St. Columbkille

Introduction

St Columbkille's Parish was founded in 1851 to serve immigrants from the Highlands and Ireland.

History

The church is A-listed and is distinctive in scale and design. The original church was opened in 1853, east of the present church, accommodating 600 people. In the 1930s the parish fund-raised to rebuild the church before World War II. Ahead of the Golden Jubilee in 1990, the interior was re-painted.

In 2014 significant building works began, with external repairs and internal refurbishment, and the church re-opened in 2017. In 2020 restoration work was carried out to preserve and restore the chapel paintings. In 2024 the entrance and side path were re-designed for safe access, re-using original flagstones where possible. In 2025 a Parish History Group published the book LEGACY OF LOVE.

Architecture and furnishings

The ceiling is made of Austrian oak, as is the baldachino above the tabernacle. The altar is made of onyx and green marble, and the reredos is made of Connemara marble. The front exterior shows sculpted figures of Jesus, the four Evangelists and the dove of the Holy Spirit. St Columba and his monk companions are displayed in bas relief above the doors.

Parish life

The Young Adults Faith Group provides young adults aged 16 to 35 with opportunities to explore various aspects of the Catholic faith. The Book Club meets every four to six weeks in the Parish Hall, usually on a Saturday morning. HCPT, the Pilgrimage Trust, offers pilgrimage holidays in Lourdes to disabled or disadvantaged people. Little Cherubs is a Parents and Toddlers Group that provides a weekly opportunity for parents and pre-school children to meet socially.

SCIAF, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, was conceived and born in 1965 in a classroom in St Columbkille's School, now the Parish Hall. The parish runs a Food Bank on Saturday mornings to provide foodstuffs to needy clients.

The parish has offered the ALPHA course and some elements from SYCAMORE for adults. The parish provides short commentaries on the Scriptures read at each Sunday Mass. The parish holds a Young Adults Group that meets to explore various aspects of the Catholic faith. The Society of St Vincent de Paul is an international Christian voluntary organisation dedicated to providing practical assistance to all in need.