South Ayrshire Council News

Queen Margaret Academy pupils before the chairs and kneeler are received and blessed for the Pope.
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A prayer kneeler and chairs to be used by Pope Benedict XVI before he celebrates Mass in Bellahouston Park later this month were presented to the Diocese of Galloway by South Ayrshire school pupils today (Wednesday 1 September).

The four chairs and prayer kneeler were designed and created by pupils from Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr especially for the Papal Visit and were handed over to Bishop John Cunningham of Galloway for a blessing at a special ceremony at the school.

They will be used by Pope Benedict before the Mass in the Papal Sacristy – a quiet area where he will vest and prepare for Mass through prayer and contemplation.

Bishop Cunningham said: "I am delighted to receive and bless this magnificent furniture, which will be used by Pope Benedict and his personal secretaries as they get ready to celebrate Mass with around 1,000 priests and a congregation of up to 100,000 in Bellahouston Park in just over two weeks time.

"The Pope's visit opens up new relationships between our country, government and church and gives us hope for a more just society where service to each other is high among our priorities. With this project, we see evidence of that service to others here at Queen Margaret Academy.

"I express my warm gratitude on behalf of the Holy Father and Catholic Church in Scotland for the creativity, time and hard work that has gone into making this furniture and thank everyone involved in the project."

The project to design and construct the kneeler and chairs was commissioned by former Queen Margaret Academy chaplain, Father Stephen McGrattan, who is one of a team of sacristans for the Papal Visit (those responsible for the sacristy).

Father McGrattan said: "This commission is a tremendous honour for Queen Margaret Academy and the enthusiasm and reverence the pupils have shown throughout the design and build process have been humbling.

"I have no doubt the Holy Father will be impressed by the beautiful crafting of these pieces of furniture and they will help provide him with a peaceful and contemplative environment before he celebrates this very special Mass.

"The pupils and staff involved have done themselves proud and I am delighted Queen Margaret Academy is playing such an important role in this historic occasion."

Within the school, the work was led by Michael Pratchett, retired former technical teacher and Principal Teacher of Guidance, who worked with a group of senior pupils over the summer to design and build the furniture, which is made from the pews of the now closed Good Shepherd Cathedral in Ayr.

Each piece of furniture includes an intricate carving of the Petrus Cross, which is associated with St Ninian. This is especially appropriate as the Pope will actually celebrate the Mass on the Feast of St Ninian, the first Bishop of Galloway who arrived in Scotland around 397AD. Pope Benedict's Coat of Arms has also been carved on the prayer kneeler.

Four senior pupils – who are now sixth year – were involved in the project: Cameron Brown, Amanda Houston, Darren McGrady and Lawrence Mitchell. They said: "We can't quite believe that something we made will be used by the Pope before he says Mass in front of tens of thousands of people. We feel very humbled to have had the chance to do this and are proud that our work will represent our school in such a special way."

The pupils were also assisted by Gary Devlin, Principal Teacher of Technical and teacher Neil McKay, who took over some of Mr Devlin's classes to free up his time to work on the Papal project.

Moira Gray, Head Teacher of Queen Margaret Academy, said: "This is a real honour for the school and we are proud to have received such an important commission. The Papal Visit and Mass – which a number of our pupils are attending – is a momentous occasion for the country and we are delighted to play our part in ensuring it is a great success."

Michael Pratchett continued: "This has been a really exciting project to work on and is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. For these pupils to produce such beautiful works of art – which is what these chairs and kneeler are – and know that they will be used by the Pope is quite extraordinary. Their efforts are a real credit to the school and I hope His Holiness enjoys using them."

Councillor Hywel Davies, South Ayrshire Council's Portfolio Holder for Lifelong Learning, concluded: "I am very impressed by the thought and effort that has gone into the design and creation of these fantastic pieces. I am pleased that not only will they be used by the Pope for Papal Mass, but the kneeler will remain locally and each chair will go to one of the four Catholic secondary schools in the Galloway Diocese for use in their chapels or oratories.

"These will be a delightful reminder of Pope Benedict's visit to the United Kingdom in 2010 and the input of our pupils and school community here at Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr. My congratulations go to everyone involved."