Monsignor Philip Flannigan (1967-1978) was parish priest of Sacred Heart.

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Today, The Sacred Heart has a population of around 3,200 and is served by Father Kevin McGoldrick who succeeded Canon Andrew Reen in 2011. Since 2013, the parishes of The Sacred Heart and St Gerard have been linked and are both served by Father McGoldrick – a sharp contrast to the days when four or five priests served the town.

It is a sign that the same faith is still very much alive that it should have been necessary to build Saint Gerard’s only twenty years after the completion of the new Church for Sacred Heart Parish.

Bishop Francis Thomson on the occasion of the opening of St Gerard’s Church, 1971

Founding of St Gerard’s Parish

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s the need for new housing in Bellshill still remained, the available land was now on the north side of town, and considerable building, both private and by the County Council, took place there in the 1960’s. This caused another hiving-off operation, and a new Parish was established to serve the growing Catholic community in the northern part of Bellshill.

The Parish of St Gerard was founded on 1st September 1967, under the charge of Father Patrick J. Moss. Having within its boundary, one of the finest Maternity Hospitals in the country, the new parish was naturally dedicated to Saint Gerard Majella, Patron Saint of Expectant Mothers. It is in fact the only parish in Scotland to have the name St Gerard.

While awaiting construction of the present Church, the Parish was given the use of the former Noble Primary School, situated then to the right of the west end of Lynnburn Avenue, in the North Road, Bellshill. The Parish was given the use of the premises through the kind co-operation of the Lanark County Council. The school was so named after the first Head Master, Alexander Noble, F.E.I.S. - Headmaster there for 51 years from 1873 until 1924.

In the building, three classrooms were converted into a pleasing chapel. Other classrooms served as

a centre for meetings and the usual parochial activities. All this was conducted by Father Moss and a faithful and hard-working Parish Council.

At this time, Father Moss lived in a council house in Mavisbank Gardens until the building of the present presbytery was completed. One of his first functions was to form a Parish Council whose primary aim was to help raise funds to clear the cost of the new Church and Presbytery, costing at that time in the region of £100,000.

The original Church served as a hub for the new community with a large number of various groups and activities being held here. Many of the original groups are still active within the parish today.

Bishop Francis Thomson was Bishop of Motherwell at the time of our parish’s founding, having arrived in the diocese only two years earlier. The late 1960’s and early 1970’s saw quite a number of new parishes established in Motherwell Diocese.

Around the same time as St Gerard’s was founded, so too were the parishes of St Brendan’s, Motherwell, St Leonard’s, East Kilbride and St Anthony’s, Rutherglen, and the turn of the decade saw more parishes established as St Francis of Assisi’, Baillieston, St Dominic’s Craigend, St Vincent de Paul, East Kilbride, and Christ the King, Holytown, all came into existence.

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During these same years, a number of existing parishes also received new Churches, namely St Bride’s, Bothwell, St Francis Xavier’s, Carfin and Our Lady & St Joseph’s, Glenboig, all built in the early 1970’s along with the new St Gerard’s Church.

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The Universe, May 24, 1968

The Opening of the new Church

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onstruction of the new Church building began in December 1969 on the present site in the heart of the Shirrel housing estate and was completed in May 1971.

The site of the Church is virtually surrounded by housing and an attempt was made to design the Church complex in a manner and scale complementary to the dwellings of the people. The architect for the new Church building was Cullen, Lochhead and Brown and construction work was carried out by Cannon Construction before being taken over by Scott & Co. Ltd. of Motherwell, after the former went into liquidation. The Altar, which is still in use today, and the original sanctuary furnishings were made by J. McNally of Bellshill.

The official opening of the new Church took place on Sunday, 13th June 1971, celebrated by His Lordship, Bishop Francis Thomson, Bishop of Motherwell (1965-82). Since the opening of the Church and Presbytery, a Parish Hall and large car park have been added and in 1973, St Gerard's Primary School was opened on the ground to the north of the Church.

At the time of the opening of the Church, Father Moss paid tribute to the architect for “a strikingly beautiful church and most effective as a setting for the new liturgy”. The Church was built to accommodate 500 people with seating for a further 50 in the Marian Chapel, which offers smaller groups of people a space to gather for prayer and devotion.

The presbytery was built with accommodation provided for a parish priest, two curates and a housekeeper. It is said that when planning for the new Church, Bishop Thomson was under the impression that the new housing would continue the whole length of the North Road, heading towards Shawhead, hence such a large parish house was built. Of course, at that time the housing did not go that far, however since the founding of the parish, there has been a considerable number of new housing developments which has allowed the population of the parish to continue to grow.

Over the last fifty years more families have moved to the Parish with the building of the Clay Crescent council estate, the Scottish Special housing estate, Westgate and Rosehall estates and the most recent

A drawing of St Gerard’s Church by Graeme Horisk in 1991

developments in the early years of the 21st century, the Meadow Rise estate, just off the Hattonrigg Road, and The Oval estate, which is built on the site of the old Bellshill Maternity Hospital.

The present population of St Gerard’s Parish is around 2,250 people.

But the Church is more than a building. More important is the community within the church building for that is the church in a deeper sense. Each of you, each of us is much more consecrated to the Lord than bricks and mortar could ever be.

Bishop Joseph Devine 14

on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of St Gerard’s Church, 1996

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The Bellshill Speaker, May & June 1971

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The exterior of the new Church when opened in 1971

17 The interior of the new Church when opened in 1971 Note the baptistry, originally in a lowered area in the centre in front of the sanctuary

The first, First Holy Communions in St Gerard’s Parish – May 1968 1. Rose Murphy with class teacher Mrs Callaghan, 2. The First Communicants leaving the old Church, 3. Andrew Bradshaw with his brother and sisters after his First Communion. 4. Donna Graham (nee Brennan) and Jim Daly at their First Communion tea, 5. The first, First Communion class with Mr McDonald, Headmaster of Sacred Heart PS, 6. Barbara Cassidy with Mrs Callaghan

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Our Parish Today

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n the late summer of 2013, it was announced that Father Brown was to leave the Parish of St Gerard’s to take up a new appointment at St Brendan’s Motherwell, and that the parishes of St Gerard’s and Sacred Heart would become linked with Father Kevin McGoldrick serving as Parish Priest of both parishes. This news came as a great shock to the parish however, as the need for a fresh approach to pastoral provision within the Diocese was becoming necessary, it was an inevitable move.

On September 11th 2013, Father McGoldrick, who has served Sacred Heart Parish since 2011, took on the added charge of St Gerard’s. Indeed this

was a difficult time for both parishes as everyone had to adjust and adapt to the changes that were necessary. We were fortunate to have already had a very close relationship with Sacred Heart Parish which made the transition work much more smoothly. Whilst apprehensive and concerned for the future of their own parish, parishioners of both parishes recognised the need to support our parishes and parish priest in whatever way possible.

In 2010, the two Bellshill parishes were served by three priests however now all the work was to be carried out by just one.

In the last four years our parishes have shared a joint provision of weekly Masses, shared a joint

celebration of the Easter Triduum Liturgies, held a Parish Mission, enjoyed many social nights and dances together, taken part in a joint Pilgrimage to Fatima and an annual Pilgrimage trip in Scotland as well as sharing in many other events and initiatives.

Today, our two parishes work very closely with each other and greatly support one another in our efforts to spread the Gospel in Bellshill, whilst at the same time both maintaining our own unique and individual parish identities. Who knows what the future holds but we firmly place our trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us as we strive to live and share our Catholic faith in Bellshill.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in you St Gerard Majella, pray for us

Sacraments Total Baptisms In St Gerard’s Parish

Total Confirmations In St Gerard’s Parish

1158

1408

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Total Marriages In St Gerard’s Parish

Total Funerals In St Gerard’s Parish

347

692

18th May 1986

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n 18th May, 1986, just fourteen years after its opening, extensive damage was done to the Church when the Sanctuary was completely destroyed by a fire. The Church had to be closed for several months for extensive repairs during which time Sunday Masses were offered in St Gerard’s Primary School and weekday Masses in the Parish Hall.

The day after the fire, the Parish community all came together to do whatever they could to help return their Church to normal. Many of the parishioners took the day of work and headed straight to the Church, bring tools and materials, to do their bit to help restore the Church.

One parishioner recalls going into the Church after the fire to find Father Brosnan and Father John Healy, then parish priest of The Sacred Heart, both up ladders painting the Church in preparation for the First Communions which were due to take place only a few days later.

After months of closure and upheaval, the Parish community of St Gerard’s were finally able to return to their own Church in December 1986, just in time for the celebrations of Christmas.

The photo on the right shows the Wedding of Raymond Jaconelli and Julie Harris, held in the Church shortly after the fire. Note the sanctuary is boarded up to conceal the damage.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

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n reparation for the wanton destruction and profanation it was decided to expose the Blessed Sacrament for short periods during the week and this gradually grow into daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 10.00am until 8.00pm in the Marian Chapel, with parishioners continually praying before the Blessed sacrament and ending each day with Rosary and Benediction.

This devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament continued to grow over the years until Canon 20

Brosnan’s retirement and became the focal point of the parish community of St Gerard. Following Father McGoldrick’s arrival in the parish in 2013, there was a revival of this devotion with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament now taking place for one hour before weekday Masses and all day on Tuesdays.

The Ordination of Father Stephen Rooney in 1998. L-R Father Timothy Brosnan, former parish priest, Father Ivan Boyle, former parishioner, Father Patrick Moss, former parish priest, Father Kevin McGoldrick, present parish priest, Bishop Joseph Devine, Father Stephen Rooney, former parishioner and far right, Father Patrick O’Hare, former parish21 priest – four of our five parish priests in one photo.

Very Reverend Patrick J. Canon Moss The first Parish Priest of St Gerard’s was Canon Patrick Moss who undertook the challenge of founding the new Parish and opening the present Church. Canon’s legacy remains to this day.

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atrick J. Moss was born in Tullycar, Aghyaran, on 16th March 1926. He was the eldest of ten children to John and Elizabeth Moss, with seven brothers and two sisters. Patrick enrolled as a boarder at the age of ten in St Columba’s College, Derry, following the death of his mother. He later went on to study for the Priesthood at St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny.

He was ordained to the Priesthood for service in the Diocese of Motherwell on 4th June during the 1950 Holy Year in St Mary’s Catherdral, Kilkenny

by Bishop Patrick Collier, Bishop of Ossary.

Bellshill which has only just been founded by Bishop Francis Thomson.

It fell to Father Moss, the responsibility, not only to establish the parish and engage actively in his chaplaincy of the Primary School, but also to see through the endless task of supervising the building of a new Church and Presbytery, together with the challenge of bonding the new community together with a sense of its own identity. He proved himself more than equal to the task!

After five years in Glenboig, Father Moss was appointed as Assistant Priest of St Barbara’s, Muirhead (1955-1958) and then St Columbkille’s, Rutherglen (1958-1967).

In the Holy Year, 1975, Father Patrick celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his Ordination to the Priesthood. To mark this occasion, a testimonial was read which expressed gratitude for his “devotion to his parishioners, unflagging zeal in attending to the people, especially the sick and elderly,” the testimonial continued “Apart from your manifold virtues as a priest, we esteem your unfailing good humour in all circumstances, your gift of diplomacy in dealing with the secular authorities and the lucidity and common sense of your homilies”.

In 1967, after ten years in Rutherglen and eighteen years after his ordination, Father Moss received his first Parish Priest appointment to St Gerard’s,

Father Moss’ time as Parish Priest of St Gerard’s came to an end in 1977 when he moved to become Parish Priest of the neighbouring Parish of

Father Patrick’s first appointment in Scotland was as Assistant Priest of Our Lady and St Joseph’s, Glenboig. Here he was curate to Father Patrick Kelly who was later Parish Priest of The Holy Family, Mossend when Father Moss came to St Gerard’s.

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St James’, Coatbridge where he remained for four years when he became Parish Priest of St Anthony’s, Rutherglen (1981-1987). His final move came in1987 when he was appointed Parish Priest of Our Lady and St John’s, Blackwood.

It was here that he celebrated his Golden Jubilee of Ordination in 2000, yet another Holy Year, a year before he retired from active ministry in 2001.

He lived his final years in retirement at home in Ireland and after a priestly life that spanned 64 years, Canon Patrick Moss died peacefully after a short illness on Good Friday, 18th April 2014, aged 88. His Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Patrick’s Church, Aghyaran, by the parish priest, Father John Gilmore.

Canon Moss was laid to rest in the vestments gifted to him by St Gerard’s Primary School, which he had helped to establish in close collaboration with the Head Teacher and staff.

To this day Canon Moss is remembered with great affection, especially by the founding parishioners, for the work he carried out to establish the parish of St Gerard’s.

May he rest in peace. Amen.

Photos: Canon Moss lays his hands on Father Stephen Rooney during the Ordination Rite, a younger Father Patrick Moss, Fr Moss at the baptism of Michelle Quinn (nee Daly) in the old Church, and the Order of Service from the Requiem Mass of Canon Moss in 2014.

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Very Reverend Patrick J. Canon O’Hare Canon O’Hare arrived in our Parish in 1977, succeeding Canon Moss as Parish Priest. He served our Parish for seven years until 1984.

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of people with the concern of the welfare of others and House Masses which were celebrated in parishioner’s homes and brought great comfort to the people of St Gerard’s.

After studying for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Carlow, Patrick was ordained for the Diocese of Motherwell on 7th June 1953 by Bishop Thomas Keogh.

It was also Father O’Hare who introduced Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, only four in number at that time, and Lay Readers in our Parish.

His love for children also saw the introduction of the Passion Plays led by the children of St Gerard’s on Good Friday.

atrick Joseph O’Hare was born in Keady, County Aramagh, on 27th March 1927. He was one of two sons to Patrick and Catherine O’Hare along with his late brother Denis.

On arrival in Scotland, Father Patrick was appointed to St Barbara’s Muirhead where he spent five years as Assistant Priest before taking up similar appointments in St Bride’s Cambuslang (1958-67) and St Clare’s Easterhouse (19671971). Father O’Hare received his first Parish Priest appointment in 1971 to the Parish of St Paul’s Hamilton where he spent six years before being appointed as our new Parish Priest.

One of the more major tasks which Father O’Hare undertook during his time as Parish Priest was to overseeing the building and opening of the Parish Hall.

When Father O’Hare arrived in St Gerard’s in 1977 it was still a very young parish, having been founded only ten years earlier and the Church having only been open for six years.

In 1984, after seven years as our Parish Priest, Father O’Hare moved on to become Parish Priest of St Catherine of Siena, Harthill. A farewell presentation was held in the Hattonrigg Hotel during which parishioners paid tribute to Father O’Hare for his time as our Parish Priest, acknowledging the “humility, commitment and gentleness” with which he served our Parish.

Being the young parish that it was, Father O’Hare helped to steer the parish to becoming a caring community with the development of small groups

His final appointment came in 1992 when he became Parish Priest of St Thomas’ Wishaw and in 1998 he was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral

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Chapter. Canon O’Hare served in St Thomas’ for ten years until he retired in 2002 and returned home to Ireland where he spent his final years.

Canon Patrick O’Hare died peacefully in Our Mother of Mercy Care Home, Newry, County Down, on 30th March 2016, having celebrated his 89th birthday just a few days earlier. His Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Catherine’s Dominican Church, Newry - an order which Father Patrick has once considered joining himself - by Father Henry O’Brien of the Diocese of Motherwell.

May he rest in peace. Amen.

Fr O’Hare photos, clockwise: Wedding of Hetty Lavelle and Billy McFarlane, with Graeme Horisk after his Confirmation, with Sandra McLintock on her First Communion, concelebrating the Confirmations, presenting a First Communion certificate to Brian Duffy with Mrs McGurk, first Head Teacher and at Chris and Betty Bradshaw’s Silver Wedding

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Very Reverend Timothy Canon Brosnan The longest serving Parish Priest of St Gerard’s was Canon Brosnan, Parish Priest for 27 years from 1984 until 2011.

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imothy Brosnan was born Knockanimiris, Headford, Killarney.

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He studied for the priesthood at St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Motherwell on 2nd June 1957 in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney, by Bishop Patrick Collier of the Diocese of Ossary.

His brother, Father Patrick Brosnan, also became a Priest for Motherwell Diocese and was ordained in 1953, serving in various parts of the Diocese.

Father Patrick sadly died on 26th March 1995 whilst serving as Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, Coatbridge.

May he rest in peace.

Father Timothy Brosnan arrived in Scotland in the summer of 1957 and took up his first appointment as curate in St Mungo’s Garthamlock (1957-1960) before moving to be curate of St Margaret’s Airdrie (1960-1971).

It was in 1971 that Father Brosnan came to Bellshill for his first appointment in the town, as Assistant Priest of Sacred Heart Parish (1971-1976). During his time in Sacred Heart he got to know many of the families, marry many of the couples and baptise 26

many of the babies whom he would later serve as Parish Priest in St Gerard’s Parish. He remained in Bellshill until1976 when he moved to Chapelhall to serve as curate of St Aloysius’ Parish.

In 1981, in his 24th year of the Priesthood, Father Brosnan received his first Parish Priest appointment when he was appointed to St Benedict’s, Easterhouse (1981-1984), an appointment which he spoke very fondly of for many years.

On Sunday 21st October, 1984, Father Brosnan arrived in St Gerard’s Parish as he took up appointment as the new Parish Priest. This was his second appointment in Bellshill and where he was to remain for the following 27 years of his active ministry until his retirement.

Continuing the work of his predecessors, Father Brosnan helped to build St Gerard’s up to be an active and thriving parish with a wonderful spiritual and devotional life. He introduced many new groups and initiatives into the parish including the Choir and Care Group.

A man of great faith with a strong devotion to Our Lady, Father Brosnan encouraged parishioners to enter into a deeper relationship with Christ by

fostering a greater prayer and spiritual life. Father helped to encourage this through the many prayer groups, Missions and retreats which he offered as well as the wonderful devotional life which he helped to establish and grow in the parish through daily Adoration, Rosaries, Benediction, Devotions and Novenas.

Each day Father Brosnan paid a visit to St Gerard’s Primary where he would spend time in each class and was a great support to both pupils and staff. It is often commented on that he knew every single child in the school by name.

Father Brosnan also had a great love for the sick, spending time each week visiting the sick and housebound parishioners of the parish at home and hospital. He also spent a few hours each day visiting the homes of parishioners with every family in the parish receiving a visit at least twice a year, something which was greatly appreciated by parishioners.

Canon’s time in the Parish came to an end in March 2011 when he retired from active ministry due to ill health and returned home to Ireland. His time with us may have ended but his memory and legacy lives on to this day as does the love and affection which the parishioners have for him.

Father Brosnan… one of the finest parish priests that any parish could ever have. His selfless devotion to your spiritual welfare and great affection for your parish community is a joy to behold.

Canon Brosnan spent 54 years in active ministry in the Diocese of Motherwell, 32 of which were spent in Bellshill and more than half of his ministry was spent in St Gerard’s Parish.

on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of St Gerard’s Church, 1996

Canon Brosnan is now resident in Our Lady of Lourdes Care Home, Killarney, where he suffers from very poor health.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for him.

And he still managed to find time to maintain his gardens which were his pride and joy and brought great pleasure to both parishioners and passers-by alike.

In 2007, Father Brosnan celebrated with, no fuss, the Golden Jubilee of his Ordination. The following year, on 17th April 2008, Father Brosnan was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell, by Bishop Joseph Devine.

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Bishop Joseph Devine

Installation of Very Rev. Timothy Brosnan to the Cathedral Chapter The Installation Mass of Canon Brosnan as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter in Motherwell Cathedral in April 2008. Left: Bishop Devine congratulates Canon Brosnan on becomes a Canon. Right: Canon is photographed with just a few of the many parishioners of St Gerard’s who went along to celebrate what was a very special night. With Canon Brosnan are Michael, Margaret Mary, Siobhan and Gerard McMahon, Marion Desmond, Tom Fox and May Wilson.

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Father Michael Brown Fr Brown served as Parish Priest for just two years from 2011 until 2013.

M

ichael Brown was born in Chryston on 9th January 1964 and attended St Ambrose’s High School, Coatbridge.

During his time in Sacred Heart he also served as Chaplain of Cardinal Newman High School and continued to serve in this role whilst in St Gerard’s.

After employment, he prepared for the Priesthood at Chesters and Scotus Colleges, Bearsden.

After six years in Sacred Heart Parish, Father Brown came to serve in the other end of the town when he was appointed Parish Priest of St Gerard’s in March 2011.

He was ordained to the Priesthood on 24th June 1998

by Bishop Joseph Devine, Bishop of Motherwell, in his home Parish of St Barbara’s, Muirhead.

Following his ordination, Father Brown’s first appointment was as Assistant Priest of St Bride’s, East Kilbride (1998-2003). He then served as an Army Chaplain before returning to the Diocese in 2005 when he was appointed Assistant Priest of Sacred Heart, Bellshill (2005-2011).

He remained parish priest for only two and a half years – the shortest time for any of our parish priests – when he was appointed Parish Priest of St Brendan’s, Motherwell, and Chaplain of Wishaw General Hospital in September 2013.

Today, Father Brown continues to serve as Parish Priest of St Brendan’s.

29 Deacons from across Scotland with Bishop Joseph Devine before their Ordination to the Priesthood in 1998, including Father Michael Brown (left of Bishop Devine) and our own Father Stephen Rooney (far left).

Father Kevin M. McGoldrick Our present Parish Priest is Father Kevin McGoldrick who has served St Gerard’s for the last four years as well as Sacred Heart Parish.

K

evin Michael McGoldrick was born in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, on the 24th August 1967 to Kevin and Mary McGoldrick along with his younger sister Pauline.

After studying for the priesthood in Scotus College, Bearsden, Kevin was ordained for the Diocese of Motherwell on 26th June 1999 by Bishop Joseph Devine in St Columbkille’s, Rutherglen.

Father Kevin’s first appointment was to St. Thomas’, Wishaw in August 1999 as Assistant Priest. He was also given the added responsibility of school chaplaincy to St. Aidan’s High School, which he continued until he moved to Bellshill in 2011. His Parish Priest at this time was Canon Patrick O’Hare, former Parish Priest of St Gerard’s.

In 2001 he was transferred to St Aidan’s Parish, Coltness (2001-2005), and in 2005 Father Kevin was appointed as Assistant Priest to Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell (2005-2011) Father McGoldrick came to Bellshill in 2011, when he received his next appointment as Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish. At this time, he also served for a short period, as Chaplain to Taylor High School.

Three years later, in September 2013, Father 30

McGoldrick took on the additional responsibility of Parish Administrator of St Gerard’s.

Father McGoldrick’s arrival in St Gerard’s brought a breath of fresh air into parish. With his approachable and down to earth personality, Father McGoldrick was warmly welcomed into the parish and helped both Sacred Heart and St Gerard’s Parishes adjust to sharing one priest.

Of course, Father Kevin was already known in the parish having spent some time in St Gerard’s in 2010 to supply during Canon Brosnan’s illness.

Over the last four years since his arrival in the parish, as well as making several improvements to the fabric of the Church buildings, Father McGoldrick has encouraged greater participation of the lay faithful in the life of the parish and supported an increase in parish activities both spiritual and social, many of which are jointly shared with Sacred Heart Parish. Under Fr Kevin’s guidance, the parish has seen the introduction of the successful Children’s Liturgy and also the AllNight Vigils. His efforts have helped the parish to further grow and flourish as it prepared to celebrate its Golden Jubilee.

Photos: Clockwise: Fr Kevin with his niece after completing the Great Scottish Run 10K in Glasgow. A young ‘Deacon’ Kevin McGoldrick proclaims the Gospel during Fr Stephen’s ordination in 1998. With some of the First Communicants in May 2017. Parishioners join Fr McGoldrick to celebrate his 50th birthday in August 2015. Celebrating the Easter Vigil with then ‘Deacon’ James Travers.

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Right Reverend Joseph A. Toal Following his Installation as Bishop of Motherwell in June 2014, Bishop Toal has lived in residence in St Gerard’s Presbytery.

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oseph Anthony Toal was born in Inverness on 13th October 1956. He was the eldest child of Patrick and Mary Toal, and has five brothers and three sisters. He was brought up in the village of Roy Bridge in Lochaber, a member of St Margaret’s parish, and a pupil of Roy Bridge Primary School. He went to the National Junior Seminary at St. Vincent’s Langbank in 1968, and later to St. Mary’s College, Blairs, Aberdeen.

He then spent six years, 1974-80, at the Royal Scots College in Valladolid, Spain, studying and gaining his S.T.B. at the Estudio Teológico Agustiniano.

He was ordained a deacon in the college in 1979 and returned to Scotland to be ordained priest by Bishop Colin MacPherson in St. Columba’s Cathedral, Oban on 10th July 1980.

His first appointment was as assistant priest in St. Peter’s, Daliburgh, South Uist, where he spent three years before returning to Blairs College as a member of staff. On the closure of Blairs in 1986 he returned to his diocese and was parish priest in St. Michael’s, Ardkenneth, South Uist (1986-91), St Kieran’s Campbeltown (1991-93) and St. Mary’s Benbecula (1991-99). In 1999 he returned to Spain as Spiritual Director in the Royal Scots 32

College, now in Salamanca, and after a year as vice-rector he was appointed rector of the college in 2005.

On 16th October 2008, the Feast of St Gerard Majella, it was announced that Mgr. Joseph Toal had been nominated by Pope Benedict XVI as Bishop of Argyll & The Isles. He was ordained at St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 8th December, 2008.

Following the resignation and retirement of Bishop Joseph Devine as Bishop of Motherwell, Bishop Toal was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Motherwell Diocese on 30th May 2013, by Pope Francis and on 29th April 2014, it was announced that he had been appointed by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of Motherwell. On 23rd June 2014, the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, Bishop Joseph Toal was installed as the fifth Bishop of Motherwell in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell.

Our Parish was honoured when Bishop Toal chose the presbytery at St Gerard’s as the new Bishop’s House and we were delighted to welcome Bishop Toal into our Parish Community.

Deacon Tom Gorman Deacon Tom Gorman arrived in November 2017 to serve in St Gerard’s and Sacred Heart Parishes, the first Permanent Deacon appointed to our parishes.

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homas Anthony Gorman was born on 23rd May 1949 in Airdrie. He attended St Mary’s High School, Coatbridge, before embarking on a career in civil and structural engineering.

Married with two grown up daughters, and now retired, he was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on 6th September 2013 in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral by Bishop Joseph Toal, then Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Motherwell.

After ordination, Deacon Tom was appointed to serve in The Cathedral Parish, Motherwell, where he remained for four years.

In November 2017, Deacon Tom was appointed

by Bishop Toal to assist Father McGoldrick in serving the parishes of St Gerard’s and Sacred Heart, Bellshill. Our parishes were delighted to welcome Deacon Tom during St Gerard’s Jubilee year and look forward to getting to know him and working with him in the months and years ahead.

Deacon Jim Aitken Deacon Jim Aitken is a former parishioner of St Gerard’s who was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in 2007.

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he wedding of Deacon James Aitken and his wife Maureen in St Gerard’s Church on 26th December 1972 by the late Monsignor John J. Burns.

Jim and Maureen were formally of

St Gerard’s Parish where they attended for many years before moving to Mossend.

Jim was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate by Bishop Joseph Devine in Holy Family, Mossend, in 2007 and now servers in St Francis Xavier’s Parish, Carfin. He also holds the position of Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of Motherwell. Jim continues to be involved with the RCIA programme for Sacred Heart and St Gerard’s Parishes.

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Resident & Visiting Clergy

Father Bruce McPhail

Father Bruce McPhail first joined our parish in January 2016 as a seminarian for a month’s placement in St Gerard’s & Sacred Heart Parishes whilst studying for the Priesthood at Oscott College, Birmingham. Following his ordination to the Diaconate, Bruce joined us again as a Deacon for a second placement in August 2016. Father Bruce was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on Thursday 24th August 2017 in St Margaret’s Airdire by Bishop Toal and now serves as Assistant Priest of St Brigid’s Newmains and Chaplain of St Aidan’s High School, Wishaw. We offer Father Bruce our congratulations and prayers as he begins his ministry as a Priest in Motherwell Diocese.

Father Justin Isaac HGN Father Justin is from Chennai, India, and is a member of the Order of the Heralds of the Good News. He arrived in Motherwell Diocese in January 2016 and served in Holy Family Mossend, Our Lady of Lourdes East Kilbride and St Mary’s Caldercruix before he moved into residence in St Gerard’s Presbytery. He joined our parish in October 2016 and stayed with us for three months, assisting Father McGoldrick in the pastoral ministry of St Gerard’s, until he returned to India on Christmas Day 2016.

Very Reverend Andrew Canon Reen After retiring from active ministry in 2011, Canon Reen moved into residence in St Gerard’s Presbytery. Canon was already well known in the parish having served as Parish Priest of The Sacred Heart from 1992 until retiring and was a close friend of our own Canon Brosnan. Canon Reen remained in residence, regularly celebrating Parish Masses, for just over a year until he moved for a short time to Holy Family Parish before eventually returning home to Ireland.

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The Ordination of Father Stephen Rooney in 1998, the first Ordination to take place in St Gerard’s Church.

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Father Stephen Rooney Fr Rooney is a son of St Gerard’s Parish and the first Ordination to take place in the Church.

S

tephen Rooney was born on 26th November, 1966, in Bellshill and attended Sacred Heart Primary, St Gerard’s Primary and Cardinal Newman High Schools.

An Altar Boy from the age of eight, Stephen was very heavily involved in many areas of parish life in St Gerard’s, including training the Altar Servers, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, the Pro-Life Movement and he also led the Youth Renew.

After a few years working, he prepared for the Priesthood at Scotus College, Bearsden, taking his diplomas in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical University of Maynooth.

Gerard’s Church – the first ever ordination to take place in St Gerard’s – and celebrated his First Mass the following day in St Gerard’s.

Father Stephen was vested by another former parishioner, Father Ivan Boyle, and the Deacon at the Ordination Mass was a young ‘Deacon’ Kevin McGoldrick, a future parish priest of St Gerard’s.

After his ordination, Father Stephen was appointed Assistant Priest of St Columbkille’s, Rutherglen and is now currently Parish Priest of Our Lady & St John’s, Blackwood, and St Mary’s, Larkhall.

Father Stephen’s mother, Ann, served for many years as Housekeeper at St Gerard’s.

Father Stephen was ordained to the Priesthood by Bishop Joseph Devine on 26th June 1998 in St

Fr Stephen with his brother, Martin, mother, Ann, and gran, Annie.

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Father James Travers Fr James Travers is a former parishioner of St Gerard’s Parish who was ordained to the Priesthood in Sacred Heart Church in 2015.

J

ames Travers was born on 8th July 1964 in Bellshill, and attended Sacred Heart Primary, St Gerard's Primary and Cardinal Newman High Schools.

He then moved to complete a further three years of formation at St Marys seminary College Oscott, studying Philosophy and for an MA in Theology through Birmingham University.

During his primary school years, he served as an Altar Boy in St Gerard’s from the age of 8. James was also a member of the SVDP and pastoral planning team at Sacred Heart Parish.

Father James was ordained to the Priesthood on 1st July 2015 by Bishop Joseph Toal in Sacred Heart Church, and celebrated his first Mass at Sacred Heart Church the following day.

After working for many years James responded to a call to the priesthood in his early 40's.

Following his ordination, Father James was appointed as Assistant Priest at St Augustine's Coatbridge, Chaplain to Monkland's Hospital Airdrie and Chaplin to St Andrews High school Coatbridge, where he continues to serve today.

James then spent two years at Ushaw Seminary college in Durham England studying for a diploma in Theology and Pastoral ministry through Durham University.

Fr James with Bishop Joseph Toal, Bishop William Nolan and Fr Kevin McGoldrick

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Sister Brigid, centre, and fellow sisters from the Mossend Convent at a Mass of Thanksgiving in 2007 as the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy prepared to leave Scotland.

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Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy

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o history of St Gerard’s Parish would be complete without mentioning the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy, to whom so many in our parish are greatly indebted.

For many years our community was blessed with the presence of the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy. The Sisters are an International Congregation founded by Rev. Father Medaille S.J in 1650, in France at Le Puy in response to the challenges of the times. He gathered around him a band of dedicated and committed women who wanted to give themselves totally in the service of God. The Sisters first arrived in Scotland in 1906 and served the Junior Seminary in Blair's College, Aberdeen.

conducted and sang in the parish choir and was a constant encouragement to the Laity in their various ministries within the parish.

In 1999, our parish was blessed once again with the arrival of Sister Brigid who was to stay with us for eight years until 2007 when the Mossend Convent sadly closed. Again, much like Sister Patrick Joseph, Sister Brigid was an ever-constant presence in the parish and was heavily involved in many areas of parish life.

Sister Brigid was our organist and led the parish choir for many years, led ‘Hymn Singing’ each week in the primary school preparing the children for First Friday Mass, was involved in the RCIA programme, and spent a great deal of time visiting the sick and housebound of the parish. It was a joy for our parish

In 1969, Sr Stanislaus, Sr Leonard, Sr John Bosco and Sr Joseph Therese established the first ever convent in Bellshill at 78/80 Crossgates, later moving to Clydesdale Road, Mossend, in 1985. The Parish of St Gerard’s was blessed to have the pastoral assistance of two of the Sisters, firstly Sister Patrick Joseph and later, Sister Brigid.

Sister Patrick Joseph arrived in St Gerard’s in September 1986 and served as Pastoral Assistant to Father Brosnan for nine years until September 1995.

During her time in our parish, Sister Patrick Joseph worked in close liaison with the primary school helping with the preparation of the children for the receptions of the Sacraments and liturgical services, 40

to share in the celebration of Sister Brigid’s Golden Jubilee in 2006.

Sadly in 2007, the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy closed their convent in Mossend, which not only brought to an end their presence in Bellshill but their presence in Scotland, where they had served for over 100 years. On 28th August 2007, a Mass was celebrated in the Holy Family Church, Mossend, in Thanksgiving for the Sisters and to mark the end of their Mission in Scotland.

Above all the Sisters were regarded as friends to the many parishioners of St Gerard’s, sharing their sorrows as well as their joys.

Mary Briody, Sister Patrick Joseph and May Cavanagh

Canon Maher, Frs Brosnan & McAndrew and some of the Sisters at a celebration in the Parish Hall

41 Sister Patrick Joseph is presented with flowers by Clare McIntyre during her leaving presentation.

Sister Patrick Joseph (right) with parishioner Margaret Pitman and another Sister from the convent.

‘My Memories of St Gerard’s Parish’ by Sr Brigid

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n June 2017, I received a letter from a friend of mine in Bellshill, telling me about the celebration of 50 years since the Foundation of St. Gerard’s Parish, and inviting me to share some of my very happy memories of my time in St. Gerard’s from the years 1999 to 2007. It might be of interest first to give you some background information about myself.

I was educated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy in their Convent School, Newport from 1949 -1954.

At the age of 18 years I felt the Call from God to become a member of that Congregation. You might ask: “What attracted you to these sisters?” It was their spirit of Joy, their spirit of Prayer, their strong sense of Community living, their spirit of dedicated loving service of others, and their simplicity (ordinariness). I started my two years Novitiate in September 1954 with eight other young women, and in 1956 I made Temporary Vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience. From 1956 to 1959 I followed a Teachers Training Course in Digby Stuart College, London. It was in September 1959 that I made my Final Profession. A great day of celebration and Thanksgiving, surrounded by my family as well as members of my Religious family.

During the years that followed between 1959 and 1977 I was missioned by my Congregation to teach in our Convent schools in Newport and Taunton.

These were very happy but challenging years as you can imagine. Some of the pupils still keep in touch

The Bellshill Speaker, July 2006

with me after all these years, and it is encouraging to know how they are getting on in life, and to listen to their stories. From 1977 to 1999 I became involved in the training of our young sisters in our Province, and in Leadership in communities mainly in Wales.

By now, I thought I was settled in Wales. Little did I realise that God had a plan for me to go further afield. Early in March 1999 my Provincial, Sr. Alice, 42

called to see me, and to ask if I would be willing to go to Scotland to start a Community in 14a Clydesdale Road, Bellshill. This request came as a big surprise and somewhat shock to me. I was given time to reflect on the request. After a few days of prayer, I felt very much at peace in saying YES to accepting the challenges that this move to Scotland would involve.

I remember the long journey well in April 1999 when Sr. Alice and myself drove from Wales to 14a Clydesdale Road. I thought the Motorways M4, M50, M5, M6, M74 would never end. I must admit, I felt a little apprehensive as we got nearer 14a, not knowing anybody. It snowed overnight too to welcome us. A stark reminder that we were in Scotland. Sr. Canisius, Sr. Margaret Lynch and Sr. Catherine were my companions in the community.

We soon settled down happily as we went about our various ministries in the area.

to know the people. I loved visiting them, and doing anything I could to help those who needed help.

I was invited at that time to become involved in the R.C.I.A programme in the parish. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the faith with such lovely people.

My ministry was in St. Gerard’s Parish where Fr. Brosnan was Parish Priest. I received a great welcome from him and from all the parishioners. This welcome helped me to feel at Home straight away. I did have some difficulty in understanding the people’s language, thinking they were speaking Gaelic! But, I soon managed to get my ear tuned into the accent.

I was not five minutes in the parish when I became a member of the Parish Choir which was directed by Mary Briody - what a choir too. We worked hard each week in preparing for the Sunday’s Liturgy, and for other liturgical celebrations that may be in the near future. There was always something new to learn. But, we had our laughs too. After a few years, unfortunately, Mary’s health failed, and I was asked to take on the responsibility of preparing the music for the Liturgies etc. This was a real challenge for me, but I knew I had the full support and good will of the members of the Choir.

My first impressions of St. Gerard’s Parish were that it was a homely and ALIVE Parish. ALIVE in the Faith.

A faith expressed in the lives of the people. Many opportunities were offered to them to deepen and strengthen that faith - daily celebration of the Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every day until 8.00pm and finishing with the Rosary and Benediction.

It was in St. Gerard’s that I celebrated my Golden Jubilee of Final Profession in 2006. St. Gerard’s people pulled out all the stops to make it a truly joyful celebration. The evening started with concelebrated Mass in St. Gerard’s Church, followed by a meal in the Parish Hall. It is certainly a celebration that I treasure in my memory along with so many other occasions over the years.

It was my privilege to serve the people of St. Gerard’s in whatever way I could. Fr. Brosnan encouraged me to take my time, to settle into my community and parish before starting work. After a week, he gave me a street map of Bellshill and a list of the housebound in the parish. I soon found my way around and got

It was indeed with great sadness in 2007 that the Congregation made the decision to close our community house in 14a - the last house in Scotland.

The decision was not taken lightly, but, because of the decline in Vocations, lack of personnel, it was decided to withdraw the sisters.

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I loved the people of Scotland, and I was very happy in my ministry among them, so, you can understand how very sad I was to turn the key in the door of 14a for the last time.

I have wonderful, happy memories of my years in Scotland, and have made so many lasting good friends.

With my prayers and good wishes,

Sr. Brigid

A Message from Sr Patrick Joseph Greetings, Brigid was telling me that you are busy preparing for the 50th anniversary of St Gerard’s.

Wishing you all many blessings for this occasion.

My ten years with you all were extremely happy ones.

The Parish was, and I’m sure still is, very vibrant. My love and prayers to everyone.

God bless you all,

Sr. Patrick Joseph Sister Brigid is now a member of the pastoral team at All Saints’ Parish, Newport, whilst Sister Patrick Joseph is now resident at Llantarnam Abbey, Cwmbran.

Left: Srs Stacey, Editta and Monica with Mother Superior at the Bellshill Convent. Right: The Sisters with some visiting sisters and Bishop Toal after Sr Stacey’s Perpetual Profession in St Gerard’s

Sisters of St Peter Claver

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ur community is blessed with the presence of the Sisters of St Peter Claver who have their convent in Sacred Heart Parish.

The Sisters of St Peter Claver are a Religious Congregation of Pontifical Right dedicated to the service of the missionary Church. In 1894, Blessed Mary Theresa Ledóchowska founded the Congregation in Salzburg, Austria.

The Sisters first arrived in Bellshill in February 1985 when Sister Benigna and Sister Lucille established

the convent at 57 Motherwell Road, Dr Clark’s old house.

time in Bellshill and pray for her as she begins a new chapter in her life.

The present community are Sister Editta and Sister Stacey Cameron, who made her final vows in St Gerard’s Church on 25th March 2017.

The Sisters are involved in many areas of parish and community life and are an ever-constant presence and support to the people of Bellshill and beyond.

They also regularly welcome parishioners to their convent for prayer groups and meetings, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, special Masses and their annual Garden Fete

Sister Monica Daly was also a member of the community for the last nine years and left Bellshill in November 2017 to take up a new mission in the USA. We give thanks to God for Sister Monica’s

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Sister Stacey Cameron SSPC Earlier in 2017, St Gerard’s Parish was honoured to share with Sister Stacey Cameron who made her Perpetual Profession of Religious Vows in St Gerard’s Church.

S

ister Stacey was born in Bellshill on 14th March 1985 and was brought up in Burnbank, Hamilton.

Sr. Stacey joined the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver in 2003, aged 18. After spending just over a year in the community in Bellshill she was transferred to Rome where she began her novitiate.

She made her First Profession on 6th July 2007. She stayed in Rome to study until 2011 when she was sent to the Congregations community in Serrana, Brazil, returning to Scotland the following year.

On 25th March 2017, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, she made her Perpetual Vows in St. Gerard’s Church. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Joseph Toal and priests from across Scotland and was attended by many Sisters from the St Peter Claver order.

Sister Stacey continues to be a member of the Bellshill community, being involved in the life of our parishes whilst also continuing her work with Missio Scotland.

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A packed Church celebrating Sister Stacey’s Perpetual Profession of Vows.

Bishop Emeritus Joseph Devine, Father Kevin McGoldrick, Mr Ian Conaghan and pupils celebrate the 40th anniversary of St Gerard’s Primary School with a Mass of Thanksgiving in St Gerard’s Church in October 2013.

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St Gerard’s Primary School

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or the first few years after the founding of the new Parish, the children of the parish continued to attend Sacred Heart Primary School in Orbiston which has opened in 1957.

A new Primary School to serve the growing population within the North Road and Hattonrigg area was opened in 1973 and, in keeping with the Church, was dedicated to St Gerard. The school is situated directly next door to the Church which has allowed the Parish and School to be blessed with a very close relationship with each other ever since the school opened.

The pupils and staff regularly gather in St Gerard’s Church for Holy Mass on the First Thursday of each month as well as for other major Feast and celebrations throughout the year, including the Patronal Feast Day in October, Christmas Carol Service in December and Leavers’ Mass in June. As Parish Priest, Father McGoldrick also serves as Chaplain to the Primary School and regularly visits each of the classes.

The first Head Mistress of St Gerard’s when it opened in 1973 was Miss McGurk, whose brother was Canon Thomas McGurk, a former Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish. She was then succeeded by Mr McGowan, Mrs Mary Devine and Mrs Sadie Cushley. The present Head Teacher is Mr Ian G. Conaghan, who has been at St Gerard’s since 2006.

Photos: Bottom left: St Gerard’s School Choir sings at the Parish Jubilee Mass in September 2017. Bottom right: An identical photo of school pupils singing during the annual School Carol Service held in the Church in the mid 1990’s.

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Cardinal Newman High School

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econdary age pupils from St Gerard’s Parish have been attending Cardinal Newman High School since it opened in 1977. Prior to the opening of the school, parishioners would have attended St Saviour’s High School, St Catherine’s High School or Elmwood Secondary.

Monsignor Philip Flannigan, who was Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish at the time of the opening of the school, had carried out a lot of study of Cardinal John Henry Newman and delivered talks on him. It was therefore decided, with the encouragement of Father Moss, to dedicate the school to Cardinal Newman. During the Papal Visit of 2010, Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Henry Newman and we continue to pray for his Canonisation.

The present Head Teacher of Cardinal Newman is Mr Kenny Ross and the school is served by Chaplain, Father Thomas Wilberforce CSSp. Through the Caritas Award, various events held in the school supported by parishioners our parish has built a close connection with our local High School. Father McGoldrick also joins the school throughout the year with other local clergy for the various liturgical celebrations held including the annual Newman Day Mass, S1 Welcome Mass and S6 Graduation Mass.

2017/2018 is a special year for Cardinal Newman High School itself as it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the opening of the school. We take this opportunity to congratulate the entire school community on this special occasion.

Photos: Bottom left: Bishop Toal and Father McGoldrick with Cardinal Newman pupils and teachers, Mrs Pauline Barr and Mr Paul Stewart, after our Golden Jubilee Mass in September 2017. Bottom right: Bishop Devine, Canon Brosnan, Father Brown and other clergy with Mrs Isabelle Boyd and Mr Ronnie Equi, former Head Teachers, and pupils after the annual Newman Day Mass in 2005.

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Pope Benedict XVI Caritas Award

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he Caritas Award was first introduced in 2011 and since then several parishioners in their sixth year at Cardinal Newman have taken part in the award scheme.

The Pope Benedict XVI Caritas Award encourages and promotes the ongoing faith journey of young people. It recognises that some are already active and committed within their homes, schools, parishes and dioceses and it invites others to respond to God’s call of love. It supports and celebrates the faith witness which young people give within their communities.

Introduced in 2011, as part of a legacy of the UK visit of Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010, this award asks young people to use their faith learning as a starting point for further faith reflection, leading to actions which show their faith witness. Participants in the Caritas Award will be supported in deciding how they can develop and use their gifts in a way that witnesses to God’s love (“Caritas”) in their communities.

Participants are encouraged to become more involved in their school and parish communities and give of their time and talents in service to others. Parishioners have served in a number of ways in the parish including Children’s Liturgy, Pass Keeping, Altar Severing and Reading and have become a much-valued ministry in our Parish.

Photo: Bottom left: The 2017 Caritas Class with Bishop Toal, Fr Thomas Wilberforce, and Mr Kenny Ross at the Caritas Commissioning Service in Motherwell Cathedral in October 2017.

Bottom right: Four parishioners of St Gerard’s after receiving the first ever Caritas Award at the Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, on 2nd June 2012. Left to Right: Sean Le Blond, Daniel Horisk, Cardinal O’Brien, Monsignor Conroy, Archbishop Conti, Martin Le Blond and Robert Meechan.

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Mary Briody RIP, former organist; Theresa McDonald, former Deputy Head of St Gerard’s; Evelyn Duffy, parishioner; Father Timothy Brosnan; and Jim Kenny RIP, former sacristan, are joined by pupils from St Gerard’s Primary to cut the cake to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of St Gerard’s 51 Church in 1996.

Parish Life in St Gerard’s

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ver the years, St Gerard’s has been an active, thriving parish community with lots of people doing lots of great things. Many groups and ministries have been inaugurated in the parish including the Parish Council, Women’s Guild, Boy’s Guild, Society of St Vincent de Paul, Care Group, Parish Choir, Music Group, Altar Servers, Renew, RCIA, Alpha Group, Faith Sharing Groups, Mission and Evangelisation, Parenting Classes, Sacramental Preparation and Union of Catholic Mothers. In a more social side of community life, many parishioners have been active in groups and events such as the Bingo, Carpet Bowls, Youth Club, Sequence Dancing, Tinto Walks, Jiving, Parish Dances, Family Movie Nights, Children’s Discos. Sadly, many of these groups have been relegated to the history books but many others are still as active today as they have ever been.

Yours is one of the youngest parishes in the Diocese, but far from least in the quality of your faith and devotion to the Lord… Perhaps we are less devout that our parents and grandparents. If that is true, it is clear to me that is much less true of the people of St Gerard’s, Bellshill. I salute you for the quality of your parish life and the ways in which you seek to sustain it.

Bishop Joseph Devine on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of St Gerard’s Church, 1996 Left to Right: Parishioners, Michael Cassidy and John Donnelly, acting as stewards at Bellahouston during the 1981 Papal Visit of Pope St John Paul II. Graeme Horisk playing Barabbas during a Good Friday Passion Play in the Church in the early 1980’s. Fr O’Hare celebrating the wedding of Ann Marie McKenna and Gerry Hart on 24 th June 1983. Altar Servers lead the First Communicants in procession from the school to the Church in May 1979. Altar Servers Gerard Casey, Sergio Jaconelli and Daniel Horisk.

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Parish Missions

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t has been a great blessing for our parish to host a great number of Parish Missions over the years, welcoming many renowned priests and speakers to our Church. As Parish Priest, Father Brosnan invited a number of Priests to come and led us in very powerful Missions including Father Peter Byrne CSSr, who gave a powerful Mission focused on the Eucharist and Father Pat Lynch with the Sion Community who led a Mission on Evangelisation. We were also fortunate as a Parish to have a Mini Mission every year during both Lent and Advent led by Father Pat McGuire SMA. These Missions were held over three evenings and on the final evening there would be a very well attended Penitential Service with a number of Priests from the local deanery hearing Confessions. The Mini Missions continued for many years until Canon’s retirement. The tradition of hosting Parish Missions, however, is one which has been continued by our more recent Parish Priests. In 2012, a week-long Mission was led by the St Patrick’s Community, a lay community from Ireland led by John Pridmore, and in 2015, a joint Parish Mission was held between Sacred Heart and St Gerard’s Parishes in preparation for the Ordination of Father James Travers. This Mission was led by Redemptorists, Father Kieran Brady CSSr and Father Tom McCarte CSSr, who we now welcome regularly to our Parish. Top right: Fr Brady anoints Parishioners during a Mass for the Sick to conclude the 2015 Parish Mission

All-Night Vigils

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legacy of the Year of Mercy for our parish has been the twice annual, All-Night Vigils, which are held each Lent and Advent. The first All-Night Vigil was held in December 2015 to mark the beginning of the Year of Mercy. The idea of the All-Night Vigil came a discussion between Fr McGoldrick and Sister Stacey and is organised by a group of parishioners. The Vigils begin on the Friday evening with Holy Mass, followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the night until Holy Mass on the Saturday morning which brings the Vigil to a conclusion. During the Vigil there is an opportunity for the Sacrament of Confession, hourly Rosaries, Stations of the Cross, Night and Morning Prayer, Music, but most importantly, time to be in silent prayer and adoration before Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. We have been pleased to welcome guest preachers and celebrants to our Vigils including Father Bobby Kane, a Missionary of Mercy, and Bishop Joseph Toal. People have come from near and far to join us for these beautiful nights and they continue to be very popular and spiritually rewarding events for parishioners of all ages. Centre right: The Altar during the All-Night Vigil. Bottom right: Fr Bobby Kane, Fr Kevin McGoldrick, Fr James Travers and Fr Bernard Zulu concelebrate the Vigil opening Mass.

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Parishioners at St Peter’s Square during the Parish Pilgrimage to Rome in 2007 led by Father T. Brosnan

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St Gerard’s Parishioners during the Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes during the Lourdes Jubilee Year of 2008 with Canon Timothy Brosnan and Canon Humphrey O’Mahony.

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Parishioners during the Parish Pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland, in 2010 led by Father Stephen Rooney.

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Parishioners of St Gerard’s and Sacred Heart during a joint Parish Pilgrimage to Fatima in September 2015 with Father Kevin McGoldrick and Canon John Healy.

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Parishioners outside Knock Basilica during an annual Parish Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine, Ireland, led by Father T. Brosnan

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Each year, during the 1980’s to 2000’s, a large number of parishioners headed off to Ireland during the May weekend for the annual Parish Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine led by Father Brosnan.

Photos, left to right from top left: 1. Catherine McLintock, ??, ?? and Madge Manning with the parish banner outside the Basilica.

2. Debbie Brennan, Mary Brennan, ??, a gentleman from Knock, Catherine McLintock and Margaret McGuigan.

3. A group photo of some of the ladies on one of the early Knock Pilgrimages.

4. Madge Manning, Tilly Cassells, Margaret Pitman, Mary Briody, Kathy Morris, Mrs Gibb and her daughter in 1992.

5. Father Brosnan and a pilgrim with the parish banner.

6. Donna Graham, ??, Jean Smith, Debbie Brennan and Catherine McLintock.

7. ??, ??, May McManus, Bridget Farquhar, Rose Foley, ??, ??, ??, ??, Margaret McGuigan, Frances Harris.

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Lithuanian Community

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n the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a large number of people from Lithuania come to Scotland and made their home in Mossend and Bellshill. For over 100 years, the Lithuanian Community had a very strong presence in the community and although many settled in other areas of Scotland, Lanarkshire always formed the centre of the Lithuanian community in Scotland, not only did the bulk of the population settle there, but the area also contained the resident Lithuanian priest and the Lithuanian Social Club in Mossend. When the Parish of St Gerard’s was founded, a number of our new parishioners were Lithuanian and today there are still parishioners with Lithuanian heritage.

Photo: Father Brosnan receives a cheque for St Gerard’s Parish from Joe Blue on behalf of the Scottish Lithuanian Club, Mossend, with parishioners, Mary Poutney, Bridget Farqhuar and Jean Houlihan, and Chaplain to the Lithuanian Community, Father Joe McAndrew.

Father Joseph McAndrew SMA

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ather Joe McAndrew was based in Bellshill and served as Chaplain to the Lithuanian Community for over 20 years. He came to Motherwell Diocese in 1979 and became Chaplain to the Lithuanian Community in 1981, having already served as assistant Chaplain with Monsignor Gutauskas. Fr McAndrew regularly celebrated Parish Masses in St Gerard’s and was heavily involved in the local community. Fr McAndrew continued in his role as the Lithuanian Chaplain until ill health forced him to retire in the mid 2000’s and he sadly died in 2007. Fr McAndrew was the last priest to serve as Chaplain of the Lithuanian Community in Scotland.

Photo: Father McAndrew and a Sister from the Mossend Convent enjoy a cup of tea and an event in St Gerard’s Primary School.

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Father Gabriel Nelson

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ather Gabriel is a priest for the Diocese of Minna, Nigeria, where he is Principal of St Clement’s Secondary School. He joined our parish during the summers of 2012 and 2013 to supply for Father Brown. During this time he made good friends with a number of our parishioners and continues to keep in touch with many of them today.

During his stay in 2013, Fr Gabriel celebrated his 40th birthday and the parish held a party for him in the Parish Hall, his first ever birthday party. After he returned to Nigeria he sent a very special gift to the parish, a beautiful set of green Nigeran Vestments.

In 2017, Fr Gabriel returned to Motherwell Diocese to supply for the first time in a few years and we were delighted that he was able to join us in September to concelebrate our Golden Jubilee Mass.

Photos: Bottom left: Parishioners with Fr McGoldrick as he wears the Nigeran Vestments for the first time. Bottom right: Fr Gabriel dressed in traditional Nigeran dress celebrating his birthday in St Gerard’s Hall.

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The Irish Post, May 5, 1990

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Senior Citizens Social

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ach year at the start of summer, a social is organised for the senior citizens of St Gerard’s Parish in the Parish Hall. The afternoon sees around 60 to 80 senior parishioners gather for a meal and entertainment, organised each year by Kathleen McConnell and the Care Group. The event is fully funded by the Care Group who fundraise throughout the year to provide our parishioners with this chance to get together for an enjoyable afternoon. The Senior Citizen’s social has been running for many years in the parish and is a highlight of the social calendar for many of the parishioners.

Photos: Left: A clipping from the Bellshill Speaker from the Senior Citizen’s Social. Front row: senior citizen’s enjoying the social. Back row: some of the ladies who held to organise and run the event: Mary Brawley, Kathleen McConnell, Marion Sedgewick, Nan McAtamney, Addie Girvan, Liz Sinclair and Margaret McIntyre.

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Garden Fete

Bellshill Gala Day

A highlight of the Parish year was the annual Parish Garden Fete held every summer. The day brought the community together with a number of stalls including Wheel of Fortune, Tombola, Burger Stall etc. The first Garden Fete’s were held in the old Church and then in St Gerard’s Primary School to help raise funds towards paying for the new Church. On the right is a photograph taken at the first ever Garden Fete at the old Church in 1969 and below is one from the1970’s held in St Gerard’s Primary. The Fete’s continued to take place every year until the late 1980’s when the trend gradually died out.

In 1986, it was the turn of St Gerard’s Primary School to lead the annual Bellshill Gala Day, held at Cardinal Newman High School, a major highlight of the year for the town. Eileen Walsh was the Gala Queen with her ladies in waiting, Lisa Bradley and Karyn Murphy; champion, Joseph Lenzie; and pages, James Downie and Mark Miller, all parishioners of St Gerard’s.

Photos left to right: A photo from a Garden Fete in the mid 1970’s in St Gerard’s School; Father Brosnan with Gala Queen, Eileen Walsh; The Gala Queen and her entourage, Mark Miller, Karyn Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Joseph Lenzie, Lisa Bradley and James Downie in St Gerard’s Church; the very first Gala day in the late 1960’s at the old Church.

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1. The Cleaners, 2. Children’s Liturgy, 3. SVDP – Ann Rooney, Sadie Downie, Mary Brawley and Helen Coyne, 4. Pass-Keepers – Mary Brawley, Sadie Downie and Marion Desmond, 5. Altar Servers – Daniel Horisk, Rebecca McFarlane, Ross Reilly, Anya Lunny and Sergio Jaconelli, 6.

Sacristans – Joe Hughes and Danny McAfee, 7. SVDP – Ann Rooney, Sadie Downie, Terry Bradley and Helen Coyne, 7. The Women’s Guild, 8. Music Group – Donna Graham, Debbie Brennan and Rebecca McFarlane

Altar Servers

Children’s Liturgy

St Gerard’s Parish has always been blessed with a very high standard of Altar Serving thanks to the care given to this ministry by each of our Parish Priests.

From the very early days of Father Moss and his very strict approach to Father Brosnan’s military training and no nonsense, countless young men and more recently young women, have had the honour of serving Our Lord at the Altar in St Gerard’s.

The Children’s Liturgy Group was formed in 2015 by Father McGoldrick. To date there are about five parent leaders and the group is gaining momentum with an increasing number of children attending every Sunday at 10.00am Mass.

The liturgy is led at present by Geraldine McMahon, Susan Kelly, Jullie Jaconelli, Heather McAfee and Vicky Kinney. During the Liturgy of the Word at Sunday Mass, the children are taken to the Meeting Room where they have their own special Liturgy where they hear the Gospel and then discuss the theme of the day before carrying out a related activity sheet which helps enrich their understanding of the Gospel and encourages their attendance and participation at Holy Mass.

The children return to the Church in time for the Offertory which is led by the children. At Christmas and Easter Mass the children, working with the choir, sing a special hymn after communion.

It was only on the arrival of Father Brown as Parish Priest in 2011, that the first girls were admitted to serve in St Gerard’s. In recent years the number of servers has declined greatly due to a number of circumstances, however the standard of serving and the dedication of our servers remains as high as ever. Today our servers are Daniel Horisk, Gerard Casey, Rebecca McFarlane, Anya Lunny, Ross Reilly and Aidan McAfee, Emma Kelly, Katie Brennan, Grace McCrory and Sergio Jaconelli who also serve from time to time. The servers are trained and organised by Father McGoldrick and Daniel Horisk.

Care Group It was at the request of Canon Brosnan in 1993 that a Care Group was formed in the parish to visit the sick, housebound and elderly in our parish community.

Around twenty parishioners responded to this request and at the very first meeting in June of that year, Rose Doran was elected as the first ever Chairperson, Kathleen Kearney as Secretary and Kathleen McConnell as Treasurer. Very quickly a visitation rota was drawn up with around thirty-five parishioners being visited on a regular basis. Hospital visits became part of their remit as did visits to the recently bereaved. They also took on board fund raising for various parish functions including the Annual Senior Citizens’ Social, Tea’s in the hall after the First Confessions and annual Mass for the Dead and for the Jubilee celebrations for both Sister Patrick Joseph and Sister Brigid. Despite a significant drop in numbers over the years, the Care Group continue to work quietly in the background and have indeed brought many blessings to our parish community.

Cleaners Our first Parish Priest, Canon Moss, appealed for Church Cleaners and since those early days a steady stream of faithful and reliable women have cleaned the Church on a regular basis. Among the first cleaners fifty years ago, we remember with gratitude Rose Foley RIP, Bridie McKenna RIP and Margaret Docherty RIP. These early cleaners set the standards for those who were to follow. Many cleaners have come and gone over the years and today we have around ten women who faithfully clean the Church. May we take this opportunity to say thank you. Photo above: Sister Patrick Joseph, Letitia Moffat, Anne McCool and Margaret McIntyre hard at work cleaning the Church in the 1990’s.

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Gardeners

Pro-Life Group

St Gerard’s Church has always had beautiful grounds which for many years were cared for by Father Brosnan himself who took great joy and pride in his gardens.

In the summer, the gardens were a sea of colour, with not a weed or daisy to be seen and of course no one was allowed to walk on his grass. Fr Brosnan undertook most of the gardening work himself although was assisted at times by parishioners. Today the gardens are cared for by Danny McAfee and Jim Donnelly.

In Autumn 2015 after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, the Brennan family approached Father McGoldrick about starting a monthly Pro-Life Holy Hour. The family’s intention was to gather with parishioners to pray for the sanctity of human life. The Holy Hour is held on the last Friday of every month in the Marian Chapel, where the many devoted attendees pray the Holy Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and spend time in silent adoration during the hour of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

Members of this group have also been involved in many other pro-life initiatives such as 40 Days for Life and the annual Pro-Life Procession in Glasgow, as well as giving their time as befrienders for Abortion Recovery Care Helpline. An annual fundraiser is held to raise funds for SPUC and ARCH which is well supported by our parishioners.

Music Group In 1992, the Sunday evening Mass saw the introduction of a new Music Group.

The group was formed following attendance at a Retreat by Father Ronnie Mitchell, where members were encouraged to use their musical talents in Parish life and to enhance the Liturgy of The Mass. The founding members were all greatly encouraged by Father Brosnan.

Union of Catholic Mothers

The original members of the group included Donna Graham, Debbie Brennan, Agnes Welsh, Michael Welsh, Maureen Paton, Anna Young. The group were greatly encouraged in their efforts by Father Brosnan. 25 years after its founding, the music group is still going strong, with founding members, Donna and Debbie, leading the music ministry at various parish liturgies. They are often joined by younger members of our parish.

Despite this group being prominent for very many years in Motherwell Diocese, it was only in 2014 that a branch was formed in St Gerard’s Parish with the help of Sacred Heart UCM. There were ten members and within a very short time, various family activities were organised including family film nights and children’s discos. Meeting every two weeks, the group supported vocations and other charity projects. They were encouraged greatly by Chrissy Curran, a former UCM President. Sadly, due to a variety of circumstances, St Gerard’s UCM had to close in March 2017. To date there are only six remaining branches in the Diocese of Motherwell.

Originally the group played each week at the Sunday Evening Mass and since 2013 they have played on the First Sunday of the Month at the 10.00am Mass in St Gerard’s and at the Sunday Evening Mass in Sacred Heart Parish on the other Sundays of the Month. Donna & Debbie also work closely with St Gerard’s Primary where they lead Hymn Singing and the Music Liturgy at School Masses.

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establishment of this Parish. Some notable names from those early years include Cathie Morris (President); Mary Hattie (Vice President), Rena Corcoran (Secretary); Mary Docherty (Treasurer).

Society of St Vincent de Paul Shortly after the Parish was founded, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVDP) in St Gerard’s was established, to help and assist the poor, needy and sick parishioners of the new parish.

Photo: Mary Hattie, Liz Canning, Mary Brennan, Joan Ball and Margaret Sinclair at the Women's Guild Christmas Dance in St Patrick's, Shotts.

Some early members were: Andy Downie, Peter Gallagher, Jim Kenny, John Smith, Moira Mooney, Alex Paton, Bob and Margaret Pitman, Ian Murphy, Nancy McKenzie, Ella Crilly and Fr Stephen Rooney.

Over the last 50 years the SVDP have helped many parishioners, as well as others in need. The help and support provided takes many forms, but is always provided in a confidential and friendly way. In recent years, they have had great success in sending parishioners, along with a partner or carer, to Lourdes, as well as sending families for caravan holidays in Scotland. Each Christmas the SVDP arrange for the housebound of the parish to receive Christmas Mass Bouquets, as well as providing a small gift.

Sequence Dancing

The society have also helped some of our young people to take part in activities including World Youth Day and the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes with the ALMA Youth Group. The young people involved have all greatly appreciated the opportunity provided to them.

For 35 years, Chris Curran and Renie Turner taught Sequence Dancing every week in St Gerard’s Parish Hall. The class began in 1982 to help raise funds to clear the debt of the new Parish Hall and support Parish funds. Over the years five qualified teachers passed through the class. In 2008 a presentation was held to mark 25 years of dancing. Right: A group photo from a presentation evening marking

The current members are: Terry Bradley (President), Mary Brawley (Treasurer), Sadie Downie, Ann Rooney and Helen Coyne (Secretary).

25 years of the class.

Women’s Guild The Women’s Guild was formed around 1967 in the very early years of St Gerard’s Parish at the invitation of the first Parish Priest, Canon Patrick Moss. It was initiated primarily to raise funds to pay off the Parish debt and at later date to subsidise the Parish Hall. Their means of raising money were plentiful and varied and those women gave most generously of their time and energy to the 70

Sacristans

Rosary Leaders

Our sacristans are Joe Hughes and Danny McAfee who both give a great deal of time and effort to the life of the parish, preparing the Church each week for the various liturgies and Altar Serving weekday Masses along with Daniel Horisk.

Since the founding of the parish, Michael Murphy RIP, Jim Kenny RIP and James McIntyre have served as Sacristans.

The Rosary is prayed each morning before Mass in the Marian Chapel led by Ann McMahon, Sadie Downie and James McIntyre

St Peregrine Mass & Novena

The St Peregrine Mass takes place on the second Saturday of the month from October to June. The Mass is offered in honour of St Peregrine, patron saint of cancer sufferers during which the Novena prayers are offered and an opportunity is provided to receive the anointing with St Peregrine Holy Oil and venerate a relic of St Peregrine. The monthly Mass is organised by parishioner Jim Reilly.

Pass-keepers and Stall Attendants

Our pass-keepers are at the back of the Church each week to welcome parishioners to Mass and held with the distribution of the bulletin and up take of the weekly collections. Our senior pass-keeper is Marion Desmond, assisted by a small group of parishioners and members of the SVDP, and the piety stall is managed by Sadie Downie.

Website & Social Media

In 2013, St Gerard’s launched its first online presence and today uses social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube, to reach out to thousands of people each week. We also have a joint Parish website with Sacred Heart Parish filled with information and resources for both parishes. These have all been created and are administrated by Daniel Horisk.

Florists

The Altar Flowers are prepared and cared for each week by Anne McCool and Margaret Ferguson.

Finance

The weekly collections are counted each week by Evelyn Duffy and Margaret McIntyre.

Altar Linen Cleaners

The small Altar Linens are cleaned each week by Margaret & James McIntyre and the larger Altar Cloths are cleaned regularly by Anna Horisk.

Safeguarding

Our Parish Safeguarding Officer is Tom Fox.

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Parish Choir hen St Gerard's began life as a Parish, Father Moss encouraged the whole congregation to participate in the singing of hymns, rather than have a dedicated choir. Music at this time was led by Mrs Nan Andrews and her daughter Marion, who was Parish organist.

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wasn’t me, Mary”. “How do you know it wasn’t you, Brian?” asked Mary, at which Brian replied “because I was miming!”.

When Father Brosnan arrived in the Parish in the mid 1980’s, he decided a choir should be formed to help led the rest of the congregation in the music liturgy. Initial members numbered between 35 and 40 parishioners who were directed by Mary Briody RIP. Mary ran a strict choir, no talking and no nonsense but produced a very fine choir too.

Both Sister Patrick Joseph and Sister Brigid played very influential roles in the choir during their time in the Parish. Sister Patrick Joseph was heavily involved in the Choir in its earlier days whilst Sister Brigid took on the leadership of the choir and became Parish organist after Mary Briody’s retirement.

During one practice, Mary turned to the choir and said “someone is singing out of key”. One choir member, Brian McConnell spoke up saying “It

Today the choir consists of around 15 members, led by organist, Bernie Gribben, who is assisted on

Mary was a very talented organist who went on to lead the Parish Choir for almost 20 years until ill health forced her to retired in the early 2000’s.

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occasions by Darren Prior. Current members include: Joe Hughes, Brian Kelly, Jane Curran, Danny and Margaret McAfee, James and Nan McAtamney Hetty McFarlane, Mary Brawley, Sadie Downie, Marion Sedgewick, Brian O'Hara and Jim McColl.

The Choir lead the Music Liturgy at the Sunday 10.00am Mass each week and on other major Feasts and occasions throughout the year. The Choir hold weekly rehearsals in the Church where they prepare for upcoming liturgies.

Photo: Bottom Left: The Choir sing at the Parish Jubilee Mass in 2017. Bottom Right: Members of the Choir after the Christmas Vigil Mass in 2014.

The choirs of the three Bellshill Parishes; St Gerard’s, Sacred Heart and Holy Family, came together for a Christmas Concert in St Gerard’s Church in the 1980’s

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Youth Club

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ith the establishment of the new parish a group of parents got together to start a youth club for young parishioners. The group was made up of Pat Foley, Rose Foley, Mary Brennan, Joe Hughes, Mary Hattie and Chic Collins.

The youth club met on Monday and Thursday evenings and offered activities such as badminton, pool, table tennis, dancing and football.

In 1974, the youth club took up residence in the newly opened St Gerard’s Primary School and from its new home the club went from strength to strength, even though there were many other clubs in the area.

Many activities have been organised by the club including: Retreats; Walks up Tinto Hill and Concerts as well as taking part in Diocesan organised interYouth Club Sports Tournaments and Quizzes.

Young parishioners at Tinto in the 1970’s

When speaking to anyone who attended the club they all talk with great admiration and fondness of their time spent at the Youth Club. Many memories centre around “The Foley’s” whether it be helping Rose with the tuck shop or Pat installing discipline when required.

Rose & Pat Foley

Over the years, the other local and Diocesan clubs have all closed, however St Gerard’s Youth Club remained open due to the continued work of Pat and Rose Foley. They have been supported through this time by varying helpers, as well as some teenage parishioners who enjoyed the club when they were at primary school. Some of the most recent leaders were Frank Kelly, Paul Ellis, Thomas McKeown and Susan Kelly.

In 2013, Pat and Rose were nominated for a welldeserved Daily Record Great Scot Award by local parents. They were recognised as Community Champions for more than 40 years of service to the young people of St Gerard’s.

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In March 2015 Rose sadly passed away, but Pat continued to run the club that they had devoted their lives to. In summer 2017 Pat took the difficult decision to retire from the youth club. The other leaders also decided that this was the right time for them to step down after many years of dedicated service. Many were concerned that this would be the end of the longest running youth in the area but there was no need to worry as a new group of parents have risen to the challenge and have kept the youth club running for future generations.

Pat Foley with Emma Kelly, daughter of Frank and Susan, at a presentation in June 2017

Youth Club Prizegiving in 1984 with Father O’Hare

Youth Club at Coodham Retreat House in May 1976 Back (l-r): Pauline Clark, Caroline Blandis, Mary ?, Catherine ?

Middle (l-r): Norrie ?, Kathleen Hughes Front (l-r): Patricia Gogarty, Jan Burns, Anne Mari McKenna

A presentation in June 2017 to mark the retirement of Pat Foley and the outgoing Youth Club leaders.

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The leaders on the retreat: Back (l-r) ??, Davie Forsyth, Joe Hughes, Front (l-r) ??, Pat Foley, ??, Fr Mel, Mrs Forsyth

Memories of St Gerard’s…

The Boy’s Guild Football Team & The Scouts by Mike Hughes

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have some very vivid memories of the early days of St Gerard’s Parish. some fifty years ago. I recall our entire family, mother, father, six children, walking, or pushed in a pram, from the North Road area to Sacred Heart Church on Sunday mornings. We were by no means alone, as so many people made that same journey. The need for another Catholic church in Bellshill was very evident.

or not, there was a football pitch in the middle of Carfin greyhound racing track. We did not win that day, but the new parish had whetted the appetite of young men for competitive sport. It was my first ever team game of football. By virtue of having a big mouth, I suppose, I was nominated captain. Our first strips? Everyone was invited to bring a white ‘sloppy Joe’, which most of us seemed to have in those days.

What strikes me now so profoundly is the effort that went into creating the parish church and various meeting rooms out of what was the old Noble Primary School. Younger parishioners today may not appreciate that this stood where there is now a grassy area between Lynnburn Avenue and the North Road underpass. The incredible activity of the fundraising drives remain clear in my mind, as does the knocking of former classrooms into a chapel and various locations for Scouts, Cubs, Brownies, Guides, women’s groups, men’s groups to meet. There seemed constantly to be activities taking place.

I will be forever grateful to the men of the parish who responded to this need; John Donnelly, George McGowan, Joe Woods, Davie Hattie and George Hamilton all gave their time and knowledge to fashion a team from the youth of the growing parish community.

For me as young lad of 11 to 15 years of age, two groups stand out; the Boy’s Guild football team and the Scouts. I remember the first ever St Gerard’s venture on to the football arena. It was 1968 and a joint Scouts / Altar Servers team was cobbled together to play away at Carfin. Believe it

If memory serves me well it was a struggle to find sufficient boys in that first season, to participate in the under-16 league. Most of the boys were only 13 or 14, with 11 and 12-year olds occasionally having to turn out. I can still recall the majority of our first squad – in goal, John Mallon, later followed by his brother Michael. In defence we had Lexie Steel, Rab Wharrie, Willie Devlin, Jackie McAulay and Michael Hughes. Up front there was Johnnie Maguire, Gerry McGhee, John McDonnell, Danny Gower and Johnnie O’Neil.

Youngsters drafted in included Paul Kelly, Hugh 76

Cassidy, James Cavanagh and Jim Keeper.

Another goalie was Tom [TC] Collins.

Thanks to the coaches there was tremendous camaraderie that first season, if not great results.

The next season,1970-71, things were very different. St Gerard’s became a very difficult side to beat. Holy Family, Mossend, did not have an under-16 team, so we obtained an excellent group of ‘Mossend Maestros’, including Arthur Duffy, Frankie McCann and Joe Clancy. George McGowan brought over two nephews from St Kevin’s, Bargeddie, Harry and Andy. Now we had a squad that could compete with any team in the Motherwell Diocese and beyond.

I fondly remember winter, rain-lashed forays, to far-flung locations such as Glenboig, with their unique, black ash pitch, (basically a flattened coal bing). Also, dangerous expeditions to the peaks of windswept St Ninian’s, Hillhouse. Matched only by the seemingly perpetual hailstorms of Salsburgh.

These were the days of full-bodied shoulder charges and ten-yard, studs-up, slide tackles. I was in my element. I am convinced I still carry some Glenboig ash deep in my knee joints.

None of the coaches I mentioned had a son in the squads I played in. I will never forget their encouragement and support, to say nothing of the

incredible amount of time they generously gave. I went on to be a youth sports coach myself for thirty years. I know these men deeply influenced me.

However, on the sincere recommendations of not a few football referees, and the unflattering comments of numerous opponents, I opted for rugby.

Father Moss, God rest him, attended a great many Boys Guild games. He was very vocal in his support of the St Gerard’s team and he gesticulated wildly with his umbrella at referees who were less than scrupulous in their impartiality.

He was not a man to be trifled with, when it came to sport.

I would like to pay tribute to another priest, Fr McLaren, of St Marys Cleland. He selected and coached the Diocese under-15 team. He devoted so much time to such work. John McDonnell and I were selected for the squad. John could actually play, and many of that squad became professional footballers. Me; I was there to dole out the sort of tackles which today would be illegal in the Uruguayan 4th division. I do earnestly believe that football in Scotland took a major step back when Boys Guild leagues faded out in the mid-1970s.

The St Gerard’s Scout Troup was a remarkable ensemble. St John Bosco would have been tested, keeping up with our numerous escapades.

However, Mr Wright, Mr Kane and Joe Woods did an excellent job in keeping us in line – just! Joe was from a well-known, early St Gerard’s family, the Woods. I have so much to thank him for;

dedicating himself to the Scouts, Boys Guild and for me, one very, very special memory. Joe bought two tickets for the 1969, Celtic v. Rangers Scottish Cup Final and because Joe was such an exceptional young man my parents allowed me, at 13 years of age, to go. It was my first cup final at Hampden, and without Joe, I would never have been permitted to go. (In case you don’t know, I am pleased to report, Celtic won 4-0).

That same year, 1969, we were at annual Scout summer camp at Callendar. One day we were all summoned to the main tent. A ‘wireless’ had been rigged-up and we listened to the commentary on Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon. What amazing times.

The Scouts met on Friday evenings in one of the rooms in the converted Noble School. If we were in luck, we had enough for sweets from Harry Cross’ shop (now Shahid’s), or Mr Mayberry’s splendid emporium, roughly located where the underpass on North Road is situated today. He had gleaming glass cabinets full of Fry’s 5 Boys or 5 Centres chocolate, along with Aztec and Tiffin bars. On less affluent nights there was always the ‘Penny Tray’.

If my memory serves me well, a roll call of these ardent Bellshill disciples of Baden Powell included; Michael and John Hughes, Frankie and Alex Smith, Brian [Brain] Mooney, Ian Smith, James Strock, Joe Connaboy, Paul Kelly and Frankie Curran.

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I feel indebted to those early Parish members for creating so many opportunities for young people like me, in the late sixties / early seventies to benefit from. In those days, we seemed a ‘community within a community’, with so much of our family life revolving around church and parish activities. I consider myself so fortunate to have grown up in that era.

I am certain every middle-aged and older parishioner could rhyme off countless names crucial to that special spirit we had in those early years. For me, there will always remain particular memories of Garden Fetes, behind the church, [roughly, where Moray Quadrant now stands], numerous other fundraisers and eventually a pride in our new church building. Some names that come to mind for me are Jim Kenny, Mrs Callaghan [my first teacher], Kitty Donahue, Felix McGrath, ‘Packy’ Gogarty, John Diamond, the Bradshaws, Johnny and Tres (Terry) Kelly, Pat Hill, Chick and Mary Doherty. The list is endless, and no doubt every member of the Parish, of that era, has their own special list. It is good that our Parish now honours their collective memory.

Mike Hughes August 2017

Photos: Top right: Bishop Thomson commissions the new Extraordinary Ministers, Top middle: Peter Gallagher, Packy Gogarty, Bishop Thomson, Jim Quinn, Fr O’Hare and Jim Kenny, Top Left: Jim Quinn’s letter of appointment from the Diocese of Motherwell.

Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist On 21st January 1979, Bishop Francis Thomson visited St Gerard’s Church to commission the first ever Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist for service in St Gerard’s Parish. Those first four were Peter Gallagher, Packy Gogarty, Jim Quinn and Jim Kenny and they were commissioned to serve in this office for one year. Over the last thiry years, many parishioners have been appointed to this very important role, assisting the Priest with the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass and taking the Eucharist to the sick and housebound of the Parish each Sunday. Today, the number of active Ministers of the Eucharist is 27 and they are recommissioned for service each year during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.

Present Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist: Terry Bradley, Mary Brawley, Mary Brennan, Angela Cavanagh, Jane Curran, Rose Doran, Evelyn Duffy, Margaret Ferguson, Tom Fox, Addie Girvan, Chic Hassard, Yvonne Horisk, Joe Hughes, Grace Kelly, Anne Le Blond, Mark Lunny, Danny McAfee, Margaret McAfee, Rose McCole, Kathleen McConnell, Anne McCool, Hetty McFarlane, Margaret McGuigan, Margaret McIntyre, Clare Parsons, Ann Rooney, Marian Sedgewick.

Present Readers and Prayers of the Faithful: Mary Brawley, Eileen Bryce, Rose Doran, Evelyn Duffy, Tom Fox, Addie Girvan, Frances Harris, Chic Hassard, Yvonne Horisk, Joe Hughes, Grace Kelly, Anne Le Blond, Mark Lunny, Margaret McAfee, Jim McColl, Margaret McGuigan, Martha McGuigan, Anne McMahon, Clare Parsons, Liz Sinclair.

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Parish Pilgrimages and Outings

Younger members of the parish carry the Parish Banner during a Procession at Carfin Grotto in the 1990’s

Fr McGoldrick leads a Rosary Procession as parishioners carry the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in September 2017.

Brendan Connor, Kathleen McConnell, Margaret McIntyre, Fr Brosnan, Addie Girvan and Mary Fagan on the ferry to Iona.

Over the years a number of pilgrimages and outings have been organised from St Gerard’s Parish to various sites in Scotland and across the UK and Ireland. In recent years an annual Day Pilgrimage in Scotland has been held with Sacred Heart Parish to various places such as Lindisfarne, St Andrew’s and Oban which sees a couple of coaches full of parishioners young and old heading of for a day of prayer and socialising. Another recent event is the annual Pilgrimage Walk from St Gerard’s to Carfin Grotto where it concludes with a Rosary Procession and Benediction.

Parishioners of St Gerard’s & Sacred Heart in St Columba’s Cathedral during the Pilgrimage to Oban in June 2017.

Parishioners of St Gerard’s & Sacred Heart at Carfin Grotto after the 2016 Pilgrimage Walk

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Yvonne Horisk, Tricia Hughes and Sharon McAdam with Bishop Devine.

Sandra McLintock being confirmed by Bishop Devine

Michael McLintock being confirmed by Bishop Devine

Stephen Healy is confirmed by Bishop Thomson

80 Rona Horisk with Bishop Devine and sponsor, Anne Bradshaw

Bishop Thomson with Billy McLintock with his dad, Billy.

James Kelly is confirmed by Bishop Devine

And his brother, Ian Kelly is also confirmed

by Bishop Devine

Golden Jubilee Celebrations On Friday 1st September 2017, the celebrations for the Golden Jubilee of St Gerard’s Parish got under way with a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Joseph Toal.

A Church full of parishioners - young and old, past and present - as well as invited guests, local Councillors, Members of Parliament and pupils and staff from both St Gerard’s Primary and Cardinal Newman High Schools gathered to give thanks to God for fifty years of St Gerard’s Parish and for all the parishioners and priests who have helped create the active and lively community of faith that we are today. Our parishioners and guests were welcomed into the Church with the sound of bagpipes played by parishioner Mark Lunny.

Joining Bishop Toal were Father Kevin McGoldrick, Parish Priest, Father James Grant, Parish Priest of the Holy Family Mossend, Father James Travers, a son of the Parish, Father Gabriel Nelson, a good friend of the Parish, Father Bruce McPhail, who has served a placement in the parish and was only ordained eight days earlier, and Deacon Jim Aitken who was married in St Gerard’s. Sadly, Father Stephen Rooney and Father Michael Brown were unable to be present.

The music for the Mass was led by the Parish Choir directed by Bernie Gribben and organist Darren Prior, as well as St Gerard’s School Choir led by Debbie Brennan and Gerard Casey. Our Altar Servers for the Mass were Daniel Horisk, Rebecca McFarlane, Ross Reilly, Anya Lunny and Sergio Jaconelli.

The Liturgy of the Word was led by Evelyn Duffy and Yvonne Horisk and the Prayer of the Faithful by Eileen Bryce and Mary Brawley, the four of whom had been very active in the organisation and preparation of the Jubilee Events.

Four of the original parishioners, Kathy Morris, Michael Cassidy, James McAtamney and Marion Desmond brought forward the Offertory Gifts whilst Joe Hughes, James and Margaret McIntyre and Marion Desmond received on behalf of the parish a Papal Blessing from Bishop Toal.

After the Mass, the celebrations moved to St Gerard’s Primary School where our parishioners enjoyed a buffet reception and a photo display spanning the past five decades of the parish.

Our Jubilee celebrations will continue until the summer of 2018 with a number of events and initiatives planned including 40 Hours Adoration led by the Redemptorists which will take place at the start of the new year and a Parish Pilgrimage to Knock, a revival of a past tradition, in May 2018.

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Acknowledgements St Gerard’s Golden Jubilee Committee would like to thank everyone who has helped in anyway in the production of St Gerard’s Jubilee Commemorative Book.

Special thanks to: Eileen Bryce, Evelyn Duffy, Yvonne Horisk and Daniel Horisk for their research, collection of archives and hard work in producing this book.

Fr. Kevin McGoldrick for his support and encouragement of this project.

The leaders and members of all Parish Groups, past and present, who provided the information for each group for inclusion in this book.

North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre, Motherwell, for archives.

Scottish Catholic Directory and Western Catholic Calendar Mike Hughes for recount of the Boy’s Guild and Scouts.

Kathy Morris for her assistance and support in producing this book.

All who have provided photographs and content for inclusion in this book: St Gerard’s Primary School Cardinal Newman High School Sacred Heart Parish, Bellshill Holy Family Parish, Mossend Paul McSherry Photography John Wilson Photography

Deacon Jim & Maureen Aitken Anne Bradshaw Mary Brawley Mary & Tom Brennan Sr. Brigid Eileen Bryce Sr. Stacey Cameron Michael & Betty Cassidy Alex Crummie Chrissy Curran

Marion Desmond Jean & John Donnelly Sadie Downie Evelyn Duffy Margaret Ferguson Anne Marie Hart Harry Healy Anna & Owen Horisk Yvonne Horisk Raymond & Julie Jaconelli

Grace & Brian Kelly Anne & John McCool Kathleen McConnell Celia McGowan Hetty & Billy McFarlane Rebecca McFarlane Margaret & James McIntyre Catherine & Bill McLintock Kathy Morris Jean Murphy

Sr. Patrick Joseph Jim & Colette Quinn Michelle Quinn Ann Rooney Fr. Stephen Rooney Marion Sedgewick Liz Sinclair Fr. James Travers Grace Walsh

A great deal of work, time and effort has gone into researching and producing this book and we have tried our best to ensure that all information is correct. However, we would like to apologies in advance for any errors or omissions found within this book. Everyone’s contribution to St Gerard’s Parish over the last 50 years has been very important and our parish is extremely grateful to all who have given their time and talents to the parish over the years.

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Sincere thanks to the local businesses who have generously supported our Jubilee celebrations.

Thanks to Boyd and the staff of Tunnock’s for the donation of our Jubilee Cake, the generous financial contribution to our celebrations and for the continued generosity of Tunnock’s Bakery.

Nisa Local

DoubleTree by Hilton

120 North Road, Bellshill, ML4 1EX Facebook: Nisa Local Bellshill

Phoenix Crescent, Bellshill, ML4 3JQ www.doubletreestrathclyde.com

A&J Ballantyne

Lunny & Co. Solicitors

(The Bally Bus)

130 Windmillhill St, Motherwell, ML1 1TA www.lunny.co.uk

No.5 Clay Crescent to Motherwell

Thomas Tunnock’s Ltd. 34 Old Mill Road, Uddingston, G71 7HH www.tunnock.co.uk

M&D’s Theme Park

Joseph Potts Funeral Directors

Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell, ML1 3RT scotlandsthemepark.com

1-3 North Road, Bellshill, ML4 1QU www.dignityfunerals.co.uk

John Clark Funeral Service Ltd

Fruit Grove

The Co-operative Funeral Care

10 Jubilee Way, Bellshill, ML4 1SA www.johnclarkfunerals.co.uk

235 Main Street, Bellshill, ML4 1AJ

32 Hamilton Road, Bellshill, ML4 1AQ funeralcare.coop.co.uk

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St Gerard’s Church, Fleming Road, Bellshill, ML4 1NF 86 www.stgerards-sacredheart.org