A PRIMARY 4 pupil whose remarkable dedication to promoting the Catholic Faith in schools in Glasgow and Edinburgh resulted in him being presented with a Papal Award last year, is embarking on a brand new evangelisation project aimed at bringing Jesus more fully into our school communities.
John Ewing, a pupil at St Paul’s Primary School in the Shettleston area of Glasgow had previously supplied some 3100 schoolchildren in the city’s east end with their own Mission Rosaries as part of his ‘Beads are Seeds of Faith’ campaign, for which he received plaudits from the Archbishop of Glasgow, William Nolan and recognition from Pope Francis too.
He extended that last year to other schools in the archdiocese but also to schools in the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh for which he received a thank you letter from Archbishop Leo Cushley (above), which read: “I commend you for your initiative! I gladly give my blessing for this and encourage each child to pray the Rosary. Our Lady brings all our intentions to her Son Jesus.
“I wish you all the best with this endeavour. May the Lord bless you, your family and the other generous benefactors. With my good wishes, Archbishop Leo Cushley.”
Now John is currently in the process of simultaneously publishing two books entitled The Boy Who Took Jesus To School and The Girl Who Took Jesus To School, which will allow his fellow pupils to envisage themselves having their own special encounter with Jesus, while also fundraising for the work of Missio Scotland.
“This is the story of a pupil who met Jesus going to school,” John explained. “It’s just a small book for schoolchildren everywhere, but it's especially for those kids who haven't truly met Him.... yet!
“This book is aimed at children aged from 8 upwards, but older children and adults will have fun spotting the hidden references to Bible stories and Biblical characters scattered throughout. It's a fun and inspiring book to be read out loud and it will help kids develop their spiritual life as Christians. There is also a quick quiz at the end!”
Having written the books all by himself, John is now looking for help to translate them into the different languages. While he has found translators for Italian, Polish and even Igbo versions, he is now seeking translators for Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Russian editions. If you think you might be able to help on tis front please contact: gerard@missioscotland.com
His proud Dad, John Ewing Sr, spoke about how the book idea came together, while heaping praise on the inventiveness of children with regards to their Faith.
“His granny used to say: ‘God works in mysterious ways' and Wee J (Wee John) is living proof of that,’” he said. “He started giving out Mission Rosary beads to his classmates a few years ago and he still does—4510 Rosary beads so far have been distributed to schools in Glasgow and Edinburgh. He is a great believer in prayer and his mission is to get more kids come to Mass.
“Wee J has been working on this little book for months. It started off as something completely different—about spacemen—and only really came together around Christmas time. To be honest writing isn't his thing and his approach to writing the book was a bit like building a giant jigsaw without a picture to follow, that's the Wee J way.
“What emerged was The Boy Who Took Jesus To School and The Girl Who Took Jesus To School. We believe the Holy Spirit inspired him to do it and inspired us to help him. They are fun reads for Catholic boys and girls. It's amazing what kids can do with a little help and encouragement from the grown-ups and most importantly, the Grace of God.”
As his Dad alluded to, John’s desire to support Missio Scotland through his initiatives and to promote the Faith to a greater extent in schools has its origins in him being gifted a Mission Rosary previously during a visit from Missio Scotland to his school. He was so taken with it that he wanted children from his school to each have their own.
To learn more about the Mission Rosary and how it can be used in your school or parish, visit: https://www.missioscotland.com/resources
To purchase a Mission Rosary of your own, priced at just 60p, visit: https://www.missioscotland.com/product-page/mission-rosary
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