Eight Church of Scotland members to receive Maundy Money from King Charles III

Eight Church of Scotland members will be amongst those receiving Maundy Money today from His Majesty The King during a service at Durham Cathedral.

In total 76 men and 76 women from across the United Kingdom will receive the honour, all of whom have been nominated for their outstanding Christian service.

The service commemorates Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles at the Last Supper, and is held in a different cathedral each year.

Each year the number of people being given Maundy Money is the same as the monarch's age for men and women.

The tradition of presenting alms on Maundy Thursday dates at least to the 4th century AD with the first record of a monarch doing this in the British Isles being in 1213.

The word ‘Maundy' comes from the Latin word for ‘commandment', which refers to the instruction that Jesus gave his disciples on the Thursday before he died "that you should love one another as I have loved you".

Dr Janet Martin, an elder at Cranhill and Carntyne Church, said:

"I was surprised to receive this invitation!

"I count it such a privilege to be in the service of the One who gave everything for us.

"As I accept this honour, I do so humbly, and representative of the many known to me who give of themselves day in, day out, in the service of others, whether by life or lip."

Mr Mark Peel, a member at Canongate Kirk, said:

"After a number of years teaching at Fettes College, where I played an active part in School Chapel, I joined the Canongate Kirk in 2010. Renowned for its sense of history and beautiful ambience, we are also fortunate to enjoy such a strong musical tradition and pastoral leadership of the highest order.

"It was a real bolt out of the blue to be invited to the Royal Maundy Service at Durham Cathedral and I am extremely grateful for such a privilege. Durham was where I trained for my teaching diploma and so the occasion will be suffused with special memories.

"The cathedral is one of the country's great landmarks and will, I'm sure, add lustre to a noble tradition dating back centuries."

Mrs Doreen Henderson, an elder in Oban, said:

"The Maundy Money gift is in recognition of my involvement with Safeguarding in the Church of Scotland but is more deserved by the Safeguarding Service than myself. I have been a Safeguarding Trainer and Presbytery Contact for 20 years and my commitment is due to the high quality of training material, the support of the Safeguarding team and the real recognition by our Church of the importance of keeping all of us safe."

Mrs Millicent Christie, an elder at Dunblane Cathedral, said:

"After the initial surprise, I felt very honoured at being nominated for this accolade. Over a number of decades of Christian service to others through Girls' Brigade, Eldership, Choir and Flower Arranging, it has been the mainstay of my faith as a member of Dunblane Cathedral."

Dr David Vass, a member at Dunblane Cathedral, said:

"When the envelope arrived in March I was frankly shocked. Nothing could have been further from my mind! Also for historical reasons I thought Maundy money was for the poor originally. I'm not poor nor rich but OK. Still getting used to it and the trip to Durham to collect it!"

Mr Brian J Wood, the Deputy Session Clerk at Braemar and Crathie Kirk, said:

"King Charles is a familiar figure around our parish of Braemar and Crathie and I'm delighted to be meeting him in Durham.

This has been a difficult time for the congregation in Braemar with the selling of our much loved church building. I'd like to think that my invitation is in some way an acknowledgement of the hard work our team has put into the closure and disposal of the church."

Dr Andrew Henderson, a church organist and elder, said:

"An honour to be nominated in recognition of youth work with SSC, church work as an elder and organist, and charity work with ABCD (Argyll Beats Cardiovascular Disease)."

Mrs Kate Scott, a pastoral visitor at Aberfeldy Parish Church, said:

"I'm here for all the folk at Aberfeldy Parish Church and in the linkage – it's such a caring church. There are so many people who go the extra mile in the congregation. I'm really thrilled to be here."

Those attending the service include the recipients and their guests.