Immaculate Conception Parish Church, Stratherrick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Immaculate Conception Church, Stratherrick |
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| 57°13′09″N 4°29′39″W / 57.219296°N 4.494233°W | |
| Location | Whitebridge, Inverness-shire |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Ross & Joass of Dingwall |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Completed | 1859 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Loch Ness Catholic Parishes |
| Deanery | Highlands |
| Diocese | Aberdeen |
The Immaculate Conception Church, Stratherrick is a special church located in the Dalcrag area of Whitebridge. This village is found in Inverness-shire, which is part of the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. The church belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen.
This church is an active parish church. This means it is the main church for a local area, serving the community. A priest from Fort Augustus leads regular services here. Every Saturday evening, there is a special service called a Vigil Mass at 5 PM. The church is also part of a group of churches known as "Loch Ness Catholic Parishes."
One unique thing about this church is that it is a place of pilgrimage. This means people travel here for religious reasons. It has a special area called a shrine, dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Highlands'. A new altar was added to this shrine, also known as a grotto, in March 2017. Bishop Hugh Gilbert officially blessed it.
The Church's Story
The Immaculate Conception Church was built in 1859. The architects who designed it were Ross and Joass. They were from a town called Dingwall.
Before the church was built, people in the area still wanted to attend Mass. Mass is the main worship service in the Catholic Church. A priest who lived in Glenmoriston would travel across Loch Ness by boat to lead these services. He would hold Mass in a house in Dalcrag.
The church originally had an altar made of wood. Later, this wooden altar was replaced with one made of marble. This marble altar came from another church, St Mary's, Nairn.
A Famous Visitor
In December 1873, a very special person visited this church. Her name was St. Mary MacKillop. She was visiting from Australia. St. Mary MacKillop later became a saint in the Catholic Church.
During her visit, she stayed for two days, on December 12th and 13th. She noted how clean and simple the home of the local priest, Father Bissett, was.
