St Brigid's Church, Kilbirnie
 |
This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (February 2009) |
| St Brigid's Church | |
 |
|
| 55°45′09″N 4°41′11″W / 55.7525°N 4.68639°W | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
|---|---|
| Website | St Brigid's |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Brigid |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kilbirnie |
| Diocese | Galloway |
| Province | St Andrews and Edinburgh |
| Clergy | |
| Canon(s) | Rev. Alexander McGarry |
St Brigid's is the church for the Roman Catholic Parish of Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, Scotland.
[edit] History
Father Thomas P Lee, a young Irish priest ordained at All Hallows Missionary College in Dublin and originally from Limerick, was sent in 1859 to be the resident priest in Kilbirnie; Initially based in Johnsotne he travelled by horse weekly to Kilbirnie. Somehow he raised the money and land to build his church and chose St. Brigid (devotion to the poor) to be the patron saint of the parish. Opened in 1862, the modest structure was a Gothic styled rectangular building with a gallery, porch, vestry, confessional and a related presbytery.
In those days Kilbirnie parish fell within the Arch-Diocese of Glasgow, hence the connection with Johnstone.
Due to an increasing post war population it was decided to renovate and enlarge the old church. The plan provided for an extension to the rear of the existing church, and when the work was completed there would be a new sanctuary and sacristy with accommodation for the altar boys. In front a new porch and baptistery were added to the old structure. The renovated and expanded church was opened in 1957. Conveniently the schoolmaster's house next door was also purchased to replace the more distant presbytery on Parkhouse Drive.
