Church Overview

The foundation stone of this little chapel was laid by the parish priest Rev William Wallace in a public ceremony on the 1st June 1843 and it was formally opened on Wednesday 29th May 1844, following its consecration and dedication to St Mary and St David by the Right Rev Dr James Gillis, future Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

Built by local contractors Messrs Reid and Michie with seating for 400, this was the first Catholic church built in the area since the Scottish Reformation. Primarily funded by Charles Stewart, 8th Earl of Traquair, it was established to serve a growing number of Irish immigrants and labourers settling in the Scottish Borders during the 19th century industrial boom.

The side chapel was built 1879, increasing the overall seating to 500 and the north gable of the church building was remodelled in the 1960s. A stained glass window was installed in 1896, in memory of Monsignor Taggart, who had been a local parish priest for almost half a century at the time of his death. The organ was refurbished in 1914 and a war memorial in the form of a Pieta erected in 1920, commemorating the 25 members of the congregation who have given their lives in the Great War and an altar raised by the parents of Martin Boles, in memory of a son who had fallen in action the month before the war ended.

Prior to his elevation to Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and then Cardinal of Catholic Church, the Most Rev Gordon Joseph Gray was the parish priest at St Mary’s and St David’s, authoring a history of the building for its centenary celebrations in May 1944, an event attended by the man he would eventually succeed, Archbishop Andrew Joseph McDonald. During this event the Archbishop described the building both as the “mother church” and the “queen of the churches and congregations” in the Scottish Borders.

Services

The church is closed currently and its congregation are meeting for services in St Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church.

Opening Arrangements

Contact church directly to arrange access.

Disclaimer

The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.