In   October,   1976,   10,000   pilgrims   gathered   at   St   Peter’s   Basilica in   Rome   for   the   Canonisation   of   John   Ogilvie.   The   many   from Scotland   included   a   planeload   from   the   Diocese   of   Aberdeen and   a   contingent   from   St   Thomas’   in   Keith,   led   by   parish   priest Mgr   John   Copland,   a   great   exponent   of   the   Ogilvie   cause.      Mgr Copland   had   persuaded   Isla   Bank   Mills   at   Keith   to   make   Ogilvie tartan for scarves which were proudly worn in Rome.    A   young   student   priest   from   Keith,   Andrew   Mann,   travelled from   the   Scots   College   in   Spain   to   deliver   the   first   reading   at the   St   Peter’s   ceremony   and   a   Keith   parishioner,   James   Collins, was   given   the   privilege   of   carrying   a   candle   in   the   offertory procession, for which he received a medal from Pope Paul. Helen   Ettles   and   Ena   Shaw,   parishioners   of   St   Thomas’,   recalled that great day... “Generations    of    Scots,    and    particularly    of    the    parish    of    St Thomas   in   his   birthplace   Keith,   had   prayed   most   earnestly   for Blessed     John     Ogilvie     to     be     declared     Saint.     At     last     the generations   of   prayer   and   a   miracle   attributable   to   him   were accepted   as   scrutiny   by   the   Vatican.      John   Fagan,   from   Glasgow, had   made   an   inexplicable   recovery   from   cancer   after   doctors had given up all hope for him”. “We   were   all   full   of   joy   and   began   to   make   plans   for   as   many   as possible     to     be     present     in     Rome     for     the     Ceremony     of Canonisation.        Research    into    the    Ogilvie    Tartan    revealed    at least   three   in   use.      The   main   one   was   a   very   elaborate   set   of   the Family   tartans   combined   into   one   which   took   almost   a   square yard   of   material.   It   was   a   most   gaudy   yellow,   not   very   suitable for   everyday   use,   but   the   local   woollen   mills   agreed   to   make   up a   quantity   of   headscarves   for   us.      The   other   two   sets   were   more suitable   for   general   use   and   the   same   mill   made   up   lengths   of material   and   travelling   rugs.      We   took   one   of   these   rugs   as   a   gift to the Pope – and, of course, we took some whisky as well”. “When   the   great   day   came,   the   St   Thomas’   group   set   off   for Aberdeen    Airport    where    we    joined    with    others    from    the diocese.   At   that   time   the   Bishop’s   Chair   in   Aberdeen   was   vacant but   we   had   many   of   the   senior   clergy   from   the   city   with   us.   We, the   laity,   speculated   on   which   of   them   would   be   called   to   fill the    vacancy.    In    our    more    thoughtful    moments,    we    offered prayers   for   the   one   who   would   eventually   be   laden   with   that responsibility.      Much   later,   a   little   known   priest   from   a   parish   in the   very   far   North,   his   first   parish,   was   the   one   chosen   and became Bishop Mario Conti”.