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A wooden structure built on the present site,
by Fr. Ed Noonan, the founder of the Parish in 1873. Fr. Noonan's remains lie in the crypt of our mother parish of St. Mary's, Calton.
by Fr. Ed Noonan, the founder of the Parish in 1873. Fr. Noonan's remains lie in the crypt of our mother parish of St. Mary's, Calton.
Reflections on the history of our parish form 1954
On 29th May, 1910 Solemn High Mass was sung in the presence of His Grace, the Archbishop of Glasgow, by the Rev. Fr. Currie of St. Annes, with Fr. Nolan of Sacred Heart as Deacon and Fr.Kennedy of Sacred Heart as Sub-Deacon. Dr. Laydon acted as Master of Ceremonies. The preacher was Fr. Placid Conway, O.P. Incidentally, the preacher at the opening of the old Church in 1873 was the famous Fr. Tom Burke, O.P.
The High Altar in the Church (still the same to-day) is the one that was in the old Church and is a Memorial to the first Parish Priest, Fr. Noonan. As to-day, the Choir was composed of boys who then sang under the direction of Mr. T. Farrell.
The Assistants Priests at the Throne were Mgr. Mackintosh, Canons Hughes and McCluskey and the M.C. at the throne was Fr. Stewart of St. Charles. Among the distinguished clerics present were Canons McBrearty, J. Ritchie, McCarthy, Taylor, Reilly, Montgomery, De Backer, Geo. Ritchie and Toner, Dean McNairney of Partick and Fr. Peter, O.F.M.
The Church is built of Ayrshire Stone and it is in the early Christian style. It is 150 feet long and 60 feet wide. There are l2 columns of marble. The Sanctuary was built entirely in Greek Skyros Marble and the pulpit was built according to Italian custom hanging from the wall. The architect was Mr. C. J. Menart.
The Mission of the Sacred Heart, Bridgeton, was formed in 1873. The Church was erected mainly through the exertions of the late Father Noonan, who was the first incumbent; and it was he himself who performed the opening ceremony, celebrating the first Mass and preaching the opening sermon. A more formal opening took place some time afterwards, at which the preacher was Father Tom Burke, the celebrated Dominican.
Previous to this time, Bridgeton formed part of St. Marys Parish, and there Father Noonan had spent many years as assistant priest to the late venerable Father Peter Forbes, having while there the district of Bridgeton as his particular charge.
The story of the Catholic Church in Bridgeton goes back, however, to a much further time than 1873. After the Reformation the first impetus the little Catholic community in Glasgow received was due to an influx of Catholics from the Highlands towards the end of the eighteenth century. These poor people, chiefly Macdonalds from Glengarry, driven from their homes, were tempted to Glasgow by the chance of obtaining employment in the then rapidly growing cotton industry. Many of them found employment in the establishment of Messrs. Monteith, in Bridgeton, which was then a small country village surrounded by green fields and separated from Glasgow by the intervening village of Calton. Owing to their religion and their ignorance of the English language, the Macdonalds had the feelings of strangers and naturally lived in proximity to each other; and thus the district became to be known to the other inhabitants as Glengarry. The Macdonalds have long since disappeared, but it is interesting to know that the place associated with the first Catholics of Bridgeton retained until a very recent period the name of Glengarry.
The High Altar in the Church (still the same to-day) is the one that was in the old Church and is a Memorial to the first Parish Priest, Fr. Noonan. As to-day, the Choir was composed of boys who then sang under the direction of Mr. T. Farrell.
The Assistants Priests at the Throne were Mgr. Mackintosh, Canons Hughes and McCluskey and the M.C. at the throne was Fr. Stewart of St. Charles. Among the distinguished clerics present were Canons McBrearty, J. Ritchie, McCarthy, Taylor, Reilly, Montgomery, De Backer, Geo. Ritchie and Toner, Dean McNairney of Partick and Fr. Peter, O.F.M.
The Church is built of Ayrshire Stone and it is in the early Christian style. It is 150 feet long and 60 feet wide. There are l2 columns of marble. The Sanctuary was built entirely in Greek Skyros Marble and the pulpit was built according to Italian custom hanging from the wall. The architect was Mr. C. J. Menart.
The Mission of the Sacred Heart, Bridgeton, was formed in 1873. The Church was erected mainly through the exertions of the late Father Noonan, who was the first incumbent; and it was he himself who performed the opening ceremony, celebrating the first Mass and preaching the opening sermon. A more formal opening took place some time afterwards, at which the preacher was Father Tom Burke, the celebrated Dominican.
Previous to this time, Bridgeton formed part of St. Marys Parish, and there Father Noonan had spent many years as assistant priest to the late venerable Father Peter Forbes, having while there the district of Bridgeton as his particular charge.
The story of the Catholic Church in Bridgeton goes back, however, to a much further time than 1873. After the Reformation the first impetus the little Catholic community in Glasgow received was due to an influx of Catholics from the Highlands towards the end of the eighteenth century. These poor people, chiefly Macdonalds from Glengarry, driven from their homes, were tempted to Glasgow by the chance of obtaining employment in the then rapidly growing cotton industry. Many of them found employment in the establishment of Messrs. Monteith, in Bridgeton, which was then a small country village surrounded by green fields and separated from Glasgow by the intervening village of Calton. Owing to their religion and their ignorance of the English language, the Macdonalds had the feelings of strangers and naturally lived in proximity to each other; and thus the district became to be known to the other inhabitants as Glengarry. The Macdonalds have long since disappeared, but it is interesting to know that the place associated with the first Catholics of Bridgeton retained until a very recent period the name of Glengarry.
Opened in 1910 - The picture below shows Canon Michael Hughes,
Parish priest at the opening of the new Church.
Parish priest at the opening of the new Church.
SOME REFLECTIONS BY BROTHER NINIAN (former Headmaster of Sacred Heart Boys's School)
The Crucifix on the front panel of pulpit.
In the First Great War, 1914-1918, some soldiers were digging trenches at the front, when they found a number of articles presumably stolen from a Catholic Church. One of them dug up this Crucifix and knowing his companions were all Protestants he quietly concealed it. For safety, he sewed it inside the breast of his tunic. Soon after he found himself in a front line trench. Going over the top he was struck by a bullet, which knocked him over. Strange to relate he could find no wound. Opening his tunic he found that the bullet had struck the feet of Our Lord and glanced off. (The mark was very distinct on the metal). Needless to say, he made an act of thanksgiving and resolved to bring the Crucifix home. He kept it very carefully. Later he began to be troubled about it and he thought the best thing he could do was to restore it to the Church. So one day he came to me in the School and after explaining the history of it, asked me if I would accept it. Well, I promised him to bring it to our dear Canon Hughes (RIP.) and after a consultation about it and where it should be placed, it was blessed and put on the main panel of the pulpit.
High up on either side of the Church are pictures of the four Evangelists. These were presented by various Societies in the Parish one of them by the Boys Guild.
There was a place for another of these pictures in the Sanctuary and the Canon could not make up his mind what Saint to put there. At my suggestion he put in St. Michael, his own patron Saint, and so the founder of the new Church is represented.
The Lady Altar and Sacred Heart alters had pictures, not statues, at the beginning. The Lady Altar was copied from an Altar in Rome, which the Canon admired.
The Stations of the Cross were painted on copper plates to resist dampness.
The High Altar is a Memorial to the Rev. Father Noonan, the first PP. of Sacred Heart Parish. It was first erected in the old wooden Church standing practically on the same site as the new one. It was a beautiful Gothic Altar largely of Caen stone, with a good deal of marble for pillars, etc. It rose over the tabernacle to a great height with a wealth of marble pillars and ornaments. On account of the roof of the old Church being too low, it was never completed. When the new Church was opened the architect, Mr. Menart, a Belgian, wished to have it made suitable to his architecture, Roman-Norman, and it was modified. All the top part was removed and the throne was now placed (liturgically) at the back. Two marble pillars were built to carry a baldachino of oak and so complete the idea.
Monsignor Mullins encouraged the parishioners to contribute towards a Memorial for those who fell in the two wars. This takes the form of a beautiful stained glass window which has been erected in the side Chapel in honour of the Sacred Heart. It depicts the apparition of Our Divine Lord to St. Margaret Mary when the Promises about His Sacred Heart were made. It took some time to execute and cost 1000GBP.
In the First Great War, 1914-1918, some soldiers were digging trenches at the front, when they found a number of articles presumably stolen from a Catholic Church. One of them dug up this Crucifix and knowing his companions were all Protestants he quietly concealed it. For safety, he sewed it inside the breast of his tunic. Soon after he found himself in a front line trench. Going over the top he was struck by a bullet, which knocked him over. Strange to relate he could find no wound. Opening his tunic he found that the bullet had struck the feet of Our Lord and glanced off. (The mark was very distinct on the metal). Needless to say, he made an act of thanksgiving and resolved to bring the Crucifix home. He kept it very carefully. Later he began to be troubled about it and he thought the best thing he could do was to restore it to the Church. So one day he came to me in the School and after explaining the history of it, asked me if I would accept it. Well, I promised him to bring it to our dear Canon Hughes (RIP.) and after a consultation about it and where it should be placed, it was blessed and put on the main panel of the pulpit.
High up on either side of the Church are pictures of the four Evangelists. These were presented by various Societies in the Parish one of them by the Boys Guild.
There was a place for another of these pictures in the Sanctuary and the Canon could not make up his mind what Saint to put there. At my suggestion he put in St. Michael, his own patron Saint, and so the founder of the new Church is represented.
The Lady Altar and Sacred Heart alters had pictures, not statues, at the beginning. The Lady Altar was copied from an Altar in Rome, which the Canon admired.
The Stations of the Cross were painted on copper plates to resist dampness.
The High Altar is a Memorial to the Rev. Father Noonan, the first PP. of Sacred Heart Parish. It was first erected in the old wooden Church standing practically on the same site as the new one. It was a beautiful Gothic Altar largely of Caen stone, with a good deal of marble for pillars, etc. It rose over the tabernacle to a great height with a wealth of marble pillars and ornaments. On account of the roof of the old Church being too low, it was never completed. When the new Church was opened the architect, Mr. Menart, a Belgian, wished to have it made suitable to his architecture, Roman-Norman, and it was modified. All the top part was removed and the throne was now placed (liturgically) at the back. Two marble pillars were built to carry a baldachino of oak and so complete the idea.
Monsignor Mullins encouraged the parishioners to contribute towards a Memorial for those who fell in the two wars. This takes the form of a beautiful stained glass window which has been erected in the side Chapel in honour of the Sacred Heart. It depicts the apparition of Our Divine Lord to St. Margaret Mary when the Promises about His Sacred Heart were made. It took some time to execute and cost 1000GBP.
The Church is one of two, built in 1910 in Glasgow.
By the Belgian architect, Charles Mennant.
(The other being St Aloysius, Garnethill)
and is a grade A listed building,
which means it is of local and National architectural importance.
The exterior of the building contains three statues.
The centre one being of Our Lord
flanked by St. Andrew
Patron of Scotland,
and St. Patrick
Apostle of Ireland.
By the Belgian architect, Charles Mennant.
(The other being St Aloysius, Garnethill)
and is a grade A listed building,
which means it is of local and National architectural importance.
The exterior of the building contains three statues.
The centre one being of Our Lord
flanked by St. Andrew
Patron of Scotland,
and St. Patrick
Apostle of Ireland.
Picture above is St Mary's Abercromby Street founded in 1845 and the second Catholic church to be built after the reformation in Glasgow. St. Mary's is our mother parish.
Thank You For Visiting Sacred Heart's Website, God Bless.