Medals mark Selkirk women's service to Catholic church

Annie D’Agrosa, who celebrated her 90th birthday on the same day, and Sybil McCabe were rewarded for their long and dedicated service to the church and community.

Afterwards there was a buffet in the church hall.

The archbishop was joined by the priest of St Joseph’s, Father Edward Wanat, and deacon Duncan Macfarlane.

Annie and Sybil have been involved in the church choir, helped with school concerts, readings, selected hymns for mass, manned the stall at the rear of the church, sold Easter and Christmas cards as well as Catholic newspapers, and twice a year travelled to Glasgow to purchase items for the stall.

They also looked after the finances of the church, counting the weekly offerings in the hall after services. Annie, assisted by Sybil, was the official bookkeeper for many years, and prepared the parish accounts annually for the archdiocese until modern technology took over.

It did not stop there. They attended to the special and SCIAF collections, as well as the St Vincent De Paul and the elderly, and gave huge support to coffee mornings, the annual Scott’s Selkirk and Christmas raffles.

At the buffet, Deacon Macfarlane presented each with a basket of flowers before the archbishop helped them to cut a specially-baked cake.

z Pictured are Archbishop Leo Cushley, Annie D’Agrosa and Sybil McCabe.