Sunday morning Mass at 11.30 am at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral on the Sunday of the week that Pope Benedict XVI was to be in its parish, but not in the Cathedral itself unlike his predecessor in 1982, was an opportunity to gauge the congregation’s level of excitement.
At a table in the foyer were the two people with the list of those who had already booked their place to the Papal Mass at Bellahouston Park, south west of Glasgow. The list was full but there was a waiting list in case people dropped out. It is not an event to turn up on the day. Everybody attending travels with their church group. The Cathedral, just like each Roman Catholic church in Scotland, has to pay £20 for every pilgrim it brings.
Nearby on a notice board was a long and helpful list of rules to be obeyed by the pilgrims. They were to be sure to be at Waverley Station for 8am to be guided to the correct train to Glasgow Queen Street. Notices would show them the way to walk to Glasgow Central Station for the train to Dumbreck Station. Priests and Deacons are to travel with their parish groups and make sure their group reaches the right spot in Bellahouston Park.
Assuringly there will be toilets but there may be obstacles to obscure the view and so large screens will help. The Pope will travel round the Park to be seen by as many as possible. There’s a stern warning to be ready to be there for five hours of standing - so bring food and suitable clothes for September weather. Umbrellas are allowed to be raised - but only until the Mass commences, for they will hide the view for others.
And so whilst the Roman Catholic congregations of Edinburgh will have travelled to Bellahouston Park it will be for everybody else that St Ninian’s Day is celebrated on Princes Street by over a thousand pipers, hundreds of school children, dozens of historical characters plus two nominated charities to greet the Pope and entertain the crowds who'll gather in the capital that morning.
The pipers will be drawn from bands from Scotland and further afield with particular emphasis on school and youth pipe bands. They'll lead the parade from Regent Road to Princes Street where they will play 'Highland Cathedral' as the Pope himself travels past in the Popemobile.
The school children are the parade VIPs - they're invited form all 14 schools across the country named after St Ninian. That includes Catholic, Episcopalian and non-denominational schools.
The historical characters will chart the history of Christianity in Scotland since the days of St Ninian himself 1600 years ago. Characters will include St Columba, St Margaret, Mary Queen of Scots, John Knox and, from more recent times, Eric Liddell.
It is estimated there could be as many as a billion people watching worldwide. Just as Monsignor Michael Regan said in his Sunday sermon - this is a once in a generation opportunity.