Letter to Aberdeen Parishioners from Bishop Hugh

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am writing again to update you regarding Catholic Education in the City of Aberdeen.

First of all, I want to thank you for such an encouraging and supportive response to Aberdeen City Council`s recent consultation on the future of Catholic education in the city. It is so important that we impress on City Councillors that we expect them to support our schools and the excellent work that they do for our children, and indeed for the social well-being of our city.
On 17th September, a report on the responses to the consultation will be considered by the Education Committee of the Council. I will write to you again at the end of August advising you on how you can influence the decisions that the committee may make then.
Over the past few months Fr. Colin Stewart, Mr. John Murray and I have been working to enlist the support of other religious groups in the city. We have met with Muslim leaders and with representatives of other Christian denominations making the case for the continuation and development of our Catholic schools. We have come away from these meetings very encouraged by the responses we received. We have also had a series of private meetings with Councillors and senior officials of the Council which has allowed us to explain in some detail the case for Catholic schools and the value they bring to the whole city. I am aware too of all that the Parents Councils have been contributing.
In the recent national census, almost 20,000 people in Aberdeen identified as Catholic. Their children are entitled to a Catholic education. We need Catholic Schools! And as we know, while giving priority to Catholic children, our schools also welcome others. This is a real contribution to social cohesion in our fractured world.
So, respectfully and clearly, let’s continue to act on behalf of our children and our city, not forgetting to pray for God’s blessing as we do.
Yours devotedly,
Bishop Hugh Gilbert
Bishop of Aberdeen