FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 19th – 26th OCTOBER 2025
Father Gareth is now officially the parish priest of St Mungo’s and St Roch’s. At the end of last week, the formal letter of approval arrived from Archbishop Nolan. We all wish Father Gareth congratulations on his appointment, and every blessing on the work that lies ahead. I have no doubt that he will make a great job of it in his own unique way. Earlier this week Father Tom Scanlon arrived to take up his position as rector of the Passionist Community in Glasgow. Until recently he has been the rector of our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar in County Down, as well as master of novices and student director, as Crossgar was also our formation house for St Patrick’s Province. Prior to that he had been rector and parish priest at our house in Paris, so he is a very experienced man who is looking forward to this new challenge in Scotland. Of course, he also has experience of working in Scotland, many years ago, at the Passionist Retreat House at Coodham in Ayrshire. We welcome Father Tom back to Bonnie Scotland, and we wish him also every blessing in this time of significant change for our province. For the moment there will be just the three of us in the house, with Brother Conor scheduled to return to Belfast soon, but there may still be further developments going forward as the Provincial and his Council, of which Father Gareth and Father Tom are both members, continue to meet and plan in these challenging times, so watch this space.
It's a strange feeling for me, at present, not to have any specific area of responsibility. From my ordination in 1983, after which I was appointed vocations director for Scotland, and as a member of a Passionist itinerant mission team, I have always had a defined role, and indeed, usually a number of defined roles at one time. My role now, from a background position, is to support Father Gareth and Father Tom in whatever way I can, and to help see through to its conclusion, the move from Bishopbriggs to our new house in Provanmill. But primarily my task is to try and get my health sorted out, and then to take a break, including some kind of sabbatical. This was the kind intention of our provincial and his council when he relieved me of responsibilities an invited me to take a step back. I haven’t come up with any plan for a sabbatical yet, although I have researched a few things, but in God’s good time, it will sort itself out. I don’t want anything too strenuous or intense, and I have no great desire to go very far afield to do it, but somewhere out there, the right opportunity will emerge for rest and renewal. I am looking forward to it.
On the day that Father Tom arrived, I had some blood tests taken at the phlebotomy department in Stobhill Hospital and am now awaiting results. Later on in the month I will return to the urologist to assess how things are going with new medication. Afterwards, on that same day, I went into town to meet a long-time friend of mine who had very kindly travelled over from Dublin for the day to see for himself how I was, and to have a nice meal together and a catch up. This particular friend had been one of the classmates I joined up with on that day, 50 years ago, when I first joined the Passionists and, despite a 6-year age difference (I’m the old man of course) we have been good friends ever since. Later on, he would discern that his vocation lay elsewhere and he would leave the Passionists, but not before becoming a very brilliant scripture scholar, studying at the Biblicum in Rome, and in Jerusalem. He then carved out a very successful career for himself in the fertile field of sacred scripture, initially in the teaching profession, but then, and now, as a very popular, and in-demand lecturer at various courses, in person and online, as well as being a retreat giver, pilgrimage director, and many other things besides. He has a lovely wife and three grown-up children, twin boys and a girl. I am godfather to one of the boys. All of that doesn’t even begin to do justice to all he has achieved, but with great humility and modesty. It is a blessing to be his friend, and we enjoyed our day together.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
Father Gareth is now officially the parish priest of St Mungo’s and St Roch’s. At the end of last week, the formal letter of approval arrived from Archbishop Nolan. We all wish Father Gareth congratulations on his appointment, and every blessing on the work that lies ahead. I have no doubt that he will make a great job of it in his own unique way. Earlier this week Father Tom Scanlon arrived to take up his position as rector of the Passionist Community in Glasgow. Until recently he has been the rector of our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar in County Down, as well as master of novices and student director, as Crossgar was also our formation house for St Patrick’s Province. Prior to that he had been rector and parish priest at our house in Paris, so he is a very experienced man who is looking forward to this new challenge in Scotland. Of course, he also has experience of working in Scotland, many years ago, at the Passionist Retreat House at Coodham in Ayrshire. We welcome Father Tom back to Bonnie Scotland, and we wish him also every blessing in this time of significant change for our province. For the moment there will be just the three of us in the house, with Brother Conor scheduled to return to Belfast soon, but there may still be further developments going forward as the Provincial and his Council, of which Father Gareth and Father Tom are both members, continue to meet and plan in these challenging times, so watch this space.
It's a strange feeling for me, at present, not to have any specific area of responsibility. From my ordination in 1983, after which I was appointed vocations director for Scotland, and as a member of a Passionist itinerant mission team, I have always had a defined role, and indeed, usually a number of defined roles at one time. My role now, from a background position, is to support Father Gareth and Father Tom in whatever way I can, and to help see through to its conclusion, the move from Bishopbriggs to our new house in Provanmill. But primarily my task is to try and get my health sorted out, and then to take a break, including some kind of sabbatical. This was the kind intention of our provincial and his council when he relieved me of responsibilities an invited me to take a step back. I haven’t come up with any plan for a sabbatical yet, although I have researched a few things, but in God’s good time, it will sort itself out. I don’t want anything too strenuous or intense, and I have no great desire to go very far afield to do it, but somewhere out there, the right opportunity will emerge for rest and renewal. I am looking forward to it.
On the day that Father Tom arrived, I had some blood tests taken at the phlebotomy department in Stobhill Hospital and am now awaiting results. Later on in the month I will return to the urologist to assess how things are going with new medication. Afterwards, on that same day, I went into town to meet a long-time friend of mine who had very kindly travelled over from Dublin for the day to see for himself how I was, and to have a nice meal together and a catch up. This particular friend had been one of the classmates I joined up with on that day, 50 years ago, when I first joined the Passionists and, despite a 6-year age difference (I’m the old man of course) we have been good friends ever since. Later on, he would discern that his vocation lay elsewhere and he would leave the Passionists, but not before becoming a very brilliant scripture scholar, studying at the Biblicum in Rome, and in Jerusalem. He then carved out a very successful career for himself in the fertile field of sacred scripture, initially in the teaching profession, but then, and now, as a very popular, and in-demand lecturer at various courses, in person and online, as well as being a retreat giver, pilgrimage director, and many other things besides. He has a lovely wife and three grown-up children, twin boys and a girl. I am godfather to one of the boys. All of that doesn’t even begin to do justice to all he has achieved, but with great humility and modesty. It is a blessing to be his friend, and we enjoyed our day together.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
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