St. Mary’s R.C. Church

NS 6653 7038; NS 8536 7300

 Roman Catholic Chapel, Slamannan

TIMELINE

1881: Mass said in a private house in Slamannan.

1883: Ground purchased for a chapel.

1885: Church building completed at Barnsmuir near the Black Loch, named St. Mary’s, to serve the mining community which had arisen in that area.  Designed by George Fortune of Duns.   Opened on 11th October, the chapel-school could accommodate 400 for mass or 180 children.

1888: Slamannan became a separate charge.

1923: Charge entrusted to Longriggend.

1930: Charge returned to Falkirk.

1939: Slamannan became a separate charge again.

 1959-1960:  New church built in Bank Street, it is a low structure with white rendered walls carrying angled buttresses to support a low-pitched felted roof.  The south gable fronts Bank Street and contains the double-door entrance over which was a simple belfry.  Cost £4,600.

1968: The building was badly burnt in an arson attack.

1970s: Mass also said in Avonbridge Welfare Hall on Sundays.

1989: Church closed.

2003: Occasional masses held.

2010: Church sold.

MANSE

1958: 15 Binniehill Road used as manse.

1960: Built on the same plot as the new church, to its north-east.

SEATING

1960: To seat 128.

CHURCHYARD

None.

PRIESTS OF ST. MARY’S  RC CHURCH
1885	Mackenzie, C.C. (St. Francis Xavier)	1887
	Mullen, George	Nov 1889
	O’ Carrall, Thomas	1895
1895	Mason, George	1898
1898	McOscar, James	1903
1903	O’Brian, Francis	Dec 1906
1907	McDonald, James	Sep 1912
1912	Hart, Dominic	1913
1913	Burns, Peter John	1914
1914	Rattrie, Robert J
	Delaney, Richard	May 1919
1919	Morrison, Edward	1923
1923 –1929	Served by the priest at Longrigend
1931 –1940	Served by the priest at Falkirk.
Feb 1940	McGloin, Patrick	Apr 1940
Apr 1940	O’Leary, Patrick	1943
1943	McGeown, John	1947
	McCallum, John
1955	O’Donnell, Bernard G	1962
1962	Jackson, Michael
	Gallacher, Peter	1968
1968	Neilson, Angus	1969
1969	Foley, Daniel
	McAllister

Geoff B. Bailey (2016)