Michelle McManus launches a new hymn written to commemorate SCIAF at Glasgow’s St Andrew’s Cathedral

A new hymn has been written for the anniversary of SCIAF, to reflect on all the important work that has been done.

Transcript

00:00So it's been a really special day in St Andrew's Cathedral because Skiyap is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

00:05It's an incredible charity. It starts up in Ruthergown way back in the 60s and has presence all over the world

00:13doing its mission in Gaza or in Africa, wherever they are. So in celebration of that 60 years and all the work that they have done,

00:20a brand new hymn has been commissioned by the Reverend John Bell, who's a really famous composer in Scotland.

00:25And this hymn has been gifted to Skiyap and it is based on the Lodato Si, which is a document that Pope Francis had written 10 years ago,

00:34just about the world and the environment and all this kind of stuff. So it's all came together at a time where

00:41Pope Francis passed away, Skiyap turned 60 and it's the 10th anniversary he's written and we've reflected that.

00:48So when certain members of the church reached out and asked the power to sing it, it was a little vainer for me

00:55because I'm a Catholic and I started singing in the choirs and up on the altar and stuff like that.

01:00And when I heard the hymn, it was absolutely stunning. So all in all of what came to Galloway, all of his volunteers,

01:07all of us giving up our time, I think some of them, we have to do a cathedral with a record of a hymn.

01:12And everything that I do in life, my life is so buried. I'm so lucky because I sing and I do the present and all the rest of it.

01:18But to be here at the inception and the start point of a new hymn that will then get rolled out,

01:23the parishes across Scotland and beyond, and to know that you've played a tiny, tiny, wee part in that.

01:28Like, I feel very, very, very honoured. And it is a beautiful hymn and the words are really lovely.

01:33I think it's lovely for Scotland as well, right? That we are playing a part in this,

01:39kind of, the whole journey of this hymn, when it's came to and when it will end up.

01:44So it's been a really lovely experience.

01:47A group of people got together in the 60s in Lippincland and said,

01:51what is happening to the world? What is happening to our planet? We need to try and do something to help, right?

01:56And especially in the times we live now, folk don't have a wee bit of extra to give, right?

02:00We know that everyone is squeezed and things are really tight.

02:03You only have fun on your telly to look about the world.

02:05But it's heartbreaking what's going on in the world just now, you know?

02:08And I think for people to still feel, it doesn't matter what's happening to me.

02:13I want to help those people and I want to help someone else.

02:15And that they can do that through SCIA, and SCIA can facilitate that,

02:19the money, the donations it's given, and they go and do this amazing work.

02:23I think it feels really right to celebrate a 60th milestone of 60 years.

02:28There's lots of charities that have tried their best and just have had to succumb to the fact that

02:32through tough times and recessions and all that, they kind of keep going.

02:35But somehow SCIA is in the heart, you know, of all of us here in Scotland

02:40because of those wee boxes and growing up and donating our money through land.

02:44And I think we should really shout it or sing it to the workshops

02:47and see how it's got to this point.

02:49And I hope that I win.