Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Chapel of Saint Kentigern

On the morning of 14 August 2022, the Saint Kentigern community came together to celebrate 50 years of the Chapel of Saint Kentigern in a meaningful anniversary service that reflected its proud heritage and history.

The familiar sound of the Saint Kentigern Pipes and Drums band resonated throughout the College grounds welcoming and gathering guests at the front of the Chapel as they arrived.  We could not have wished for a better day to commemorate the special occasion as the sun beamed throughout the morning as the Chapel filled with those with close ties to Saint Kentigern.

The service opened with a beautiful rendition of ‘When We Were Young’ by Year 13 Melody Lui-Webster. College Chaplain Reverend David Smith offered a warm welcomed to invited guests and students, followed by the first reading from Roman 8 (selections) delivered by current College Head Girl Xing Xing Lawrence. The congregation then rose to sing two frequently sung hymns that are enjoyed by students at College Chapels: ‘Be Thou My Vision’ and ‘Blessed Be Your Name’.

2000 Chapel Prefect Nick Hanne took the second reading from Job 28.12.28, a reading that was given by Reverend Adam MacFarlan, the first College Headmaster at the very first assembly on the day the College opened in 1953.

In his 50 Years Message, Reverend Smith shared the history of the Chapel which was built almost 20 years after the Chapel fund was set up, with further upgrades in 2019/2020 from the generous donation of the Trustees of the Robert Alan Bell Charitable Trust that allowed the Chapel to be further upgraded to meet the needs of current and future congregations.

Reverend David Smith shared that while in 50 years a lot can change, there are some things that haven’t changed and shouldn’t change. He best summed it up when he quoted Micah 6.8. Thousands of years ago, when asked how to live, the Prophet Micah responded by saying:            “God has already made it plain how to live and what to do… what does the Lord require of you? It’s quite simple: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

He went on to say that in the 50 years of the Chapel, Micah’s teaching hasn’t changed, nor the heart of the Christian story - that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life and that the love of God can be found in Jesus. He concluded by saying that the challenge to live for God and to live for others hasn’t changed, but remains the same.

Reverend Smith then invited the congregation to sing ‘Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah’ before College Head Boy Archie Manning took the third reading of Psalm 121. It was an honour to have Reverend David Williams, Chaplain (1986-1996) and Headmaster (1997 – 2001) joined and delivered a prayer at the anniversary service. The Combined Choir then performed a glorious rendition of ‘May the Road Rise to Meet You’. In closing, Chapel Prefect Millie Eaton delivered the Prayer of Saint Kentigern before Reverend Smith came forward for a benediction, with Saint Kentigern’s Head of Pipes and Drums Andrew Lightfoot leading the recessional.   

The Chapel is the embodiment of God’s glory, of grace and the cornerstone to our Saint Kentigern mission. More than a monument, in its 50 years, the Chapel of Saint Kentigern has been the heart of the school, a place for worship, witnessing and serving as a fellowship for all in the community as perfectly mirrored in the anniversary service congregation.

With the formalities over, guests were invited to mix and mingle over morning tea at the Goodfellow Centre. It was a lovely reunion of Old Collegians, friends and families who took the opportunity to catch up and reminisce fond memories in the last 50 years of the Chapel history.  

We are extremely pleased to share a special greeting from Reverend Mark Johnstone from the Chapel of Saint Kentigern in Glasgow in conjunction with our Chapel’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHe9VWM9M-M