The 2026 St Margaret of Scotland Annual Lecture and Choral Mass
The St Margaret of Scotland Annual Lecture Series commemorates the life and legacy of St Margaret of Scotland through explorations of the intersections between Catholicism, theology, and the arts.
Programme:
Choral Mass: St Salvator's Chapel, 5:30 p.m.
The evening will begin with a Choral Mass in St Salvator's Chapel, presided over by His Grace Archbishop Leo Cushley and sung by the St Salvator's Chapel Choir. Bishop Erik Varden will preach the homily.
The Mass is open to all; no ticket is required.
2026 Lecture: School III, St Salvator's Quad, 7:00 p.m.
We are delighted to welcome Bishop Erik Varden for the 2026 St Margaret of Scotland Lecture, “Is Friendship Still Possible?”
In an age marked by profound social and cultural change, what does it mean to be a friend, and what makes genuine friendship possible? Bishop Varden invites us to consider the nature of friendship and its enduring significance for spiritual flourishing today.
Attendance is free, but places are limited. Please register below to reserve your place.
A reception at Canmore Catholic Chaplaincy on the Scores will follow the lecture.
For further enquiries, please contact Dr Rebekah Lamb-Varela (Divinity) at [email protected].
Please note that photographs will be taken during the events and may be used on social media and other University communications channels.
The 2026 St Margaret of Scotland Annual Lecture is co-sponsored by Canmore Catholic Chaplaincy, the University Chaplaincy, and Dr Lamb-Varela's Lumen Christi Institute grant, ‘Redressing Loneliness: The Practice of Friendship in the Roman Catholic Tradition,' funded by the John Templeton Foundation (Grant #63614).