Following the devastating earthquake which struck central Italy on Wednesday, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia will offer a special "Mass for Italy" on Monday 29 August at 1pm in St Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow.
The Archbishop of Glasgow has written to the Bishops of Rieti and Ascoli Piceno (the affected dioceses) to express the support and sympathy of the people of Glasgow and beyond. In his letter, the Archbishop said: "I send you this message of solidarity and support. In prayer I participate in the mourning and the suffering which has struck so many people."
"As you will be able to discern from my surname, I too am from an Italian family, and I feel very personally the pain of those who have been afflicted", he added.
The magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck near Perugia, central Italy, at 3.36am local time (1.36 GMT). According to the BBC, the village of Pescara del Tronto has been levelled to the ground. At least 247 people have died and more are missing.
On Wednesday at his general audience, Pope Francis led the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square in praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, asking them to join him in “praying to the Lord Jesus, Who is always moved by compassion before the reality of human suffering, that He may console the broken hearted, and through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, bring them peace”.
A statement from Archbishop Tartaglia said the Mass in the cathedral is open to all people of good will and a special collection will be taken up to assist survivors of the quake.