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The FranciscansThe Parish of Blessed John Duns Scotus is entrusted to the care of the Friars Minor or Franciscans - followers of St Francis of Assisi. The Franciscans arrived in Dover in September 1224, two years before the death of St Francis and at the time he was receiving the Sacred Stigmata. The first Friary in Glasgow was opened in 1476. |
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This Friary and Church was suppressed at the Reformation and it was 1866 before
the Friars returned to Glasgow to the Gorbals. They have been very much part
of the local scene, through thick and thin, ever since - the only
establishment in the Gorbals with anything like that kind of pedigree.
The present fraternity is of four Friars - all of them Priests. They exercise a
varied apostolate both in the Parish, in Glasgow and in the whole of Scotland.
One member is active in conducting retreats throughout the British Isles and
occasionally as far away as Africa. We actively seek those attracted and called
to this way of life by advertising and workshops and diligently endeavouring to
get entry to the Universities of Scotland.
The Franciscans in the Gorbals today follow the Rule of the Friars minor. They live in Fraternity and are totally dependent on the charity of their benefactors. Theirs is what is known as a 'mendicant life' and is distinguished by 'itinerancy'. The life of the Friar Minor is characterised by prayer and a diversity of services to those who live and work in the inner city of Glasgow. Daily Mass, Confession, prayer, special devotions to Our Lady and to St Antony and the Secular Franciscan Order, are among the religious services they offer. Is God Calling?Young men are urgently needed to continue the long tradition of Franciscan presence in Glasgow and Scotland. Info: Fr Donald Walsh ofm. Info 0141 429 0740.Secular Franciscan OrderThe SFO offers the way of St Francis to the men and women of today. It remains as it has for 750 years, a proclamation of the Gospel way of life, a continuous conversion from the spirit of the world. It is characterised by constancy in prayer - the recitation of a daily 'office'; frequent reception of the Sacraments and attendance at Mass; a freedom from enslavement to material and temporal things; an acceptance of the Cross in their lives; a firm commitment to a way of life and to the gatherings of the fraternity for prayer, spiritual formation, mutual encouragement and planning of activities. Fr Peter Hall OFM is Spiritual Assistant to the Duns Scotus SFO which meets monthly on the first Sunday at 2pm in the Greyfriars Centre. Members come from Glasgow and district and from all over Scotland. Info: 0141 429 0740 or Elizabeth O'Neill SFO 0141 569 7600. | |||