St Mirin's Cathedral
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mirin in Paisley, dedicated to Saint Mirin
the patron saint
of Paisley
, is the mother church
of the Catholic
Diocese of Paisley
and is the seat of the Bishop of Paisley
.
of St Mirin, it is situated in Incle Street, Paisley at the junction with Glasgow Road and was completed in 1931 close to the site of the original church of the same name which dated from 1808. The original building was the first stone built Catholic church in post-Reformation
Scotland
.
The present building was raised to cathedral
status in 1948 following the erection of the diocese
in 1947.
in style with a plain sandstone
exterior and an airy arched interior: its architect was Thomas Baird. The chancel
is principally of Italian
marble
. Excluding the chancel, the cathedral is 109 feet (33.22 metres) in length and has a breadth of 48.5 feet (14.78 metres). The chancel itself is 29.5 feet (8.99 metres) in width by 23.25 feet (7.09 metres) in depth and is semi-octagonal in form.
Of particular interest are the pulpit
by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia, with a representation of the Sermon on the Mount
sculpted in relief from blond sandstone
, and the Stations of the Cross
designed by Kenneth King of Dublin which are Art Deco
in style. In the apse
four colourful tripartite stained glass
windows depict the Twelve Apostles.
In the former baptistry to the north side of the vestibule
is a stained-glass window depicting Jesus
with children by Charles Baillie
, whilst a shrine
to St John Ogilvie
by Norman Galbraith can be found on the south side.
The organ, which was constructed in 1912 by Messrs Peter McConacher & Co for Stepps
Parish Church in Lanarkshire
, was purchased by the cathedral and installed there in 1982 by Michael Macdonald Organ Builder .
The church, which is the largest in the diocese
, can accommodate around 1300 worshippers.
Opposite the cathedral, at the junction of Incle Street with Gauze Street and Glasgow Road, stands a bronze
statue
of St Mirin by Norman Galbraith which was completed and unveiled in 2007.
In July 2010 modifications to the main entrance, porch and frontage of the cathedral were announced.
, has him as its nominal parish priest. However, to oversee the running of the cathedral and its parish
there is an administrator, currently the Very Rev Monsignor
John Tormey. He is assisted by the Rev Ian Dalgleish, curate
(on supply from the Diocese of Wrexham in Wales
), the Very Rev Mgr Anthony Balee (on supply from the Diocese of Wa in Ghana
) and the Very Rev Mgr William Canon
Diamond, priest in residence .
, the Diocese of Paisley celebrated its Diamond Jubilee
. To mark the occasion a mass
concelebrated by His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James the Most Rev Faustino Sainz Muñoz
, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
His Eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien, the Archbishop of Glasgow
the Most Rev Mario Conti, the Bishop of Motherwell
the Rt Rev Joseph Devine
, the Bishop of Aberdeen
the Rt Rev Peter Moran
, the Bishop of Galloway
the Rt Rev John Cunningham
, the Emeritus Bishop of Paisley the Rt Rev John Mone
, the Bishop of Paisley the Rt Rev Philip Tartaglia
and many priests of the diocese took place in the cathedral. Present at the mass were a large number of civic dignitaries and representatives of other churches in Paisley. Representing Her Majesty the Queen were the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire
Mr Guy Clark and his deputy Mr James Wardrop.
:
Sunday: 6:30pm (vigil) 8.00am, 10.00am, 12.00pm, 4.00pm
Monday - Saturday: 10.00am, 1.00pm
Holy Days of Obligation: Vigil 7.00pm, 8.00am, 10.00am, 1.00pm, 7.00pm
Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation:
Saturday: 10:30am-11.00am; 5:30pm-6:30pm
Thursday: 7.00pm
Morning Prayer Of The Church:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:45am
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament:
Monday - Saturday 10.30am-12.50pm
Saint Mirin
Saint Mirin or Mirren, an Irish monk and missionary , is also known as Mirren of Benchor , Merinus, Merryn and Meadhrán. The patron saint of the town and Roman Catholic diocese of Paisley, Scotland, he was the founder of a religious community which grew to become Paisley Abbey...
the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, is the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Diocese of Paisley
Diocese of Paisley
The Diocese of Paisley is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Erected on 25 May 1947 from the Archdiocese of Glasgow the diocese covers the historic county of Renfrewshire and is in area making it the smallest diocese by area in Scotland...
and is the seat of the Bishop of Paisley
Bishop of Paisley
The Bishop of Paisley is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paisley in the Province of Glasgow.The diocese covers an area of and is the smallest by area in Scotland. The see is in the town of Paisley where the seat is located at St Mirin's Cathedral.The diocese was erected on 25 May...
.
History
The former parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St Mirin, it is situated in Incle Street, Paisley at the junction with Glasgow Road and was completed in 1931 close to the site of the original church of the same name which dated from 1808. The original building was the first stone built Catholic church in post-Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The present building was raised to cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
status in 1948 following the erection of the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
in 1947.
Fabric
The building is neo-RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
in style with a plain sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
exterior and an airy arched interior: its architect was Thomas Baird. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is principally of Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. Excluding the chancel, the cathedral is 109 feet (33.22 metres) in length and has a breadth of 48.5 feet (14.78 metres). The chancel itself is 29.5 feet (8.99 metres) in width by 23.25 feet (7.09 metres) in depth and is semi-octagonal in form.
Of particular interest are the pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia, with a representation of the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
sculpted in relief from blond sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, and the Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
designed by Kenneth King of Dublin which are Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
in style. In the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
four colourful tripartite stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows depict the Twelve Apostles.
In the former baptistry to the north side of the vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
is a stained-glass window depicting Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
with children by Charles Baillie
Charles Baillie
Charles Baillie may refer to:*Charles Baillie * Charles Baillie, Lord Jerviswoode , Scottish politician and judge* A...
, whilst a shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
to St John Ogilvie
Saint John Ogilvie
Saint John Ogilvie was a Scottish Roman Catholic Jesuit martyr.-Biography:Ogilvie, the son of a wealthy laird, was born into a respected Calvinist family at Drum-na-Keith near Keith in Banffshire, Scotland and was educated in mainland Europe where he attended a number of Roman Catholic educational...
by Norman Galbraith can be found on the south side.
The organ, which was constructed in 1912 by Messrs Peter McConacher & Co for Stepps
Stepps
Stepps is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The town consists of Stepps Village, Cardowan, Stepps Hill and Millerston...
Parish Church in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, was purchased by the cathedral and installed there in 1982 by Michael Macdonald Organ Builder .
The church, which is the largest in the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, can accommodate around 1300 worshippers.
Opposite the cathedral, at the junction of Incle Street with Gauze Street and Glasgow Road, stands a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of St Mirin by Norman Galbraith which was completed and unveiled in 2007.
In July 2010 modifications to the main entrance, porch and frontage of the cathedral were announced.
Clergy
Customarily a cathedral, as the seat of the bishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, has him as its nominal parish priest. However, to oversee the running of the cathedral and its parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
there is an administrator, currently the Very Rev Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
John Tormey. He is assisted by the Rev Ian Dalgleish, curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
(on supply from the Diocese of Wrexham in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
), the Very Rev Mgr Anthony Balee (on supply from the Diocese of Wa in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
) and the Very Rev Mgr William Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
Diamond, priest in residence .
Diamond Jubilee
On the 15 September 2008, the feast day of its patron saintPatron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, the Diocese of Paisley celebrated its Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
. To mark the occasion a mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
concelebrated by His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James the Most Rev Faustino Sainz Muñoz
Faustino Sainz Muñoz
Faustino Sainz Muñoz is a Spanish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Nuncio to Great Britain from 2004 until December 2010, having been appointed by Pope John Paul II in 2004.-Biography:...
, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
The Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh. The archdiocese covers an area of 5,504 km²...
His Eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal O'Brien, the Archbishop of Glasgow
Archbishop of Glasgow
The Bishop of Glasgow, from 1492 Archbishop of Glasgow, was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Glasgow and then, as Archbishop of Glasgow, the Archdiocese of Glasgow...
the Most Rev Mario Conti, the Bishop of Motherwell
Bishop of Motherwell
The Bishop of Motherwell is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell in the Province of Glasgow.The diocese covers an area of 1,178 km². The see is in the town of Motherwell where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid...
the Rt Rev Joseph Devine
Joseph Devine
Joseph Devine is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell in Scotland.He was educated at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, St. Mary's College, and St. Peter's College, Cardross. He was ordained priest on 29 June 1960 at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. He received his Ph.D...
, the Bishop of Aberdeen
Bishop of Aberdeen
The Bishop of Aberdeen was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Nechtan...
the Rt Rev Peter Moran
Peter Antony Moran
Peter Antony Moran is the former Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Aberdeen, Scotland.He was born in Glasgow on 13 April 1935...
, the Bishop of Galloway
Bishop of Galloway
The Bishop of Galloway, also called the Bishop of Whithorn, was the eccesiastical head of the Diocese of Galloway, said to have been founded by Saint Ninian in the mid-5th century. The subsequent Anglo-Saxon bishopric was founded in the late 7th century or early 8th century, and the first known...
the Rt Rev John Cunningham
John Cunningham (Bishop)
John Cunningham is a Roman Catholic priest who is the current Bishop of Galloway.John Cunningham was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland on 22 February 1938. He was educated at St Mary's College, Blairs and St. Peter's Seminary, Cardross. Later he was a student of the Scots College, Rome...
, the Emeritus Bishop of Paisley the Rt Rev John Mone
John Mone
The Right Reverend John Aloysius Mone was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Paisley.-Early life:John Mone was fourth of the six children of Arthur Mone and Elizabeth Dunn...
, the Bishop of Paisley the Rt Rev Philip Tartaglia
Philip Tartaglia
The Right Reverend Philip Tartaglia is the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley, Scotland. He has been described as a conservative in religious and moral issues.-Early life:...
and many priests of the diocese took place in the cathedral. Present at the mass were a large number of civic dignitaries and representatives of other churches in Paisley. Representing Her Majesty the Queen were the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire
Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire
The Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire is the representative of the British Crown covering a lieutenancy area of the county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
Mr Guy Clark and his deputy Mr James Wardrop.
Services
Holy MassMass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
:
Sunday: 6:30pm (vigil) 8.00am, 10.00am, 12.00pm, 4.00pm
Monday - Saturday: 10.00am, 1.00pm
Holy Days of Obligation: Vigil 7.00pm, 8.00am, 10.00am, 1.00pm, 7.00pm
Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation:
Saturday: 10:30am-11.00am; 5:30pm-6:30pm
Thursday: 7.00pm
Morning Prayer Of The Church:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:45am
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament:
Monday - Saturday 10.30am-12.50pm