The Good Shepherd Cathedral in

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...

South Ayrshire South Ayrshire ( sco, Sooth Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir a Deas, ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. On 30 June 2 ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

was the cathedral church of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway ( la, Dioecesis Candidae Casae o Gallovidianus) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. The pre-Reformation Diocese of Galloway, held to have been founded by St N ...

History

The Church of the Good Shepherd was opened in 1957, to serve the communities of Whitletts, Dalmilling, Lochside and Braehead areas of Ayr. It was designed by John Frederick Torry and William Cowie

Before the church was constructed the people in these areas worshipped at St. Margaret's Church, Ayr and Sunday Mass was also said in Whitletts Community Centre.

The church was a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

for four years until it was consecrated the cathedral for Galloway Diocese in 1961, after fire destroyed St. Andrew's Cathedral in

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

.New Cathedral Church for Galloway
from ''Galloway Diocese'' retrieved 21 May 2013 Only three bishops have had the Good Shepherd Cathedral as their seat: Bishop Joseph McGee (b. 1912 - d.1981), Bishop Maurice Taylor 1981 till 2004, and Bishop John Cunningham 2004–2014. Bishop Cunningham was the first Episcopal Ordination to be held in the Cathedral on the 28 May 2004. The last Mass was said in the Good Shepherd Cathedral on 20 May 2007. This is a result of falling attendance. The Cathedral for Galloway Diocese now is St Margaret's Cathedral, Ayr. In 2010 work began to convert the cathedral building into 25 affordable housing units by Ayrshire

Housing Association In Ireland and the United Kingdom, housing associations are private, Non-profit organization, non-profit making organisations that provide low-cost "Public housing in the United Kingdom, social housing" for people in need of a home. Any budge ...

. The building has

Category C listed This is a list of Category A listed buildings in Scotland, which are among the listed buildings of the United Kingdom. For a fuller list, see the pages linked on List of listed buildings in Scotland. Key The organization of the lists in th ...

status, and the tower and gable were retained as part of the conversion. The building works were finished in 2012 with tenants moving in April of that year.

References

External links

The cathedral at Galloway Diocese website
*http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=413136 Roman Catholic cathedrals in Scotland Roman Catholic churches in Scotland

Category C listed buildings in South Ayrshire Listed cathedrals in Scotland Former churches in Scotland Former Roman Catholic churches in Scotland Buildings and structures in Ayr {{UK-RC-cathedral-stub