Mossend church presents bishop with special gift

Bishop Nolan, who is originally from Motherwell, was joined by Holy Family parish priest Father Jim Grant in Rome last February as they purchased his new attire.

Father Grant actually purchased the miter which now sits upon the head of the former Vicar General of Motherwell Diocese, but there was one part of his investiture still missing — his crozier.

A few years ago when Holy Family was replacing its pews Father Grant’s cousin Father Joseph Brannigan, then the parish priest of St Mary’s Church in Lanark, asked if he could make use of the wood.

Father Grant was happy to let him and Father Brannigan commissioned a number of shepherd’s crooks to give as gifts to friends, including father Grant.

Bishop Nolan was invited to the annual Patronal Feast Day celebrating the Holy Family at Holy Family, held just days before the second anniversary of Father Brannigan’s death, where he was presented with one of the shepherd’s crooks to act as his crozier.

The crozier represents the shepherd’s staff given to Moses as he was exiled from Egypt and is a symbol of authority and strength.

Father Grant said: “The shepherd’s crook has been hanging in my hall for several years, but I felt that Bishop Nolan could make better use of it so I was delighted to be able to present it to him on behalf of the parish when he joined us for our feast day.”