St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Linlithgow facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Linlithgow, Scotland.

St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Linlithgow, Scotland. Location in Scotland
55°58′43″N 3°35′41″W / 55.97861°N 3.59472°W / 55.97861; -3.59472
Location	Linlithgow
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	1850 (1850)
Dedicated	1893
Architecture
Architect(s)	Peter Paul Pugin
Style	Gothic Revival style
Completed	1893
Administration
Parish	St. Michael's
Deanery	Linlithgow
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh

St Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Linlithgow is an important church in the historic town of Linlithgow, Scotland. You can find it at the east end of the town, close to Linlithgow Loch. It's also near the old Linlithgow Palace, where Mary Queen of Scots was born. Right next to the palace is another church, St Michael's Parish Church. This was the original Catholic church in the area before a big change called the Reformation. This article will tell you about the history of the Catholic Church in Linlithgow, from its very beginnings until now.

History of the Church
See also

History of the Church

Early Catholic Roots

The town of Linlithgow has a long connection with the Catholic faith in Scotland. Even though the current St Michael's Church has been by Linlithgow Loch for just over a century, the name St Michael has been linked to Linlithgow since the 1200s.

The original St Michael's Parish Church is in the town centre, next to the ruins of Linlithgow Palace. This church was very important to the Scottish kings and queens, especially Mary, Queen of Scots. She was born in Linlithgow Palace in late 1542 and was baptised in St Michael's Church.

Old records from 1138 show that St Michael's Church was already quite large and important. It was even called a "mother church" because it was so influential. This was long before 1242, when Bishop David de Bernham officially dedicated the church. The building itself shows how powerful the Roman Catholic Church was before the Reformation.

The Reformation and Changes

By the 1500s, many people wanted to change the Church. Some, like the Linlithgow priest Ninian Winzet, wanted to fix problems within the Church. Others, like John Knox, wanted much bigger changes. Knox's followers even damaged churches, including St Michael's in Linlithgow. This time was full of strong feelings, and it led to big changes in how people worshipped across Scotland.

Catholic worship at St Michael's Church ended in 1561. The Catholic priest, Patrick Frenche, was replaced by a Protestant minister. It's believed that Patrick Frenche and Ninian Winzet had to leave the country. After the Reformation, it was very hard for Catholics. A law in 1567 made it illegal to say or attend Catholic Mass. Because of this, there are not many records of how Catholics worshipped in secret. We know that travelling priests visited the town, but not much was written down until much later.

A New Beginning for Catholics

Around the mid-1800s, many Irish Catholic families came to Scotland because of a terrible famine in Ireland. Many of them worked on farms around Linlithgow. Later, the shale oil industry grew in West Lothian, which brought even more Catholic families to the town. This led to a need for a permanent Catholic church.

Interior of St Michael's Catholic Church in Linlithgow.

Building the Current Church

The St Michael's Church you see today was designed by Peter Paul Pugin, a famous architect. It's built in the Gothic Revival style, which means it looks like older Gothic churches. The church was officially dedicated in 1893. However, the Catholic community in Linlithgow was so eager for their own church that the first Mass was held in the partly finished building on Valentine's Day in 1888.

In the late 1800s, the many Irish workers who came to Linlithgow for jobs in the oil shale industry wanted a permanent place to worship. They asked the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh for help. As a result, the first resident Catholic priest in about 300 years, Father Andrew Smith, was appointed. He quickly helped them. At first, Mass was held on Sundays in a tannery building. Later, they found a better place called the Baird Hall, but the parishioners still wanted their own church building.

Building a new church was very expensive, and the workers had little money. But they started saving. Then, Father John M. Murphy was appointed. He was a great help because he had trained as a stonemason before becoming a priest. He understood his parishioners' needs and decided to hold a big fundraising event to build a church dedicated to Mary Queen of Scots.

Less than a year after he arrived, Father Murphy, with the help of young men from the parish, started building the church himself. The Archbishop laid the foundation stone in 1887. On that day, it was decided to change the parish name from St Joseph's to St Michael's. The church would be dedicated to St Michael, but still in memory of Mary Queen of Scots. It is the only church in Scotland dedicated in this way.

A few months later, the church officially opened. The parts that were not finished were bricked up until more money was available. The community then decided to build a school next to the church. St Joseph's school opened on 1 July 1889. It later moved to Preston Road in 1964.

Father Easson took over from Father Murphy as parish priest, and the church building continued to grow. Plans to double the church's size were made. The Archbishop celebrated a special Mass in June 1894.

St Michael's in the 20th Century

St Michael's continued to grow in the early 1900s, even though times were hard for many families. The First World War and the Great Depression affected many people in the Linlithgow area. The demand for shale oil dropped, and many families had little or no income.

In 1938, the parish celebrated 50 years since the church's foundation stone was laid. Soon after, the Second World War began, and many men left to join the armed forces. In 1946, the church celebrated the blessing of its main altar.

In 1940, Father Michael McGovern became the parish priest. He worked tirelessly for 40 years and achieved many great things. He helped develop tennis courts and the Queen Margaret Hall. Another important project was the Laetare International Youth Centre, which he opened in 1942. During the war, this centre housed Polish soldiers. While they were in Linlithgow, they built a shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which still stands in the church grounds today.

The number of people in the church community kept growing in the later part of the 20th century. Linlithgow became a popular town for people commuting to Glasgow and Edinburgh. New industries also developed in West Lothian. During this time, the parish was served by Canon Hugh Gordon and Father James Ferrari. Father Ferrari was the parish priest when the church celebrated its 100th anniversary. After he retired, Father Pat Boylan became priest, followed by Father Paul Kelly in June 2009.

Catholic Education in Linlithgow

Along with providing church services, there was a need to offer Catholic education to children in Linlithgow and the surrounding areas. At first, the Sisters of Mercy helped with this. In the 1800s, the parish was dedicated to St Joseph, so the school was named St Joseph's. This name is still used today.

Classes were first held in the Baird Hall. Catholic students from nearby villages would walk to school every day. In the 1880s, professional teachers took over. There were two teachers for 150 students at first. The first St Joseph's school building was finished in 1892 and was located on the church grounds.

Providing education was challenging because children often had to work on farms. Health problems in the town also caused issues, and the school sometimes had to close temporarily due to infectious diseases.

Before the end of World War 1, St Joseph's, like other Catholic schools, was not part of the government's school system. This changed with the Education Act of 1918. The school continued to do well throughout the early 1900s.

By 1949, the school had so many students that there wasn't enough space. Some classes had to be held in different buildings around town. At this time, the school taught both primary and junior secondary students. Students who were very good at academics went to St Mary's in Bathgate. In 1955, the Junior Secondary School moved to a new building in Bo'ness. However, this didn't solve all the space problems, so the authorities agreed to build a new St Joseph's Primary School. In 1963, the current St Joseph's school on Preston Road opened. With some improvements in the 1990s, it is still a thriving school today.

In the late 1970s, when new regional councils were formed and comprehensive education was introduced, the link with Bo'ness for junior secondary education ended. All secondary students then went to St Mary's in Bathgate. In the mid-1990s, St Mary's closed to make way for a new secondary school in Livingston. Linlithgow students then started going to St Kentigern's in Blackburn.

Today, teachers from both St Joseph's and St Kentigern's work closely with the local priest and parents. Together, they provide a strong Catholic education for the children of the parish.