Groups of parents met together to discuss the best ways of supporting the White Fathers by prayer, raising much need finance, by keeping in contact with priests and students at home and abroad and in general to let them know we would always be there for them. Happily student numbers were rising every year and when St Columba's College opened in St Boswells, in the beautiful border country, this became a focus for many of the Association's activities. By this time there were Association groups in Glasgow, Motherwell, Edinburgh, Paisley and Port Glasgow. Bus runs were organised for many parishes providing a great opportunity to make known the work of the White Fathers to a vast number of people in a very pleasant way. It was a day which always culminated with an outdoor Benediction, no afternoon Masses being allowed in those days. It was also a source of revenue as there was the inevitable raffle on the bus and the majority of people, meeting White Fathers, brothers and students for the first time, kept in contact and supported them in many ways. When St Columba's was partly destroyed by fire there was a great surge of support from people who had enjoyed their days there. When the house in Rutherglen was purchased it was members of the Association who gave hours of work; laying out and tending the gardens; joinery in the house and garage. The same support was given when the students' house at Ratho was opened.
In the 60s and 70s and up to 1985, the main event in Rutherglen was the Garden Fête on the last Saturday of August. The house was turned upside down, every room being used for storing the contributions for the stalls - even the priests' private rooms - the garage was not available for the cars as it took months of preparation and gathering. The field below the garden and the garden itself were used to set up the stalls and everyone prayed for a fine day. It was hard work but it was all worth it. It was an opportunity for everyone to meet White Fathers home on leave from the missions, from the other houses in the UK, students and friends from all over the land. Over the years many thousands of pounds were raised for the work of the Society.
Change is inevitable and because of the change of the nature of the house in Rutherglen it was not feasible to continue the Garden Fête there. For some years we were able to have a mini-fête and our reunion in Ratho but that has gone, too, and of course we no longer have junior seminaries. Sadly our numbers in the Association are greatly depleted and the age of our members mostly in the upper bracket. However our aims are still the same - support for the White Fathers in our prayers, in active work in fund raising, keeping in contact with all at home and abroad and working towards our own spiritual growth.
We
no longer have groups in Edinburgh or Paisley but keep in touch with individuals
there. The Glasgow group meet regularly every third Sunday of the month in the
house at Rutherglen; Motherwell and Paisley do not have regular dates for meetings
but come together from time-to-time in their own areas. On four Sundays in the
year all of the groups gather together in Rutherglen for Mass followed by a
meeting. In April there is an annual Requiem Mass for all the deceased members
of the Society and the Association is held in the house at Rutherglen. In August
our Annual Reunion is held with Mass in St Columbkille's Parish, Rutherglen,
followed by a meal in the parish hall. We are always very pleased to welcome
Fr Provincial at this special event. During Lent, each group has a spiritual
evening conducted by a White Father in the house at Rutherglen.Left to Right :
Thérese Donnelly (Association Treasurer), Fr Jimmy Barry WF and Mary Briody (Association Chairperson)
Our fund raising activities vary from dances, sales of work, bingo nights, and house bingos in our own areas. At our November meeting we pool all the money we have raised in the past year and decide to which missionary projects it should be sent. In the last ten years we have managed to raise £54,540. We have helped such projects as Bro. Trevor Robinson's wheelchairs; Fr Pat Shanahan's project to help street people in Accra; famine relief in Mozambique; towards the building of a chapel in Zambia; Fr Stevie Collins AIDS project and many others. It is a delight to receive letters of thanks from all the missionaries and to know that they and their 'flock' are remembering us in their prayers.
We would be pleased to welcome readers to join our Association. Over the years it has become difficult to contact relatives of deceased White Fathers, especially if their immediate families are also gone.
All relatives and friends are always welcome, this may be an opportunity to renew contact with the White Fathers and the Association. It would be great to have more members with fresh ideas.
If you are interested in the Association please contact:
The White Fathers
9 Milrig Road
Rutherglen
Glasgow G73 2NG
Telephone: 0141647 3800,
E-Mail: wfscotland@care4free.net
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