Hidden Scottish Catholicism
Finding the House of God by Kirsten Schouwenaars-Harms.
A magnificent building will never rise if we reject the insignificant bricks.
St. Faustina
The Church is not a building, the Church is the Body of Christ. Wherever we might find ourselves we can seek God, we don’t need a building for that. However, a church building is the house of God, where He can be found in the Tabernacle and thus of great importance. Since the rise of Christianity in Scotland church buildings have been extensively built. However, with the reformation in the 16th century and the more recent process of secularisation and religious disaffiliation, many have fallen into disrepair and ruin and all but disappeared from the Scottish landscape. Others have been repurposed and made into restaurants, shops and houses. Furthermore, some that were built were never intended to be found by anyone not in the know. In this next instalment of the series rediscovering some of Scotland’s hidden Catholicism, I will uncover a few of these many, for one reason or another, hidden church buildings, that are to be found if we know where to look.
Spreading Christianity by proclaiming the Gospel (Mt 28:19-20) was never for the faint-hearted. Opposition from governmental and religious authorities was a constant threat. Early Christians faced public insults (Heb 10:33), were driven out of towns (Acts 17:10), and even stripped and beaten with whips and rods (2 Cor 11:25). The apostles and early missionaries faced rugged terrain, dangerous seas, rivers, and bandits (2 Cor 11:26). Imagine bringing the good news to what must have felt the end of the earth, on an inhospitable rock in the North Atlantic region. Orkney’s mainland features the Brough of Deerness with a Viking Age settlement set on the top of a sea stack roughly 30 meters high. In 1970 a 10th-century chapel, as well as about 30 other buildings, probably monk’s houses, were excavated pre-dating the arrival of the Vikings. I can only imagine the effort it took the men to build this house of God in this remote place. Much like the desert fathers 6 centuries before them, the remote location must have given them a real connection with God. As part of a nature reserve now, the ruined chapel, in its beautiful surroundings, can still be visited.
The rural ruined church is often seen as a class of folly, a whimsical reminder of a romanticised past.
However, not all history is ancient history, and not all ruined churches are particularly old. St Peter’s Seminary in Cardross was built in 1966, only serving Scotland for 14 years. The extraordinary modernist structure is these days mostly hidden away by nature in an area not far from Glasgow. When the building fell into disrepair it was eventually taken over by graffiti artists and pilgrims of the non-religious sort. However, there is no denying that this once served as a house of God and a place for those following the call to the priesthood. After it was decided that the location was not suitable for its intended purpose ownership was transferred to Kilmahew Education Trust. Thus, ruins can also be seen as a resource which can be appreciated and used by parishes and communities for their aesthetic, historical and educational value. A sense of attachment is often felt, and there is always a compelling story to tell. Even when no longer serving the Body of Christ as a place of worship or in this case to educate the clergy of the future, a visit to this interesting building can still remind us of its original purpose, and the role it has played in the lives of Catholics in Scotland.
We can find many church buildings that are no longer fit for their intended purpose. Dilapidated over time or destroyed during the Reformation. Others, when deconsecrated are being repurposed. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Vatican’s culture council, said that former places of worship must retain some spiritual, social or cultural value within the community and that every possible effort must be made to safeguard the church’s patrimony (The Southern Cross Website).
A good example of such a building is Mansfield Place Church in Edinburgh, a magnificent building that was completed in 1872. Unfortunately, in 1958 it was deconsecrated and left to decay. Since then, the building has been restored and is now the headquarters of the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations. It is sad to think that the house of God is no longer in use for its intended purpose. However, a lot of care has been taken not to cover up any of the previous glorious decorations, and restore much of it, to be used by a worthy cause. Many people bemoan the deconsecrating and breakdown of religious buildings, if it were not for organisations with a willingness to put in the effort, they could well fall into ruin completely. It may not be a building where God resides, but it is still a place that can be enjoyed, while, in the case of Mansfield Place Church, retaining social value.
Safeguarding the sanctity of the once-hallowed ground where believers prayed and worshipped can still be considered important. And while these churches described above have been hidden by time, nature or change of use, some churches were never meant to be found at all. In the Northeast of Scotland particularly, we can find several such churches. These were built after the reformation in an area that was protected from prosecution due to its remoteness and the many clan chiefs that stayed loyal to the Catholic faith.
A good example of this is St Ninians, in Moray. Built by the Laird of Tynet (St Peter’s Patrol Area Website), who was still worshipping in the old religion, as an addition to a small house. Like many of such churches, it was remote and disguised with the appearance of a sheep barn, intended to hide it from prying eyes and avoid persecution. This house of God was built in 1755, and because it is still in use for its original purpose it is classed as the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church built in Scotland since the Reformation. Situated down a farm track, even today you have to make sure not to miss the turn to this church, and the outside of the building still gives away very little of the simple beauty that can be found inside.
Another good example of a hidden church is the old seminary of Scalan in the Braes of Glenlivet in Aberdeenshire. Built to look like a house in 1717 it was created to help solve the problem of the enormous lack of Catholic priests, while later in its life it was also used as a church for local Catholics to worship. During its time about 100 future priests were educated at Scalan, with most of them completing their course abroad. But those who received their full training and were ordained at Scalan were lovingly named the Heather Priests (The Story of Scalan Website), on account of the heathery sloped moors in which the former seminary can still be found today. There is an annual mass, which is normally celebrated outdoors as the tiny chapel will not hold the numbers that generally attend the wonderful event.
Churches can sometimes be difficult to find due to the passing of time, nature taking over, or deconsecration. But when putting in the effort these places can be of great value. As Pope Francis asserts; “Ecclesiastical cultural assets are witnesses to the faith of the community that has produced them over the centuries, and for this reason they are in their own way instruments of evangelization that accompany the usual tools of proclamation, preaching and catechesis” (Message of the Holy Father Francis to Participants at the Conference” Doesn’t God Dwell Here Anymore”, 2018). Next time you discover a church that could be considered hidden, try to picture the people who worshipped in these houses of God through the ages. They all had their own stories, their own prayers, and their own relationship with our Lord. Ultimately it this that binds us all together, as we all still make up the Body of Christ. Regardless of the location or state of the church building.
By Kirsten Schouwenaars-Harms.
Have a look at part one in this series if you haven’t already read it.
Bibliography
[NB: Scriptural passages quoted according to the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition]
Pope Francis, (2018), Message of the Holy Father Francis to Participants at the Conference” Doesn’t God Dwell Here Anymore”, <https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/pont-messages/2018/documents/papa-francesco_20181129_messaggio-convegno-beniculturali.html>
Southern Cross, (2018), What Happens to deconsecrated Churches, <https://www.scross.co.za/2018/07/what-happens-to-deconsecrated-churches/>
St Peter’s Pastoral Area, History of St Ninian’s, <https://www.stpeters-pa.org.uk/pa/st-ninians-tynet/history-of-st-ninians/>
Watts, J., (1995), The Story of Scalan, <https://www.scalan.co.uk/storyofscalan.htm>
Image: St Peters Seminary Cardross
Moving into November is an excellent time to reconnect with your local Saints. In this month we have St Devenick and St Machar, both closely related to the North East. We also have a good example of the difficulties of asserting the claims and historicity of our Saints with the curious St Murdebar/Englat. At the end of the month we of course have St Andrew our Patron Saint. Have a look at our link below to find out more.