 |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
| IRVINE NEW TOWN Irvine had also been developing as a New Town, so that St. Mary's Catholic population was then 3,000. Many of the new parishioners lived in Castlepark. From 3 October, 1971, therefore, Redburn School was used as a Mass centre on Sundays. From 24 October however Castlepark School was found to be more convenient. Since such an arrangement was only temporary and a new church building fund was started. To try to raise money, garden fetes, bazaars and jumble sales were organised by the Parish Council with most generous help from a Sewing Group meeting in Williamfield convent. Money was needed for St. Mary's too, as in 1972 a new floor was put in the hall (the ‘Dyke’), new curtains were hung and the walls were painted. In 1974 the presbytery was extended to provide additional callrooms and accommodation for the housekeeper was much improved. In 1973 a piece of land was purchased in Castlepark for the future church and in 1974 the construction of the chapel-house was started. |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| John Strawhorn, in his book, "The History of Irvine" (ISBN: 0 85976 140 1), records that…
'St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, under Father Thomas Murphy since 1966, was joined by St. Margaret's Oratory in Castlepark (1976) under Father Francis Moore, and a new parish of St. John Ogilvie Church at Bourtreehill. Each of these new congregations had over a thousand adherents of all ages, leaving St. Mary's with 2,200. The Sisters ofthe Cross and Passion, devoted to teaching and social work, moved in 1982 from Williamfield to Girdle Toll. ' |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
