FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 21st – 28th SEPTEMBER 2025
At the time of writing the Log this week, I am feeling pretty miserable, as I have a terrible head cold, which wasn’t helped by the fact that I had spent almost five hours the previous day in A&E at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. An issue arose in relation to my current health situation while I was in the church, and so I walked over the footbridge to the Royal to try and get it attended to. I gave in my details and took my place in the waiting room. Within 20 minutes or so I was seen by the triage nurse, and then sent back out to the waiting room to await further attention. The information screen was showing that, after seeing the triage nurse, it could be a four and a half hour wait to see another medical professional, so I knew I was there for the long haul. As it turned out I was called in after just under three hours. The nurse who called me in was a familiar face to me. She had nursed with my youngest niece and had recently attended my brother’s funeral as a friend of my niece. It’s amazing how a familiar face can instil some reassurance. However, once she showed me to a cubicle and asked me to wait, that was the last I saw of her. A trolley was wheeled into the room and a hospital gown left with me to put on. In due course two young ladies came in who informed me that they were final year medical students and that they would be attending to me that day, which was fair enough. After they had done what they had to do, I then had to wait until a qualified doctor came in to me to check their work and make sure everything was okay, before sending me home again. Once he seemed satisfied that all was in order, I made my way back to the church again. At that point, I knew that the head cold which I had detected earlier, had taken a firm grip on me. Please God, it doesn’t linger on too long. I knew of course that there were a number of people who had been struggling with head colds during our novena, including our cantor, then our organist, and also our Sunday 12 o’clock Mass folk group. We all soldiered through.
Last weekend, understandably, people were reacting to news of the impending changes in our Passionist community in Glasgow, and by extension, in our parishes of St Mungo’s and St Roch’s. I remember it was at the closing Mass of the novena nine years ago that I was introduced as the new parish priest and rector of St Mungo’s, with Father John Craven, God rest him, moving on to Holy Cross, Ardoyne, and Father Dermot Gallagher moving on to Mount Argus in Dublin. Mostly, people don’t like change, we prefer the old familiar faces, but I am grateful that the reaction has been very understanding and supportive, and there is a growing realisation among people, with regard to the challenges facing religious communities and dioceses to keep going in the face of the diminishing numbers, age and health of the present crop of priests and religious, with not too many coming behind them to fill the gaps.
As part of people’s understanding and kindness, there are two little farewell celebrations for Father John and Brother Conor being organised, one in St Roch’s, after the 5.30pm Vigil Mass on Saturday 27th September, and one in St Mungo’s, after the 12 noon Mass on Sunday 28th September. Parishioners of both parishes will be invited to one or other, or both. It would be nice to see people from both parishes mixing, and it was good to see people from St Roch’s at the Novena in St Mungo’s joining us for the sausage roll fest in the hall after the closing Mass. Father John will be leaving on 2nd October, and Brother Conor will be leaving probably mid-October. Father Tom will arrive mid-October, and we still await news of whoever might be replacing Father John. As if all of this wasnt turmoil enough, I have a site meeting next Monday to get the work moving on the new house at Royston road. Once we have a clearer idea of when that work might be finished, we can then move seriously towards selling our existing house in Bishopbriggs. I feel exhausted just thinking about it.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
At the time of writing the Log this week, I am feeling pretty miserable, as I have a terrible head cold, which wasn’t helped by the fact that I had spent almost five hours the previous day in A&E at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. An issue arose in relation to my current health situation while I was in the church, and so I walked over the footbridge to the Royal to try and get it attended to. I gave in my details and took my place in the waiting room. Within 20 minutes or so I was seen by the triage nurse, and then sent back out to the waiting room to await further attention. The information screen was showing that, after seeing the triage nurse, it could be a four and a half hour wait to see another medical professional, so I knew I was there for the long haul. As it turned out I was called in after just under three hours. The nurse who called me in was a familiar face to me. She had nursed with my youngest niece and had recently attended my brother’s funeral as a friend of my niece. It’s amazing how a familiar face can instil some reassurance. However, once she showed me to a cubicle and asked me to wait, that was the last I saw of her. A trolley was wheeled into the room and a hospital gown left with me to put on. In due course two young ladies came in who informed me that they were final year medical students and that they would be attending to me that day, which was fair enough. After they had done what they had to do, I then had to wait until a qualified doctor came in to me to check their work and make sure everything was okay, before sending me home again. Once he seemed satisfied that all was in order, I made my way back to the church again. At that point, I knew that the head cold which I had detected earlier, had taken a firm grip on me. Please God, it doesn’t linger on too long. I knew of course that there were a number of people who had been struggling with head colds during our novena, including our cantor, then our organist, and also our Sunday 12 o’clock Mass folk group. We all soldiered through.
Last weekend, understandably, people were reacting to news of the impending changes in our Passionist community in Glasgow, and by extension, in our parishes of St Mungo’s and St Roch’s. I remember it was at the closing Mass of the novena nine years ago that I was introduced as the new parish priest and rector of St Mungo’s, with Father John Craven, God rest him, moving on to Holy Cross, Ardoyne, and Father Dermot Gallagher moving on to Mount Argus in Dublin. Mostly, people don’t like change, we prefer the old familiar faces, but I am grateful that the reaction has been very understanding and supportive, and there is a growing realisation among people, with regard to the challenges facing religious communities and dioceses to keep going in the face of the diminishing numbers, age and health of the present crop of priests and religious, with not too many coming behind them to fill the gaps.
As part of people’s understanding and kindness, there are two little farewell celebrations for Father John and Brother Conor being organised, one in St Roch’s, after the 5.30pm Vigil Mass on Saturday 27th September, and one in St Mungo’s, after the 12 noon Mass on Sunday 28th September. Parishioners of both parishes will be invited to one or other, or both. It would be nice to see people from both parishes mixing, and it was good to see people from St Roch’s at the Novena in St Mungo’s joining us for the sausage roll fest in the hall after the closing Mass. Father John will be leaving on 2nd October, and Brother Conor will be leaving probably mid-October. Father Tom will arrive mid-October, and we still await news of whoever might be replacing Father John. As if all of this wasnt turmoil enough, I have a site meeting next Monday to get the work moving on the new house at Royston road. Once we have a clearer idea of when that work might be finished, we can then move seriously towards selling our existing house in Bishopbriggs. I feel exhausted just thinking about it.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
RSS Feed