Glasgow celebrates patron saint with ten-day festival

The city of Glasgow is celebrating its saint's day with its most ambitious programme of events to date. The traditional Feast Day of St Mungo - or Kentigern - which took place yesterday, 13 January, is being supported by 10 days of activities and celebrations including exhibitions, musical events, a medieval food festival and church services.

The launch event was held last Wednesday, 8 January at the St Mungo Museum in High Street with a reception followed by a lecture delivered by Catholic academic, Professor Bob Davis of Glasgow University.

Last Friday, 10 January, schools groups from throughout the city will gather in Wellington Church, Southpark Avenue, to celebrate the Birthday of St Mungo and the City with patter, songs and poems.

An Ecumenical Festival Service on Sunday 12 January in Glasgow Cathedral brought together the Archbishop, the Lord Provost, the Conveners of the Trades House and Merchants House, Councillors and the Principal of the University of Glasgow to commemorate the Feast of St Mungo. Music will be provided by the Salvation Army; St Mungo Singers; Glasgow's Russian Choir and school choir featuring the Poet Laureate of Glasgow, Jim Carruth.

St Mungo's feast was marked yesterday in all parishes of the Archdiocese of Glasgow. Archbishop Philip Tartaglia celebrated the feast with pupils at St Mungo's Academy.

An exhibition called Mungo's Cave, highlighting the work of the students of City of Glasgow College, featuring artworks inspired by the life of St Mungo is running throughout the festival.

During the same period at venues across Glasgow, the St Mungo Food festival is featuring food from medieval times.

Vita Kentigerni - the book telling the story of the saint's life is open for public viewing at the Mitchell Library.

The festival will close on Friday 17 January with a musical evening at Rooftop, 101 Portman Street.

Commenting on the programme Archbishop Tartaglia said: "Around the Feast of St Mungo in early January, religious and cultural events are held in Glasgow that celebrate St Mungo as the founder of our city and of the church in this dear place. It is good that the City Council, the Churches and Glasgow's historic and cultural institutions combine to remember and celebrate Glasgow's origins around St Mungo, the patron saint of our city."

For full details of all the events, see: www.mediaevalglasgow.org/events