Celtic are delighted to announce details of the annual celebratory Mass at St Mary’s in the Calton. This year’s Mass will be held on Monday, November 11 at 7pm to commemorate the 132nd anniversary of Celtic’s formation.
It is from the parish of St Mary’s that Celtic were formed following a meeting in the church hall on November 6, 1887, and every year since the 125th anniversary, the club has enjoyed a celebration Mass in the church to mark the anniversary of its foundation.
It’s sure to be an evening filled with emotion and a huge sense of pride, so we encourage supporters of all faiths and none to come along and share it with us.
In keeping with our Founding Fathers’ vision, Celtic FC Foundation, the charitable arm of the club, will host their annual ‘Brother Walfrid Community Lunch’ for the homeless and refugee communities on Wednesday, November 6, at Celtic Park. Around 300 guests will enjoy a hot two-course meal and a tour of the stadium afterwards.
Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “I am sure the anniversary Mass at St Mary’s on November 11 will once again be a fitting commemoration to Brother Walfrid and our great club.
“From those early days of our formation, Celtic has always had charity at its core. It has defined our club throughout the last 130 years and it is important that our supporters are given the opportunity to share in this wonderful occasion.
“Once again, charity will play an important role as we look forward to welcoming our guests to Celtic Park for the Brother Walfrid Community Lunch on the day of the anniversary.”
Tony Hamilton, Chief Executive of Celtic FC Foundation, said: “The community lunch at Celtic Park on the anniversary of the club is hugely important for us, as is the one we host around Brother Walfrid’s anniversary in April each year. And it’s also the day we launch our Annual Christmas Appeal so all in all, it’s an important week.
“Celtic is a very special football club with a fanbase that has a strong social conscience and we are very grateful for the support we get for Celtic FC Foundation that allows us to do things such as this. I am very much looking forward to seeing everyone at the lunch, at the Mass and throughout this year’s appeal.”
Canon Tom White, parish priest of St Mary’s, added: “It’s great that what started as a celebration of 125 years of the football club has now become an annual event in St Mary’s, where we as the Celtic Family not only know our history but celebrate it at the place of our birth.
“We are continuing to remember our Founding Fathers and the community from which we hailed. We’re also celebrating the type of people and club that Celtic aspires to be today.”
