Christ
the King & Sacred Heart
Parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, a Charity registered in Scotland—number SC008540
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CANON WELSH WAS PARISH
PRIEST IN GRANGEMOUTH FROM 1913—1934 THE SACRED HEART CHURCH WAS OPENED ON 21ST MAY 1927 The first person to be baptised in the church was Margaret Russell in June 1927. Elizabeth Allison and James Murphy were baptised that same year. The first marriage was John McKenna and Margaret Mullane on 12 September. The statue of the Sacred Heart was donated to commemorate the fallen heroes of the 1914-18 war and was erected 27th August 1927. |
The first ever Mass
celebrated in the Sacred Heart Parish was on Sunday 27th October 1889 in a
rented hall from Falkirk.
It was in 1909 that the parish had its first resident priest, Reverend Patrick
Birnie.
A building was dedicated to the Sacred Heart and was opened in 1897.
This building held 200 people.
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size. Click back button to return to this page
 Kerse Road |
 Inside Kerse Road |
Kerse Road had its first mention in 1907. The building in Kerse Road served
both as a church on Sunday and a school during the week. In this time, Reverend
John Foley, Reverend Thomas Gillon in 1913 and Reverend Walter Welsh in 1918
served the Parish. The number of children attending the school was between
80 and 100.
In 1925 the building of a new church began. The foundation stone being blessed
and placed by His Lordship Henry Graham, auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese
of St Andrew's and Edinburgh on the 29th November 1925. The new building was
situated on the corner of Dalratho Road and Drummond Place.
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Then on Saturday 21st May 1927 the new church was officially opened by Bishop
Graham. Archbishop Gordon Joseph Gray consecrated the church on Wednesday
23rd November 1955. Sometime between these to dates the stained glass window
depicting the baptism of Our Lord by John the Baptist and the appearance of
Our Lord to St Margaret Mary were put into the church.
Over the years there have been other changes made to the interior of the church.
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The altar was lowered from its original site and brought forward to the centre
of the sanctuary. There was a large white sandstone reredos with a figure
of Christ on it erected. But this collapsed when the altar was being moved.
The altar railing were removed, sections being used to close off Our Lady's
and St Joseph's shrine and others used to make kneelers for the altar servers.
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Cannon Antony donating the crucifix to Blair College. Picture supplied by Pat Gourlay
The large crucifix became unsuitable
and is now housed in Blair College, Aberdeen. Heating system changed, carpets
laid and sound system installed.
During the years the Parish has seen the ordination of the following Reverend
Thomas McLaughlin in 1937, Very Reverend John Canon McNay in 1938, Very Reverend
Daniel Canon Boyle 1940, Reverend William Henery in 1948, Reverend John Tweedie
in 1949 and Father Kenneth Owens in 1989.
Also the Sacred Heart Parish has been served by the following priests:-
| Reverend | Ordained | Served | Died |
| Patrick Birnie | 1893 | 1901 - 1908 | 1950 |
| John Foley | 1882 | 1908 - 1913 | 1946 |
| Thomas Gillon | 1902 | 1913 - 1918 | 1942 |
| Walter Welsh | 1912 | 1918 - 1938 | 1952 |
| John Ward DD | 1927 | 1938 - 1943 | 1977 |
| Dolty Ward | 1930 | 1943 - 1972 | 1976 |
| John McGeown | 1938 | 1972 - 1979 | 1986 |
| Cannon William Anthony | 1960 | 1979 - 1989 | 2006 |
Father Joseph McMahon, Ordained in 1960 and served from 1989 to 2000.
Father Leo Glancy, Ordained in 1963, has been serving the parish of Sacred
Heart since 2000.
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Pictures & Information supplied by Frank Boyle
In the first picture the priest is Canon Welsh then clockwise from him the altar boys are Jimmy Crampsey,Willie Henery,Danny Boyle,George O'Docherty, unknown and Tom McLaughlin.Three of these altarboys,Danny Boyle, Tom McLaughlin and William Henery became priests.
There
is also a lovely letter from the late Cannon
Daniel J Boyle to his mother. He wrote the letter to his mother when he was
11 and had just left to go to Blairs College.
If the picture of the letter loads
to small to read, just hold your mouse cursor over it and an icon of a magnifying
glass should appear, click the picture and it should enlarge.