St Catherine's Argyle Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Catherine's Argyle |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of Scotland |
| Region | Scotland |
| Status | extant |
| Location | |
| Location | The Grange, Edinburgh |
| Municipality | Edinburgh |
| Website | |
| St Catherine's Argyle | |
St. Catherine's Argyle, often called St. Cath's, is a Church of Scotland church. You can find it in the Grange area of Edinburgh, Scotland. This church is an important part of its local community.
Contents
Discovering St. Catherine's Argyle
St. Catherine's Argyle is a church with a long history. It is a place where people come together for worship. The church also serves as a busy center for community activities.
The Church's Beginnings
The first minister of this church was Horatius Bonar. He was a well-known Scottish churchman and poet. The current St. Catherine's Argyle church group, also known as its congregation, was formed in 1968. This happened when two older local churches joined together.
One church was St. Catherine's in the Grange. It started in 1861 as the Chalmers Memorial Free Church. The other was the Argyle Place United Presbyterian Church. This church had been formed in April 1877.
The Building's Story
The building you see today was originally built for the Chalmers Memorial Church. It first opened its doors on December 6, 1866. The church is made of grey stone. It also features several beautiful pink granite pillars.
There were plans to add a tall steeple to the east side of the building. However, this steeple was never finished. The inside of the church has been updated many times over the years. A big update happened in the late 1960s. This was when the two churches, St. Catherine's and Argyle Place, officially joined.
A Change of Plans
When the churches first planned to unite, they had a different idea. They thought the current St. Catherine's building would become church halls. The Argyle Place church was meant to be the main place for worship.
However, a serious fire damaged the Argyle Place Church building. Because of this, the St. Catherine's building became the main church. It has been the center of worship ever since. Today, it is still a very active place. Many community groups use the building for various events.
Church Leadership
The church has had several leaders over the years. In April 2008, Reverend Victor Laidlaw retired. He had served the church and its community for 33 years. The current minister of St. Catherine's Argyle is Reverend Stuart Irvin.
