St Mary's, Inverness

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St Mary's, Inverness
St Mary's Roman Catholic Church
St Mary's Inverness 3.jpg
St Mary's, Inverness
57°28′41″N4°13′48″W / 57.478010°N 4.230003°W / 57.478010; -4.230003
Location Inverness, Inverness-Shire
Country Scotland
Denomination Roman Catholic
Website Official website
History
Status Parish church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s) William Robertson of Elgin
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic
Completed1837
Administration
Diocese Aberdeen
Deanery St. Joseph's
Clergy
Priest(s) Fr Laurence Gambella (acting)
Laity
Organist/Director of music Ronnie Shaw/Edward Docharty

St. Mary's, Inverness is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Inverness, Inverness-shire, in Scotland and is a part of the Diocese of Aberdeen. The building is significant for the high quality of its altar and stained glass windows. There is daily Mass in the church and it is also the home of the Polish-language Chaplaincy for Inverness.

Contents

History

The church was opened on 2 April 1837. Earlier, local members of the Catholic Church in Scotland had worshipped on Margaret Street, with the Mission separated from Eskdale in 1827, and it was known in the town "as a place where Lord Lovat and the tinkers worshipped". [1] There were said to be about 400 Catholics in Inverness in 1846.

The presbytery was built at a cost of £1,200 in 1888 due to the benevolence of Miss Jessie McDonell. On 22 August 1894 a solemn re-opening of the church took place as the sanctuary had been remodelled to accommodate 250 extra worshippers and an altar designed by Peter Paul Pugin built by Carruthers of Inverness as well as Stations of the Cross. The sanctuary was remodelled with a new altar and tiles in order to conform with changes in liturgy heralded by the Second Vatican Council in 2014. [2]

A school was built in 1845 staffed by Franciscan nuns at first, but the building was replaced in 1943.

New married priest

In 2005, Father James Bell became the first married Catholic priest to be ordained in Scotland. A special dispensation from the Pope was made allowing him to not take up the normal vows of celibacy. Fr. Bell said: “I have enjoyed my time at St Mary's enormously. It is a marvellous parish and its people are so welcoming and friendly". He retired in 2023. [3] Fr. Laurence Gambella, on loan from Salford Diocese, is now the Acting Parish Priest. [4]

[5] Interior

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References

  1. "St. Mary's Catholic Church". Scalan Association. 1983. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  2. "St. Mary's RC Church". Scottish Churches Trust. 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  3. "Inverness parish priest bows out". Inverness Courier. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  4. "'I wanted to give my whole life to God'". Inverness Courier. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  5. "'I wanted to give my whole life to God'". Inverness Courier. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.