Police in Scotland called for help from the Catholic Church last week after being disturbed by what they thought was a “poltergeist” at a family home in South Lanarkshire.
The officers who were called to the house because of disturbances were expecting to deal with a prank or a mental health issue.
A mother was reported to be “extremely distressed” because of “violent and unexplained circumstances”.
After arriving at the address, a police source said, “They witnessed the lights going off, clothes flying across the room and the dog sitting on top of a hedge.”
The source said: “Officers with more than 20 years’ service are saying they’ve never seen anything like this.
“It really is something that down-to-earth police officers are having trouble getting their heads round.”
The source also told Scottish media that a priest performed a blessing on the house after the police called for help.
The family have temporarily vacated the property and are staying with relatives. Unable to determine a cause for the disturbance, the police source told the Scottish Daily Record that: “One problem we’ve got is where we go from here, as no crime has been established.”
A Police Scotland spokesman told the Daily Telegraph: “On August 8 and 9, police attended at an address in Rutherglen, responding to reports of a disturbance. Advice and guidance was given.”
The Diocese of Motherwell and the Scottish Catholic Media Office declined to comment on the story.
Vatican backs bishop in Aberystwyth dispute
The Vatican has backed the Bishop of Menevia over his decision to close Aberystwyth’s only Catholic church.Parishioners have been campaigning to reopen Our Lady of the Angels and St Winefride in North Wales since its closure in 2012.
Bishop Tom Burns of Menevia released a statement saying that the Vatican had rejected a petition to save the 140-year-old parish church and officials in Rome were “satisfied” with the decision to renovate the Welsh Martyrs Church in nearby Penparcau instead.
Parishioners campaigning to save St Winefride’s argued that Penparcau was too difficult to get to for the poor and elderly. It takes about 25 minutes to travel the distance between the two churches on public transport. However, there is a reduced bus service on a Sunday, so those without cars may struggle to reach the new building.
In addition, the protesters – including former parish priest Fr Neil Evans – claim that the renovation of St Winefride’s would be easy to achieve and that the building is too beautiful to give up.
In an open letter to Bishop Burns in May this year, Fr Evans claimed: “In contrast to the derelict Welsh Martyrs there is in the centre of Aberystwyth a solid Victorian church which could easily be renovated and restored. Financially, pastorally, historically, culturally, evangelistically – it is a win-win solution.” Fr Evans was moved from Aberystwyth to Neath by Bishop Burns last year at the height of the battle between parishioners and the diocese.
In June, parishioners entered the boarded-up property in order to clean the premises to prove that it was not in disrepair and could easily be brought back into use.
Protesters also regularly wrote to the local paper, Cambrian News, to express their disapproval of the relocation of their church.
Letter writers cited the lack of consultation, the cost of the project and the out-of-town location of the new premises as their grievances.
Since the decision from the Vatican was revealed, Bishop Burns has appealed to the campaigners to accept the resolution and to “come together in joint resolve”.
His statement criticised those who have caused the delay in the process of the renovation of the Welsh Martyrs Church, saying: “There have been three major resources to Rome already. Each has been rejected, and proved to be a waste of time, effort and money.
“No means no, not maybe,” the bishop said. “It is a definitive no and Rome has now told us that it will not be reversed.”
In a letter from the Vatican dated July 12, the prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, Cardinal Beniamino Stella, thanked Bishop Burns for his efforts with the parish and approved his proposal for the renovation of the Welsh Martyrs Church on behalf of the Pope.
Bishop Burns wrote in his statement to parishioners that he hoped that this final decision from the cardinal would bring the divided community together again.
The renovation of the Welsh Martyrs Church is expected to cost £360,000. The site of St Winefride’s will be sold and the land used to build both houses and flats.
‘Follow Romero’s example’
A bishop has urged Catholics to follow the example of Blessed Oscar Romero and the Good Samaritan and be sensitive to the world’s suffering.Auxiliary Bishop Patrick Lynch of Southwark made the remarks at a Mass celebrating Romero’s 99th birthday at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark. He said: “This means reminding the leaders of business that the dignity of all workers – no matter how ‘menial’ their work – must
be respected.”
