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Parishioners of Our Lady and St Cuthberts Church in Maybole with special guests the Bishop of Galloway, the Rt Rev Maurice Taylor, and former parish priests. Click on the images below to view them full size. |
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PARISHIONERS of Our Lady and St Cuthberts Church in Maybole marked the 125th anniversary of the church building's opening in 1878. Special guests were the Bishop of Galloway, the Rt Rev Maurice Taylor, and former parish priests Canon Eugene Mathews (1963-67), Monsignor Stephen Kennedy (1983-85), and Fr Archie Brown (1985-92). Bishop Taylor and the other priests were welcomed by David Kiltie, chairman of the parish pastoral council. Parish priest Fr Jim Hayes, in his sermon, spoke of various world events of the late 19th century to put the opening of the church into context. For the history of the church corresponds with the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy to Scotland, more than 300 hundred years after the Reformation. The first bishop of the new diocese of Galloway in 1878 was the Rt Rev John McLachlan and his first public official duty was to open the Maybole church on June 17 of that year. Bishop
Taylor, in his talk, said: "This is a good parish with good theology. You
know what a parish community should be, and you have been willing to
become involved in the diocesan plan for embracing the future. You are
being realistic and your preparation will stand you in good stead." The
Bishop added: "Be brave, take risks, launch out in to the deep. We thank
God for the past 125 years and for the vibrant Christian faith which is so
obvious here. "I wish you well, and may God continue to bless you with
faith, hope and love." The Bishop had not been able to attend the recent
First Communion and Confirmation services, and he took the opportunity
during the anniversary Mass to present those children with a small gift
each. He was assisted by Nicole Currie, of St Cuthbert s Primary, who is
this year's Queen of Carrick. A social evening followed the service, with
a video of past events and old photographs on display in the church hall.
Fr Hayes described the celebrations as 'super' and thanked everyone who
had put in so much effort and time with the church, the liturgy and the
hall. |
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