Saltcoats volunteer honoured by Pope Francis

A retired teacher from Saltcoats has been honoured for his charity work for some of the poorest people in the world – by none other than the Pope!

Since leaving teaching in 1999, John Mitchell has dedicated a lot of his spare time to sharing the work of SCIAF with primary and secondary school pupils throughout Scotland.

John wanted to make some contribution to society in a voluntary way so he applied to be a volunteer after his wife noticed the SCIAF advert in a newspaper.

He said:

“I had known, of course, about the work of SCIAF; it was emphasised in my school and in my parish, especially during Lent. I had always regarded the aims and objectives of SCIAF to be worthwhile and laudable.

“In particular, I appreciated the SCIAF policy of supporting and maintaining local initiatives in some of the poorest countries in the world. The SCIAF philosophy of enabling such groups to become self-sufficient particularly appealed to me.”

John especially enjoyed talking and sharing with school groups - whole school, individual classes and small sections, with pupils aged 5-18.

John added:

“I was frequently impressed by the extent and depth of their knowledge, even among the youngest children, of the work of SCIAF, and of the need to help the weakest and most disadvantaged in our world. I was often amazed at the perceptiveness of the questions which I received, even at Primary level.” 

During his many years as a volunteer, John travelled around the country – to Edinburgh, Fife, Lanarkshire, Dumfries and many remote parts of Ayrshire, among other places. Sometimes he even met former pupils who were themselves now teachers and head teachers.

John said:

“Yes, these were always pleasant occasions with plenty of reminiscing.

“During those twenty years, I was privileged to learn from the extensive service and commitment of both the staff and volunteers at SCIAF."

The apostolic blessing or papal blessing is a blessing imparted by the Pope, either directly or by delegation through others. Bishops are empowered to grant it three times a year.

“I felt overwhelmed when I was told that I was to be the recipient of a Papal Blessing, However, I would like to think that the blessing was not just for me, but for all those other dedicated volunteers.”

Canon Martin Poland said:

“It is fitting that John's contribution to the work of SCIAF has been recognised  with this Papal Blessing.  John has been most generous in sharing his talents with others and is constantly aware of the goodness in other people and a desire to assist those less fortunate.”

 John said:

“To any other retired teachers who are thinking about becoming a SCIAF Schools Volunteer, I would say, please put yourself forward. The current group of volunteers are outstanding people, and the support from the staff is most encouraging. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to have been associated with SCIAF, and I pray for the continued success of the endeavours of all who are associated with the organisation.”