Newsletter for Sunday 11th October 2026

Friends,

When I was a Divinity student training for ministry at New College, Edinburgh we were taken on various visits as part of our first-year Practical Theology course; to churches of different denominations, to hospitals, to St. Columba’s Hospice, and to Saughton Prison. The first prisoners were admitted to Saughton in 1919 and when we visited almost 70 years later, I suspect that conditions had not improved much. I was shocked to discover that 3 men were sharing a cell, each with his own bucket. Innocent and inexperienced as I was, I wondered even then how this was supposed to produce reformed characters. The other thing which struck me at the time was that many of the prisoners had family photographs on the walls of their cell, parents, partners and children who missed them.

A few years later I became part-time chaplain at HM Prison Greenock. At that time Greenock housed prisoners on remand and those serving short sentences. There were also a number of PAD’s, Prisoners Awaiting Deportation. Many of those serving short sentences had been found guilty of drugs-related crimes, whereas a prisoner on remand might have been charged with anything. Nevertheless I was startled to discover that at the end of the 20th century it was still possible to be imprisoned for poaching.

Since the chaplain can ask to see any prisoner, I always tried to meet new prisoners as soon as possible after they arrived. I always took in Extra Strong Mints which seemed to be popular and helped the conversation along. I enjoyed visiting the workshops where garden benches were made, later to be sold in well-known outlets. Sometimes it was possible to visit in the evenings when prisoners had leisure time, and I like to tell people that I learned to play pool in prison.

If prisoners were local, I often knew other members of their family and this reinforced my view that a prison sentence affects the whole family. Working in prison I gained a better understanding of the pressures on prison staff who do a very difficult job on behalf of all of us and I realised that the general public has very little idea what goes on behind prison walls – it is a different world with a different set of rules. I was very naive when I became a prison chaplain and I’m sure I made many mistakes, but it was a learning experience and I was very fortunate that the Prison Governor in Greenock at that time was very supportive of the chaplaincy.

This Sunday, 11th October marks the beginning of Prisons Week 2026. Summing up Jesus’ parable from St. Matthew 22: 1-14 the New Testament scholar N.T. Wright says, “Jesus’ love reaches us wherever we are, but refuses to leave us as we are.”

The Prisons Week Prayer ~
Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for those in prison.
Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist.
Support with your love prisoners and their families and friends,
prison staff and all who care.
Heal those who have been wounded by the actions of others,
especially the victims of crime.
Help us to forgive one another,
to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly
together with Christ in his strength and his Spirit,
now and every day. Amen.

William

October-November Church Magazine
With thanks to the Editor, Susan Pym and her contributors, the excellent October/November issue of the church magazine is available via the bookstall, £1.50. (Note the beautiful front cover photo from the Isle of Harris) Pick up a copy for yourself and consider one for a friend or neighbour. Help spread the
St Columba’s story.

PRISONS WEEK 2026, 11th – 17th October For more than fifty years Prisons Week has prepared prayer literature to enable the Christian community, through individuals and churches, to pray for the needs of all those affected by prisons: prisoners and their families, victims of crime and their communities, those working in the criminal justice system and the many people who are involved in caring for those affected by crime on the inside and outside of our prisons. Prisons Week raises awareness and generates prayer. It motivates volunteers to step forward and give their time and gifts, in prisons and in their own communities. It provides an annual focus and reason for Christians to work together, building capacity and motivation to make a difference for people who are out of sight and often out of mind. The Prison Week’s website https://www.prisonsweek.org/ has a powerful campaign video and prayer resources for the week.

UPCOMING: Sunday 15th November, 1.30pm
Final concert of the Sounds of St Columba’s 2026 recitals: “Ein deutsches Requiem”
Choir of St Columba’s, piano duet and soloists Sophie Bevan (soprano) and Jerome Knox (baritone)
This magnificent concert is the culmination of ten years of high-quality Sunday afternoon recitals provided free, due to the generosity of visiting musicians. The ambition of the Brahms Requiem requires a significant cost to perform, so donations are greatly appreciated. Assistance offsetting this recital’s costs might be viewed as a thank you for all that has been enjoyed over the preceding years. It is also a wonderful opportunity to invite friends to visit and enjoy St Columba’s.

Christian Aid Annual Lecture 2026 at St. Martin-in-the-Field Church, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 4JJ on Monday 2 November, 7pm to 8.30pm.
The lecture will be delivered by Thant Myint-U, an internationally respected historian, author and former United Nations official. “Thant will tell the global story in a different way: examining how the United has been pushed to the margins and how the world risks sleepwalking into militarisation and deeper dysfunction.” If you would like to attend it is essential to register beforehand for a FREE ticket.
Christian Aid Annual Lecture 2026 – Register for a FREE Ticket

London St Andrew’s Book Festival,
presented by Scots in London
16th-22nd November. https://www.standrewsbookfestival.org/
The festival returns for its third year with a week of books, stories and conversation across London. This year venturing into courtrooms and newsrooms, exploring Scotland’s history, art and language, hearing tales of extraordinary adventures and getting stuck into some crime.

Among the writers and speakers joining us are Val McDermid, Jackie Kay, Carol Kirkwood, Professor Sue Black, Bill Paterson, Robert Peston, Jenni Fagan, Gavin Esler and the Maclean Brothers, alongside many more voices from Scotland and beyond. There are some intriguing conversations in store too. Professor Sue Black will sit down with Val McDermid, while Jackie Kay, Len Pennie and Hannah Lavery come together for a Poetry Showcase. The Debuts Showcase also returns, giving the stage to emerging writers and offering audiences the chance to discover someone completely new. Tickets for the 2026 the London St Andrew’s Book Festival are now on sale. https://www.ticketsource.com/standrewsbookfestival

As with the Sounds of St Columba’s Recitals, the Book Festival offers congregational members a great opportunity to invite friends or neighbours to come and enjoy our beautiful building and some of the life that goes on here.