Anniversary Lecture

This lecture celebrates and commemorates the priests and communities who have sustained the Catholic faith in Blairgowrie for 175 years and in Alyth for 125 years. Yet, the story of Catholic culture in northern Perthshire leads us on a journey spanning 1500 years.
Beginning with the Irish missionaries St Columba (521-97 AD) and St Luan (520-92 AD), whose Celtic-Christian legacies were extended and refreshed by the extraordinary vibrant monastic networks flourishing from the twelfth century onwards, we examine some manuscript treasures from Coupar Angus but now in the Vatican Library. Moreover, we will shed new light on Alyth’s history, identifying it for the first time as the earliest known place of Christian worship in Perthshire.

Turning to post-Reformation times, we find determined clergy and steadfast families who kept faith’s flame alive during the Penal Times (1560-1829), often in secret and at profound personal cost in some of the most distinguished landed estates including Murthly and Stobhall.

Concluding with the twenty-first century contexts and characters keeping the Catholic tradition alive, this talk delights in sharing new findings reflecting Perthshire’s inspirational cultural and intellectual history. The talk affirms a colourful, vibrant tradition that has shaped Perthshire for generations, and is set to continue to do so.