The Church:
A London architect, William Wardell (1823-1899), was entrusted with the design of the church. Smith of Darnick was chosen for the construction of random rubble and sandstone dressings. The church is constructed in whinstone which is a hard and compact rock and the stones are cut square and left with a relatively rough face. The steep roofs are of Cumbrian slate, and an earlier manse is linked to the north side. The side chapels are copper roofed.
Its general plan is based on that of the old church of the Franciscans at Bruges in Belgium and is of the simplest form, a vast parallelogram measuring one hundred and twenty five feet long by thirty five feet wide and seventy feet at its apex.
William Wardell had not fully completed the original designs of the church when he took up the position of chief architect to the Australian Government. His successor, George Goldie, architect and specialist in interior design, assumed responsibility for the remainder of the work. In 1873, at the official opening of the church, it was noted that a large a congregation could not easily be accommodated, and thus enlargement of the church was considered essential. This extension included two bays, side altars, organ loft and the principle facade on the west gable, as well as the many internal fittings. Messrs. Hall of Galashiels were the builders and contractors for the extended church. Pugin's designs were again used for the beautiful sculptures in the church and Mr. Earp of London erected the High Altar and the Lady Chapel.
The pulpit, altar rails and altar of St. Patrick were the work of the sculptor Andrew Currie of Darnick. The current church building was finally completed in 1876.
The Main Body Of The Church
The massive buttresses required to support the force of such a large roof, rather than being built on the outside of the church were brought within the walls of the building, as at King's College Cambridge. They thus formed a series of recesses, which open into the body of the church through lower arches. These serve as side chapels, confessionals and vestry.
The building has a high roof, which is out of proportion to its length. Externally, there are seven bays along the length of the building, defined by great buttresses with pedimented heads, and internally, by the great arched principals of the great timber roof. In each bay is a trefoil window of rich and diversified tracery in the decorated style of 14th century Gothic architecture.
The interior contains pointed arcades, decorative carving, painted and stenciled walls and an open timber ceiling. On entering the church and looking towards the High Altar with its lofty spire one can see two large stained glass windows surmounted by a spherical window, which has a representation of the Crucifixion as its central light. The centre light of the window on the Gospel side, representing the Sacred Heart, was executed in 1871. The side light represents the apparitions to Blessed Margaret Mary, in which she saw our Blessed Lady pointing to the Sacred Heart in Our Lords side. The two figures of St Francis of Sales and Father de la Colombiere S.J. are introduced below, and in medallions above are St. Andrew and St. James. This window was solemnly opened on October 17th 1886.
The companion window on the Epistle side was blessed on June 19th 1887. Its central light, representing the Immaculate Heart of Mary, had been located previously, and to it were now added figures of St. Joseph, St. Anne, St John the Evangelist and St. Monica. In the medallions above are St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Charles Borromeo. The saints selected for the medallions were respectively the patron of Scotland and of Mr. James Hope Scott and his wife Charlotte, benefactors of the church. The work on these windows was carried out by Mr. Barnett of Leith.
There are seven side altars and nine statues in the church. Beginning from the right hand side of the church (Epistle side) the statue to the side of the main door is of Our Lady of Sorrows. Directly in front on the facing column is a small bust and plaque to Mr. Hope Scott, patron and benefactor of this church. (Please refer to page 7 for the inscription)
The first altar on the Epistle side is to St. Joseph and has a fine statue of the saint on the altar. There is a tablet on the column to
Father John Pittar S.J. who died in the parish on the 24th July 1889 aged 52. Father Pittar is buried in the Eastland Cemetery, Galashiels.
Second Altar
Our Lady of Lourdes is the next altar on this side of the church. It was erected in 1884/85 and on the altar is a beautiful statue of Our Lady. On the opposite wall is the Lourdes Banner carried by the parish on its pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2002.
The adjoining altar is to St. Patrick and was erected in 1866 by donations from the congregation. It was built by Mr. Currie of Darnick who also carved the statue of Mungo Park the explorer from Selkirk. A tablet on the wall gives the following information:
In honour of the great Apostle of the Irish, the altar in this chapel, used for the first time on the 22nd July 1866, in presence of the Right Reverend Francis Kerril Amherst, Bishop of Northampton, and a great concourse of the faithful, and solemnly consecrated on the 24th March 1867, by the Right Reverend John Strain, D. D. Bishop of Abila and Vicar Apostolic of the Eastern District of Scotland was erected by his children and clients in Galashiels, Selkirk, Louder, Earlston, Stow, Melrose, Darnick, Midlem, etc.
The picture on the opposite wall is the Annunciation in the style of Raphael by an unknown artist, possibly of the late 18th century. There are three small windows in this side altar dedicated to St. Patrick, St. Brigid, and St. Columcille.
An alcove on the Epistle side is used by the choir and is dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Hope. It contains a beautiful statue to her, and in the corner, a smaller statue of St. Teresa the Little Flower. There is a brass plaque on the buttress which reads,
Of your charity pray for the soul of Elsie wife of Edward Cassidy and Daughter of Honourable Joseph and Mrs Maxwell Scott who died suddenly at Abbotsford on Sunday August 30th 1908 aged 20. Requescant in Pace. Our Lady of Lourdes pray for us.
Lady Chapel and Polish Window
Standing beside the High Altar, is a beautiful Lady Chapel, gifted by Charlotte Sophia Hope-Scott of Abbotsford from the sale of her private jewellery. Mrs. Hope-Scott gave generously to charitable institutions, especially the orphanage under The Sisters of Norwood. She is remembered as having disposed of, for the purchase of the orphanage, a precious ornament given to her by her husband, and which had once belonged to Empress Josephine. A portion of this money was reserved, however, for a Lady Altar in the Church of Our Lady and St. Andrew, Galashiels.
The Lady Chapel is the last altar on this side of the church and it contains a triptych, handsomely carved in stone, depicting the Madonna and Child, the Annunciation, and the Visitation. The brass plate on the wall reads,
Pray for the soul of Charlotte Hope-Scott of Abbotsford born January 1st. 1828, died October 26th 1858, who, by the sale of her jewels, provided this altar of Our Lady.
The striking Polish window in this chapel was put in place in 1942 in memory of the Polish troops who were stationed in the area during the Second World War. In the centre of the window is the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
The town of Czestochowa is north of Krakow and famous as a place of pilgrimage. The monastery there contains the famous picture of the Madonna known as Queen of Poland. The origins of the painting arc uncertain, but legend says it may have been captured during the Crusades. In 1655, the Swedish armies attacked Poland, which was also under attack from the Ukrainian Cossacks and the Russians, and the Polish King was dethroned.
At Czestochowa the Swedes besieged the large fortified monastery which surrendered after attempting to fight off the enemy against almost impossible odds. The fortress was set on fire and the face of the Madonna was blackened by smoke. A Swedish soldier slashed the face twice. The monastery afterwards became a famous place of pilgrimage to venerate the depiction of Our Lady and remains so to this day.
The statue of Saint Michael the Archangel on the high altar was donated to the church by Maxwell Scott in memory of his son Michael who died at a very young age. The High Altar has a lofty spire, forming a magnificent throne for the Blessed Sacrament. It was executed by Mr. Earp of London and fills the space between the two large windows. On either side of the altar there are two paintings, although only copies, of the Venetian and Florentine schools of the 16th century. The painting on the epistle side of the High Altar is of St. Paul, probably 18th/19th century by an unknown artist. On the Gospel side is a painting of St. Peter attributed to Titian. The front of the altar has three sculptured compartments, the work of Mr. Currie of Darnick.
The central compartment contains a Pieta, flanked on either side by kneeling angels, whilst that on the right has the Nativity for its subject. The left hand compartment depicts the appearance of Our Lord to his Blessed Mother after his Resurrection. The carved baptismal font below the altar on the Epistle side was the gift of Mr. Earp, the sculptor. Mr Earp's only son had been working on the finishing of the stonework for the enlargement of the church in 1873, when, whilst assisting Mr. Wade, one of his father's employees, he fell to the pavement. Falling from a height of some twenty five feet, he landed on some rough stone and suffered a fractured skull. He was cared for by Fathers Foxwell and Lomax, and parishioners for the two months until his recovery. Mr. Earp presented the font in grateful acknowledgement of the care given to his son.
In 1888 two new gas pillars of iron and brass bearing ten jets each were placed on either side of the High Altar and they were lit for the first time on the feast of the Epiphany, they have since been converted to electricity. The altar rails and beautifully carved pulpit were constructed by Mr. Currie of Darnick in 1870. On the Gospel side of the High Altar close to the pulpit, there is a statue of St. Andrew, gifted to the church by Mr. and Mrs. Flynn formerly of the Lodge, Abbotsford.
Work was carried out to the sacristy in 1864 to provide cupboards and vesting-tables. Above the sacristy entrance is a picture of the Sacred Heart.
There are eight pediments on the buttresses in the nave, four on either side. On the Gospel side looking from the High Altar are St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Margaret (Queen of Scotland), St. Stanislaus, and St. Winefrida. On the Epistle side looking from the Altar are St. Monica, St. Colomba, St. Birgitta, and St. Aloysius.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556
He founded the Jesuit order in 1537. St. Ignatius died on 31st July 1556 and was canonised in 1622. He was made patron of spiritual exercises and retreats by Pope Pius XI. His feast day is on 31st July.
St. Margaret (Queen of Scotland), 1046-1093
She was the wife of King Malcolm III of Scotland and helped to reform the Church in Scotland, promulgating Easter communion and Sunday observance. She played a prominent role in the foundation of monasteries, churches and hostels. She died aged 47 and was subsequently named patron of Scotland in 1673. Her feast day is on 16th November.
St. Stanislaus Kosta, 1550-1568
He was born in Poland and educated by the Jesuits in Vienna. He later walked 350 miles to Rome in order to join the Jesuit order, which he entered at 17, sadly dying after 9 months. A model religious in all respects, he was canonised in 1726. His feast day is on 13th November.
St. Winefrida (7th century)
She was a Welsh virgin who was Abbess of a nunnery at Holywell in North Wales, which became a site of pilgrimage. Her relics are at Shrewsbury and her feast day is on 3rd November.
The mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. She was revered as a model for Christian mothers and her feast day is kept on 27th August.
St Colomba, Abbot, 521-597
He founded monasteries in Derry (546) and Durrow (556) before leaving for lona with 12 companions to work among the Picts. He was seen as a leader of the Irish in Scotland.
St. Birgitta, Patron of Sweden, 1303-1373
She founded the order of Birgettine nuns and monks. They had up to 70 houses, of which there are still twelve in the world including one in Devon. She was canonised for her virtue and her feast day is on 23rd July.
He was the son of a wealthy Spanish family who became a Jesuit, being professed in 1587. Whilst nursing the sick in a plague hospital in 1591 he caught the disease and only partially recovered, dying on 21st June of that year. He is remembered for his single minded devotion to God, and was canonised in 1726. He was declared patron of youth in 1729. His feast day is 21st June.
Altar to the Sacred Heart
In 1890 the little Altar to the Sacred Heart, with its statue was erected. The War memorial to members of the parish who died in World War 1 was commissioned in 1919 and was designed by F. Osborne and Co. Ltd. The chapel contains a painting containing several figures, possibly Elizabeth and a young John the Baptist with Mary, Joseph, and the boy Jesus. This is a reproduction of uncertain date.
Altar to St. Francis Xavier
The St. Francis Xavier Altar is made from Caen stone, richly and decoratively carved with incidents from the life of St. Francis Xavier. It has minutely chiselled flowers and angels. It was the gift of Lord and Lady Henry Kerr of Huntlyburn, the parents of Fathers William and Schomberg Kerr, S. J. and of Mother Henrietta Kerr, a nun of the Sacred Heart Congregation. The chapel has one painting on display, an oil on canvas of the Adoration of the Infant Jesus.
The three small windows contain the figures of three Jesuit saints, who are, looking from left to right, St. Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, and the third is unknown. The brass plate beside the altar is inscribed,
Of your charity, pray for the souls of Lord Henry Francis Charles Kerr, who died March 7th, 1882 and of Louisa Dorothea, his wife who died January 18th, 1884, the donors of this altar, and for their family, for whom an annual mass is founded in perpetuity.
In 1884 the two confessionals now in use were built and the wooden boxes formerly used were discarded. The statue of St. Anthony by Henri Gerard was placed in the church in 1904, and on the opposite wall is a triptych containing a portrait, Ecce Homo.
The Oratory was completed in the 1990's whilst Monsignor Murray was Parish Priest, and it is used regularly on weekdays for services. It has a small brass plaque in memory of the Monsignor's parents. The picture on the inner wall is an unusual depiction of Christ Baptising. The painting on the rear wall of the Oratory is the Presentation in the Temple (Bellini), which was executed by George Richmond, a parishioner, in 1962 and presented to the church in 2001.
On holiday in the Venezia department in north-east Italy, the late Lady Maxwell-Scott visited a church where she observed an artist painting. He explained to her that these were paintings of the Stations of the Cross for a church in the Venice area. Her admiration for these paintings, however, was so great that he offered to copy a set for her family's private chapel at Abbotsford House. The work of the unknown artist was similar in style to the Veronese School of Painting, employing similar techniques, colour and style to that of the Venetian School. When fitted into their wooden frames, made to complement this style of painting, they were brought to Abbotsford and hung on the walls of the small chapel. Unfortunately, fourteen paintings were too many and unsuitable for its size. They remained there, however, until the opening of St. Columba's College, Newtown St. Boswells, at which time Sir Walter Maxwell-Scott donated them to the White Fathers for their chapel.
On the closure of the seminary, the White Fathers asked Canon Corcoran where an appropriate home might be found for these excellent paintings. He replied that they would be most suitable for his church in Galashiels, and was delighted to be offered them.
West End of the Church and Organ
The west end of the church, which looks towards Market Street and the town, has a great towering window with five lights topped with an ornamental circular window. It is flanked by two lofty octagonal turrets whilst beneath them runs an arcade passing the two entrance doors and pierced by some smaller windows. The gallery which forms a beautiful feature is carried along three handsome arches and in 1903 the organ was installed by E.H.Lawton, organ builder.
The picture on the wall below is of Christ on the Cross, which is possibly by a Flemish or other European artist and is over 250 years old. There is also a small picture of Jimmy McArdle together with his Bene Merenti medal, which was presented to him by the Pope. Jimmy was a great servant of the parish for most of his life and died in 2001.
As far as I am aware, no such work has ever been accomplished before, and I hope you have enjoyed these fruits of many people's labour.
I am grateful to have the privilege of concluding this great work; it has been a privilege for me to serve this ancient parish over the past seven years, and one of the most remarkable people I have had the honour to know in that time, was Jimmy McArdle. For the majority of the one hundred and fifty years that our parish has existed, Jimmy has been like a guardian angel throughout. He was a great example of a man of prayer, reaching out to others, helping the needy, and though steeped in the spiritual life, Jimmy remained throughout his long life, a human being. His great sense of humour and wit was something we all enjoyed. In his later years he left the work to others, while he continued with the powerhouse of prayer. A typical example was, when he was ninety years old, I offered to take him to Lourdes, the shrine of his beloved Mother Mary. He thought about it for a time, then came back to me and said, "I have Our Lady of Lourdes here in Gala. I do not have to travel to find her." This says it all about Jimmy, and about this beautiful church that we honour, whose one hundred and fiftieth birthday we celebrate this year.
My prayer is that the spirit of Jimmy and others like him will be carried forward like an Olympic torch into the next one hundred and fifty years, that we will be a beacon of faith, of light, and of hope, but most of all, of love, which the Lord asked us to be, now and forever. Amen.
Canon John Creanor