St Gregory's Church, Preshome facts for kids
St. Gregory's Church is a special Roman Catholic church located in Preshome, a small place near Buckie in north-east Scotland. This church is very important, so it is protected as a Category A listed building. This means it's a historic building that needs to be preserved because of its unique history and architecture.
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A Church Built for Faith
St. Gregory's Church was built in 1788. This was a very important time for Catholics in Scotland. Before this, for over 200 years, Catholics were not allowed to build churches openly. This rule started after the Scottish Reformation in 1560, a big change in religion in Scotland. For a long time, Catholic worship had to happen secretly in people's homes or in hidden churches.
The First Open Catholic Church
St. Gregory's was the very first church building that Catholics could openly build in Scotland since the Reformation. There was another Catholic church nearby, St Ninian's, built in 1755. But St. Ninian's was designed to look like a simple cottage, so it wouldn't draw attention. St. Gregory's, however, was built to be seen and admired.
The Church's Unique Design
The people who designed St. Gregory's Church wanted it to show how proud Catholics were of their faith. That's why the church has a very fancy and beautiful front, called a façade. This design is in the Italian Baroque style. It looks very different from other buildings in Scotland, which makes it stand out and clearly show it's a Catholic church.
Special Architectural Details
The front of the church has a triangular top part called a pedimented gable. On top of this, there are decorative pots called classical urn finials. You can also see the Latin words "DEO 1788" carved there. "DEO" means "to God," and 1788 is the year the church was built. Many people believe that Father John Reid designed the church. Later, Peter Paul Pugin added more details to its design.
Inside St. Gregory's
Inside the church, there is a beautiful screen behind the altar called a reredos. This screen holds a painting of St Gregory. This painting was created by a famous artist named Caracci. It was a special gift from the Earl of Findlater.
Images for kids
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St. Gregory's Church, Preshome
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