Glasgow celebrates the life and story of its patron saint

Archbishop Marion Conti reads in Latin from the Life of St Kentigern Picture: Stuart Maxwell

The life of Saint Kentigern, better known to the people of Glasgow as St Mungo, has been celebrated with a week of music, readings and services across the city.
Glasgow has honoured its patron saint and his mother,  St Thenew – corrupted to St Enoch - with a festival  that embraced all Christian communities.

 The celebrations started at the Mitchell Library, where a copy of a book about Mungo’s life – the Vita St Kentigern –  was on display.
His life was chronicled in the 12th century by a monk called Jocelin, who served at Furness Abbey in Cumbria.
There was an international flavour to the display as a Russian icon of the saint was also on view. The image marks the dedication of the Russian Orthodox church in the city. The Kentigern Cycle was sung  by the Russkaya Cappella singing group. They were joined by the Saint Mungo Singers in a lovely rendering of ‘Let Glasgow Flourish’ .  Pupils from St Patrick’s Primary in Anderston struck a more youthful tone with traditional and modern performances of the St Mungo Rhyme and St Enoch, telling the story of the mother of Mungo.
A highlight of the launch was readings from Jocelin’s Life of St Mungo, first in Latin by Archbishop of Glasgow, Mario Conti, and in English by Rev Dr Laurence Whiteley, Minister of Glasgow Cathedral.
Bailie Catherine McMaster spoke of ‘the little fragments of legends that make alive for us how our city was born.
This celebration is to remember where we come from,’  and she referred to the festival as ‘a  birthday present to St Mungo.’
The week’s celebrations also included an ecumenical service at Glasgow Cathedral, a feast day Mass at St Mary’s in Abercromby Street, Calton, and the performance of a specially commissioned ballet  by Visual Statement ballet company, at the St Enoch Centre to celebrate the life of the saint’s mother.

Be Sociable, Share!

•