Print friendly
Scotland’s new Catholic bishops’ conference president, Inverclyde’s John Keenan is taking the message to the people. He’s joined Rail Pastors evangelising mission
“It is the Church on the streets where the Spirit wants us to be and where we feel his unique presence in almost every encounter,” says Keenan.
Keenan, a proponent of the new evangelisation – which calls all Catholics to be evangelised and then go forth to evangelise – was able to answer this call by sharing “the joy of the Gospel” at Inverclyde’s train station.
The Rail Pastors
The Rail Pastors and their bright blue uniforms have been active at Scottish stations in Fife, Inverclyde and Paisley for several years.
Their mission is “to listen, care and help travellers who otherwise might feel a little unsafe or needing a helpful person to chat to”.
If need be, they send people to relevant agencies for further support. They are awake particularly to the real possibility that some people may be suicidal, Keenan says.
Based on a similar scheme in Barnet (near London), which led to a marked reduction in suicides and suicide attempts, the Scottish group teamed up with Ascension Trust, BTP, Police Scotland and Scottish Business Resilience Centre.
They provided training for Rail Pastors to patrol and provide additional public reassurance in unstaffed stations or locations synonymous with reported suicide incidents.
In Scotland, one in six young adults aged 18–34 have self-harmed and 76 percent of parents have reported that their child’s mental health deteriorated while waiting for professional mental health support.
Reflecting on the Rail Pastors’ mission
After spending a Friday evening last month with Rail Pastors and reflecting on their mission, Keenan said:
“Uniformed as Rail Pastors, they engaged passengers of all ages – from teenagers to seniors – creating a little bit of community and warmth on a dark and wet Scottish autumn night.”
He sees the Rail Pastors as offering “a safe and reassuring presence to the young people who appreciate this pastoral care even while they are making merry”.
For himself, he said the evening gave him the opportunity to reach out to young people too.
“A group …recognised me from my visit to their Catholic primary school, while they were preparing for the sacrament of confirmation, and we had a nice conversation” the bishop recalled.
“Another asked me to pray for her mum. They were amazed to see me engaging with them in this role.
“In the station bar, a young man recognised me and … he opened up about his faith and his parents’ deep Catholic convictions. Our meeting made his day, and he got off the train renewed in faith and spirit.”
Keenan also met retired police officers, transport police and rail safety officers.
“By midnight we had been six hours out and about as salt, leaven and light and, where the occasion allowed, sharing the joy of the Gospel” he said.
Source
Related Posts:
News category: World.
