St Joseph's Church, Edinburgh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Joseph's Church
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Sighthill
Location	Broomhouse, Edinburgh
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	http://www.stjosephsbroomhouse.org.uk/
History
Founded	Easter Sunday 1950 (built 1953)
Dedication	Saint Joseph
Administration
Deanery	St Giles' City of Edinburgh
Archdiocese	St Andrews and Edinburgh

St Joseph's Church, also called St Joseph's Broomhouse, is a Roman Catholic church. It is located in Broomhouse, a part of western Edinburgh, Scotland. The church serves a large area. This area includes Broomhouse, Parkhead, Sighthill, and Gorgie.

Church History

Building a New Church

In 1878, the Catholic Church in Scotland was reorganized. At that time, Edinburgh had only five Catholic churches. As Edinburgh grew, more churches were needed. By the late 1800s, St Cuthbert's Church opened in Slateford. This helped people in the west of the city.

However, Edinburgh kept growing. Many Catholics had to walk long distances to attend Mass. This was before most people had cars or easy public transport. So, it was decided that a new church would be built. This new church would be even further west than St Cuthbert's.

Wartime and Early Days

Plans for the new church were put on hold during wartime. From 1942 to 1950, Mass was held at Murrayburn Primary School. Priests from St Cuthbert's took turns leading the services there.

The original plan was to build the church at Parkhead and Calder Road. But this idea changed. After much discussion, construction began at the current site in Broomhouse. The church was named after Saint Joseph. It officially opened on Easter Sunday in 1950. The main church building and the priest's house were finished in 1953.

The first priest for St Joseph's was Father Peter Higgins. He started in 1953. The current church building was actually meant to be temporary. It was planned to be the church hall. A bigger, purpose-built church was supposed to be designed later. This never happened. However, some building work did take place. A wall was added, and the priest's house was extended for visitors.

In 1970, a new church, St John Ogilvie's, opened in Wester Hailes. This changed the boundaries for St Joseph's parish. In 1977, St Joseph's parish took on the Stenhouse area. This area used to be part of St Cuthbert's parish.

The Augustinian Friars Arrive

In 1995, a group of priests called the Order of Saint Augustine took over St Joseph's Church. They had previously managed two other churches nearby. Father Kevin Lowry was the first Augustinian priest appointed. Later that year, Father John Reid became the parish priest. He stayed for 14 years, until September 2009. He was the longest-serving Augustinian priest at St Joseph's.

In 2000, the church celebrated its 50th birthday. A special stained glass window was installed to mark the occasion. This window was a gift from St David's Church, a neighboring church. It showed the good friendship and cooperation between the two churches. In 2001, a special event happened. A priest was ordained in the church for only the second time in its history.

A new church hall was built in 2005. This happened because some church land was used for new houses. The outside of the church was also renovated. A new entrance door and front porch were added. In 2016, the church hosted the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir. They performed a concert at St Joseph's Church during their tour. After Father John left in 2009, several different priests led the parish for a few years. In 2020, the Augustinians left the parish. The church is now managed by the Society of Saint Paul.

Working Together

In 2017, churches in the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh were grouped into "clusters." This helps them share resources and work together better. St Joseph's is part of Cluster 7. This cluster also includes St Cuthbert's, St John Ogilvie's, and Our Lady Mother of the Church.

There are plans for St Joseph's, Broomhouse, and St John Ogilvie's, Wester Hailes, to become one parish. Both church buildings will still remain open for services.

See also

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh
• Augustinian Province of England and Scotland