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Scotland: 'Mercy Bus' redefines 'Mass transit'


Mercy Bus and crew

Mercy Bus and crew

Source: SCMO

A Scottish bishop will celebrate Mass on a double-decker bus, for the first time in the UK, in Paisley next week. The special bus will set off on its opening tour from the cenotaph at Paisley Cross at 1pm on Monday 31 July 2017. The bus tour is the brainchild of the ‘Friends of Divine Mercy Scotland’.

Speaking ahead of the launch, organiser Helen Border said: “Inspired by the call from Pope Francis to “Go out to the people and take the Church to them” we’ve decided to do just that, with a church on wheels, which between Monday July 31 to Saturday August 5 will be in a different town each day.”

“There will be priests hearing confessions on the top deck of the ‘Mercy Bus’ and literature, tea and coffee available downstairs. Everyone is welcome, we hope passers-by will come on board, where they can say a prayer or just chat. Today, so many people are angry and upset, often because they’ve made the wrong choices and want to change. Stepping on board the bus, could be the first step in changing their lives for the better. We hope they’ll come aboard!”

The bus will visit: Paisley, Coatbridge, Greenock, Barrhead and Glasgow over the week-long tour. It will return to Paisley on Saturday 5 August, where Bishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley, will celebrate Mass on board the bus at 2pm.

Commenting on the initiative, Bishop Keenan said: “This is a fantastic initiative and a wonderful example of evangelisation, which takes the church out into the world. I wish the venture every success and hope it will be the first of many similar initiatives which offer people a route back to a relationship with God.”

The bus together with a driver, has been donated, for a week, by Sir Brian Souter. Commenting on the launch, Sir Brian said: "This is an innovative idea to bring faith issues to the high street and I hope people will find help and meaning through this initiative."

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