Perth was the focus of Scotland’s Catholic youth today as more than 250 young pilgrims from dioceses across the country gathered for the annual Scottish National Catholic Youth Pilgrimage.
This year’s pilgrimage, led by Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh and Bishop Andrew McKenzie of Dunkeld, marked the 1700th anniversary of the declaration of the Nicene Creed, with young people invited to renew their Baptismal promises.
The gathering began at St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Perth’s oldest Catholic parish founded in 1832. From there, the pilgrims processed through the city to the ancient St John’s Kirk, a landmark with over 900 years of history.
It was at St John’s Kirk in 1560 that the Protestant reformer John Knox delivered a fiery sermon which, by his own account, incited an “unruly mob” to smash altars and statues in the church before continuing their iconoclastic campaign at Perth’s great Dominican, Franciscan, Carthusian and Carmelite monasteries. The violent episode helped to secure the ascendancy of Protestantism in Scotland.
Today, however, the spirit was one of reconciliation and prayer. The pilgrims were welcomed at the Kirk by the minister, Reverend Sandy Gunn, along with members of the congregation. Mr Gunn joined Archbishop Cushley in leading prayers and reflections, symbolising a shared Christian witness.
As part of the litany of Scottish saints, the pilgrims prayed to St William of Perth, a 12th-century parishioner of St John’s Kirk. A humble baker, he was known for donating every tenth loaf to the poor. He later cared for an abandoned child, David, who tragically murdered him during a pilgrimage. William was buried at Rochester Cathedral, where his shrine drew pilgrims from across Europe. He was canonised in 1256. He is the patron saint of adopted children.
Following the service at St John’s Kirk, the young pilgrims made their way back across Perth to St John the Baptist Catholic Church, where Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Cushley, Bishop McKenzie, and priests representing each Scottish diocese.
Music for the liturgy was led by members of Dunkeld’s Youth Association, under the direction of Charis Soares, bringing vibrant energy to the celebration.
Archbishop Leo reminded the young pilgrims of the recent canonisations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in Rome (Sunday, September 7, 2025), in a ceremony presided over by Pope Leo XIV. Carlo Acutis was recognised for his faith, his creation of websites to document miracles, and his life as a contemporary “digital age” saint.
The Archbishop said, “Pope Leo canonised a couple of new saints just a couple of Sundays ago, and one of them was a young man of the 20th century. His life and death have resonated a great deal with me, and I know with many young people too. That was in 2006, and yet here we are now — he has been made a saint. We had the great pleasure of welcoming his relics over the last couple of weeks, and they were also brought to Edinburgh. I don’t know if you were there — I was — and I was deeply impressed by it, by the faith and devotion among young people.”
“Perhaps it’s because he is one of us: he’s a millennial, the first millennial saint. That is something to think about — that he only lived 15 years, and yet in those years he lived so very, very well. His closeness to the Lord completed him, perfected him, and made him one of the very first saints of the 21st century.”
“Saint John Paul II once said that there will be saints of the 21st century, and here we are — we are living among them. And that relates to today’s Gospel, when Jesus says: ‘You cannot serve both God and money’. You just can’t — money is powerful, and riches can distract us from serving God alone.”
“When you learn more about this young saint, you discover that he came from a wealthy family — his father was a banker — but that didn’t stop him from being holy. He spent his time trying to get his mum and dad to church, even when they weren’t going themselves. Money didn’t rule him; he made God the centre of his life. And if someone like him can do it, so can you, my friends.”
Archbishop Leo concluded, “That’s one of the great lessons he teaches us: it’s not how long you live, but how you live. The quantity of years doesn’t matter — the quality does. And that’s what this joyful, good young Catholic man shows us.”
Perth priest Fr Abraham Poonoly extended a warm welcome to the visitors on behalf of the Perth parish and invited all to join in refreshments afterwards, rounding off a day of faith, fellowship, and shared history.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Mitchell