THE ANNUAL MASS to celebrate the foundation of Celtic Football Club and to commemorate Brother Walfrid will take place in St Mary’s Church, Abercromy Street in Glasgow on Sunday 6 November at 3:00PM.
Celtic were founded in St Mary’s Church Hall on September 6, 1887 as part of a charitable drive to put food into the bellies of hungry children in the East End of Glasgow. Brother Walfrid stated that “a football club will be formed for the maintenance of dinner tables for the children and unemployed.” 
That was the beginning of the road to Lisbon and has led us to where we are today with such a great club to support. We are Celtic Football Club.
In the late 19th century the money raised went to provide thousands of meals for the hungry children of the East End of Glasgow.
Those who could afford it paid 1d (one old penny); if the child brought their own bread, the meal cost 1/2d; if family couldn’t afford anything, the meal was free.
This was a massive logistical task to provide the meals, but it also brought the children into education.
Yet now, 129 years later, the Celtic Family are still proud of their charitable roots; yesterday Celtic Football Club donated £10,000 to kick off the Celtic Foundation’s 2016 Christmas Appeal; recently the Green Brigade helped raise over £170,000 for charities in Palestine.
CQN itself recently continued that self-same founding principle by donating over £6,900 to Mary’s Meals who are providing food and education for poor, hungry children all over the world.
As with our great Club, the Mass is open to people of all faiths and none.
The Mass is a celebration of the spiritual, charitable and cultural foundation of Celtic Football Club. It is a great occasion and an opportunity to get together and celebrate the birth of a wonderful institution.
There is also the chance to see Peter Howison’s magnificent portrait of Brother Walfrid (which some of you will recall was proudly displayed at CQN 11 at the Kerrydale Suite last year) and the mosaic commissioned for the 125th anniversary of the Club.
Refreshments will be served after the Mass which celebrates the foundation of Celtic Football Club and commemorates Brother Walfrid. We hope to see you there at St Mary’s Church, Abercromy Street in Glasgow on Sunday 6 November at 3:00PM.
For more reading on the foundation of Celtic Football Club we strongly recommend the brilliant book, Celtic The Early Years by Brendan Sweeney which is available from www.cqnbookstore.com
