Friday 1 November 2013 will go down in the history of St Joseph’s Primary School as a monumental day as The Most Reverend Philip Tartaglia, Archbishop of Glasgow visited the school to say a special Mass. Archbishop Tartaglia was there not only to celebrate All Saints Day but also as a culmination of the school’s Year of Faith activities.



Special guests at the Mass were: Carol Evans, Head of Service, Mary O’Duffin, RE Advisor, Leonard Franchi, Head of St Andrew’s Foundation at Glasgow University, Councillors Morton, Dance, Trail and Mulvaney from Argyll and Bute Council as well as Mr Rooney, Head Teacher of Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School. In addition, however, the Head Teachers and two pupil representatives from each of the remaining three Catholic schools in Argyll and Bute (St. Mun’s in Dunoon, St Columba’s in Oban and St Andrew’s in Rothesay) were present. This was especially significant as these schools had for the first time ever collaborated in an inter-authority project to create The Argyll and Bute Year of Faith Prayer. Pupils from each of the schools came onto the altar at the end of Mass to recite the prayer for the congregation during a very moving service.












The children and staff of St Joseph’s had prepared well for this exciting day and the canteen staff treated the guests to a scrumptious lunch afterwards. The children were brimming with excitement as the Archbishop entered the school and were delighted to hear him say he had been looking forward to coming to see them for quite some time. Archbishop Tartaglia said ‘ You are out here at the very edge of the diocese and I have come to gather you and take you for my own’. The special guests were very moved by the emotion of the event and commented several times on the politeness, singing and outstanding reverence of the pupils at Mass.












A sensational day was had by all and will remain in the hearts and memories of all those who attended for a very long time to come.