That the Parliament recognises the 150th anniversary of St Joseph’s RC Church, Wilkies Lane, Dundee; understands that the church, in the Blackness area of Dundee, is within the Diocese of Dunkeld; notes that St Joseph’s opened to the people of Dundee on 18 January 1874 as the second Roman Catholic church in the city; recognises Father McGinnis, parish priest in 1874, for his work alongside architects, builders, town and church authorities and, it understands, generous donors, including, notably, Marie Bell Dewar, and their vision to turn the site into a place of worship and outreach for the community; further recognises the religious orders who, it understands, have worked in St Joseph’s parish, including The Sisters of Mercy, Marist Brothers and, more recently, the Immaculate Heart Sisters; understands that the 150th anniversary celebration Mass was presided over by the Diocesan administrator, Canon Kevin Golden and parish priest Father Greg Murphy, with Haydn’s Mass of Saint Nicholas performed by an orchestra and the Cecilian Choir; applauds what it sees as the immense contribution that the Catholic community has made to Dundee and Scotland; thanks the parishioners for the comfort and service that it considers they have given to the Blackness community over the years, including the work of the St Vincent de Paul society, Justice and Peace Scotland, and support for the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) international aid programmes, and looks forward to the planned year-long programme of events in celebration of this joyous anniversary.
Supported by:
Alasdair Allan, Jackie Baillie, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Sarah Boyack, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Donald Cameron, Willie Coffey, Sharon Dowey, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Annabelle Ewing, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Fulton MacGregor, Stuart McMillan, Paul O'Kane, Alex Rowley, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Tess White