A reflection on SCIAF, our church and togetherness

Written by SCIAF Community Engagement Officer, Michael Hamilton.

"If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." 1 Corinthians 12:26

For almost 60 years the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund has reached out in love and compassion to help the world’s most vulnerable people.  

This work - our mission - has only been realised thanks to our Catholic community across the country whose support, prayers and donations have helped millions of people in the decades since we were formed. Those who have struggled with hunger, drought, war, violence and displacement, have been helped by our community.  

From small beginnings in Rutherglen in 1965, our Church has grown this support and made an incredible impact on the world – offering a better life for many and giving people the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty with dignity and respect.  

On the SCIAF website, you will find we’re: “Compelled by Christ’s love, we help people in the world’s poorest places to lift themselves out of poverty, work together to protect our common home, and help people recover from disaster.”   

These are not empty words. Our Faith guides and motivates us to keep pushing on and keep reaching out with love.  

I grew up with SCIAF through school and church. Like many of our supporters, I have fond memories of filling up the Wee Boxes each Lent. Now, I am lucky enough to work at SCIAF in our Community Engagement Team. I work with individuals, schools and parishes and this role is a blessing as I get to meet people from across the country whose Faith is so strong. I have seen first-hand the enormous impact that Scotland’s Catholics make each Lent. I spend time with Priests and parishioners, listening to their reasons for giving and hearing their thoughts to take back to my colleagues at SCIAF.  

I’m motivated to share this reflection for two reasons. Firstly, to say thank you. Thank you to all our supporters, volunteers and campaigners. To the Clergy and parishioners who continue to organise, give, pray and campaign despite the world - and here in Scotland - seeming increasingly worrying and troublesome.  

The second reason is that as I spend more time in different communities that make up our Church in Scotland,  more I’m convinced we are heading in a positive direction. Sure, there are many things to be anxious about. However, I have spent time speaking to our community and with our young people and I truly believe that there is a real energy to bring people back and make our Church the place for people to be.  

We may grow weary with the world, with seemingly endless violence and poverty always showing on our TV screens and phones, but through Christ’s love we can make this world a better place. I see our young people – and the fantastic work done by youth groups in our Dioceses – leading on this and I am sure we are on the right path.  

Today, I went to morning Mass at St Bernadette’s in Motherwell. I spent time before Mass in quiet reflection of the efforts of a community like theirs to make the world a better place. Not only supporting SCIAF but a host of other organisations too. We celebrated Mass for the Feast Day of St Maximilian Kolbe – a Polish Priest who gave his life in place of another prisoner at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. We were reminded of those horrors, and it also served as a reminder of the violence and killing which continues to plague our world today, in countless places including Gaza, South Sudan and Ukraine.  

SCIAF, led by our Catholic Community in Scotland, will always continue to stand against violence and war and in solidarity with those we serve. Through our partners in the Caritas network, we will continue to reach out and offer help to our sisters and brothers, whatever comes next. I have seen the great work that SCIAF’s Programme Officers do with our partners around the world and I know that there is always hope.   

This hope that SCIAF offers people around the world is only possible due to you, our supporters. Thank you for your faith in our mission.