FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 5th – 12th OCTOBER 2025
Last weekend we had two simple celebrations, one in St Roch’s and one in St Mungo’s, to allow people to say their farewells to Father John, whose departure was imminent, and Brother Conor, who will be leaving us before the month of October is out. I am very grateful to those who organised and attended these little celebrations. On Monday night the four of us, Father John, Brother Conor, Father Gareth and myself, went out for a meal together in a local restaurant in Bishopbriggs, to say our own farewells. Around 5.30am on Thursday, Brother Conor drove Father John to some friends of the Passionists who were going to bring John, and the remainder of his luggage, to our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar in County Down, his new place of residence. The bulk of his luggage had already been shipped over. We wish Father John well in whatever lies ahead, and we thank him for his ministry here in St Mungo’s. We all received a text on Thursday afternoon to say he had arrived safely.
I couldn’t help but recall that, from entering the Passionists in 1975, until I left St Gabriel’s in Prestonpans, to go to Mount Argus in Dublin, in 2001, I had actually moved 13 times. An average of once every two years. One of the things that taught me was to try not to accumulate too much stuff so that, when asked to move again, I could travel reasonably lightly. The main issue was always books. Since 2001 I have only had to move once, and that was from Mount Argus to St Mungo’s in 2016. Now there will be the move from Bishopbriggs to Provanmill, whenever that may happen – the work is scheduled to begin on our new house, the former convent of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, this Monday, 6th October and, please God, be finished by the middle of December. So, by the looks of it, we may wait until after Christmas and move in early January.
The essential works required in St Mungo’s, extensive electrical work to church and halls, and the removal of two old boilers, followed by the installation of two new boilers, began this past week. It has meant a bit of disruption to services but it is good to see it underway, and it will be even better to see it all finished and, especially, to have heat restored in the church. But that’s probably a few weeks away yet. I am so grateful, not just for people’s generosity in providing the funds, but also for people’s patience in the midst of the disruption, and in bearing with the cold with little complaint.
When I joined the Passionists, having previously trained as an accountant, I thought, and hoped, that I was leaving that heady world of finance behind me, but then I ended up assuming a number of bursaring roles in the congregation. But at least I had half a clue as to what I was being asked to do, even though my accounting experience went back to the days when there weren’t even any computers. The last thing I expected to be drawn into was building projects, about which I had completely no clue, and no experience, miles out of my comfort zone. Before joining the Passionists I had only ever lived in tenements in Partick and Drumchapel. However, when I went to Mount Argus as rector in 2001, I found myself having to oversee the journey towards moving out of the old monastery of St Paul of the Cross, where the Passionist had resided for over 150 years, and into a new custom-built monastery within the same grounds. It was a very painful but very necessary transition. The move eventually happened in 2009. I said to myself, never again will I get involved in any building project of any kind. Then, after coming to St Mungo’s in 2016, we undertook the task of putting the new floor into the church in 2019, the 150th anniversary of the dedication of the church. After that I said, definitely never again, but here I am in the midst of all sorts of building stuff. When it’s all over I will be saying once more, with all the passion I can muster, definitely, definitely, never, ever, ever again. I ask your prayers that it will all work out well and that my stress levels will soon return to normal.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
Last weekend we had two simple celebrations, one in St Roch’s and one in St Mungo’s, to allow people to say their farewells to Father John, whose departure was imminent, and Brother Conor, who will be leaving us before the month of October is out. I am very grateful to those who organised and attended these little celebrations. On Monday night the four of us, Father John, Brother Conor, Father Gareth and myself, went out for a meal together in a local restaurant in Bishopbriggs, to say our own farewells. Around 5.30am on Thursday, Brother Conor drove Father John to some friends of the Passionists who were going to bring John, and the remainder of his luggage, to our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar in County Down, his new place of residence. The bulk of his luggage had already been shipped over. We wish Father John well in whatever lies ahead, and we thank him for his ministry here in St Mungo’s. We all received a text on Thursday afternoon to say he had arrived safely.
I couldn’t help but recall that, from entering the Passionists in 1975, until I left St Gabriel’s in Prestonpans, to go to Mount Argus in Dublin, in 2001, I had actually moved 13 times. An average of once every two years. One of the things that taught me was to try not to accumulate too much stuff so that, when asked to move again, I could travel reasonably lightly. The main issue was always books. Since 2001 I have only had to move once, and that was from Mount Argus to St Mungo’s in 2016. Now there will be the move from Bishopbriggs to Provanmill, whenever that may happen – the work is scheduled to begin on our new house, the former convent of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, this Monday, 6th October and, please God, be finished by the middle of December. So, by the looks of it, we may wait until after Christmas and move in early January.
The essential works required in St Mungo’s, extensive electrical work to church and halls, and the removal of two old boilers, followed by the installation of two new boilers, began this past week. It has meant a bit of disruption to services but it is good to see it underway, and it will be even better to see it all finished and, especially, to have heat restored in the church. But that’s probably a few weeks away yet. I am so grateful, not just for people’s generosity in providing the funds, but also for people’s patience in the midst of the disruption, and in bearing with the cold with little complaint.
When I joined the Passionists, having previously trained as an accountant, I thought, and hoped, that I was leaving that heady world of finance behind me, but then I ended up assuming a number of bursaring roles in the congregation. But at least I had half a clue as to what I was being asked to do, even though my accounting experience went back to the days when there weren’t even any computers. The last thing I expected to be drawn into was building projects, about which I had completely no clue, and no experience, miles out of my comfort zone. Before joining the Passionists I had only ever lived in tenements in Partick and Drumchapel. However, when I went to Mount Argus as rector in 2001, I found myself having to oversee the journey towards moving out of the old monastery of St Paul of the Cross, where the Passionist had resided for over 150 years, and into a new custom-built monastery within the same grounds. It was a very painful but very necessary transition. The move eventually happened in 2009. I said to myself, never again will I get involved in any building project of any kind. Then, after coming to St Mungo’s in 2016, we undertook the task of putting the new floor into the church in 2019, the 150th anniversary of the dedication of the church. After that I said, definitely never again, but here I am in the midst of all sorts of building stuff. When it’s all over I will be saying once more, with all the passion I can muster, definitely, definitely, never, ever, ever again. I ask your prayers that it will all work out well and that my stress levels will soon return to normal.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
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