The Year of Mercy Cross.
The Year of Mercy began with the First Sunday of Advent 2015 and came to a close on the Feast of Christ the King in November 2016. In initiating this Solemn Year, Pope Francis urged us to be confident in the Lord’s Mercy for each one of us. Regardless of our failings and sins the Lord would look to forgive us and always respond with mercy to our repentant hearts. Pope Francis reminded us that as we receive the Mercy of God, we, in turn, must be merciful to others.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation and his Department were responsible for the practices and events of the Year of Mercy. In Rome it was agreed that Pilgrims should gather at the end of Via della Conciliazione and with the magnificent façade of St Peter’s Basilica ahead of them, they should process in prayer into the Basilica and reach the Tomb of St Peter.
The Pilgrims of our Sixth Year to Rome in September 2016 were privileged to take part in this moving procession of prayer. The group gathered and formed behind our then Head Boy, Christopher Stewart, who carried the Year of Mercy Cross as Fr Duggan and Monsignor Murray led the group in prayer.
A limited number of Year of Mercy Crosses were produced and all were blessed by Pope Francis. At the end of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis asked Archbishop Fisichella to distribute the crosses as appropriate. Both Archbishop Fisichella and his Under- Secretary, Scottish born Monsignor Graham Bell, knew of our school through their frienship with Monsignor Monaghan and arranged for the cross to be presented to the School.
We are very proud and pleased to have such a cross and indeed we know that our Year of Mercy Cross is the only one presented to anyone in Scotland and indeed, we believe, Great Britain.
We will use the Year of Mercy Cross as a focus of Liturgical and Religious Services as a constant reminder of the infinite mercy of God and of our responsibility to be merciful to others.
