St Moluag's Cathedral, Lismore on:
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St Moluag's Cathedral is located on the
Site Record
from ''Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland'' retrieved 24 May 2013
Isle of Lismore site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lismore, Saint Moluag 14th-century church buildings in Scotland Cathedrals of the Church of Scotland Church of Scotland churches in Scotland Lismore, Scotland Medieval cathedrals in Scotland Churches in Argyll and Bute Category B listed buildings in Argyll and Bute Listed cathedrals in Scotland
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
island of Lismore just off the coast of Oban
Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...
. As a congregation of the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
, the present-day parish church of 1749 stands on the site of the choir of the abandoned 13th-century cathedral, incorporating much of its material, but wrapped in 18th-century design.
History
Saint Moluag
Saint Moluag (c. 510 – 592; also known as ''Lua'', ''Luan'', ''Luanus'', ''Lugaidh'', ''Moloag'', ''Molluog'', ''Molua'', ''Murlach'', ''Malew''
(Old Irish Mo-Luóc) (d. 592), founded a monastery on the island. It was a major centre of Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
in Scotland, and the seat of the later medieval bishopric of Argyll or the Isles. To modern eyes it seems an isolated location for such a centre, but in an era when the fastest and most reliable transport was by water, Lismore was ideally situated.
The Diocese of Argyll
The Diocese of Argyll was an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of Scotland in the Middle Ages. The Diocese was led by the Bishop of Argyll, and was based at Lismore.
During the Scottish Reformation, the majority of the Scottish established ...
was Scotland's most impoverished diocese, and the medieval Cathedral was very modest in scale. Robert Hay suggests that building began during the term of Bishop Laurence de Ergadia (1262 - 1299), with the western tower added during the term of Bishop Martin (1342 - 1387).
In 1749, the choir was converted to a parish church. For this purpose, the building was lowered and got new windows. The nave and western tower of the cathedral were reduced to their foundations. The chief surviving medieval features are three doorways, one blocked, another originally the entrance through the pulpitum
The pulpitum is a common feature in medieval cathedral and monastic church architecture in Europe. It is a massive screen that divides the choir (the area containing the choir stalls and high altar in a cathedral, collegiate or monastic chur ...
, a piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Lutherans and Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a pisci ...
and the triple-arched sedilia
In church architecture, sedilia (plural of Latin ''sedīle'', "seat") are seats, typically made of stone, located on the liturgical south side of the altar—often within the chancel—intended for use by the officiating priest, deacon, an ...
. Several late medieval grave slabs are preserved in the church or adjoining graveyard.from ''Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland'' retrieved 24 May 2013
Parish
The building is in use as the parish church of Lismore, a congregation of theChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
. It is also linked with Appin Parish Church on the mainland. The minister is Iain Barclay; previous minister is Roderick D. M. Campbell, formerly of St Andrew's and St George's Church
Edinburgh: The New Town Church of Scotland serves Edinburgh's New Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, formed on 1 February 2024 by the union of St Andrew's & St George's West and Greenside Church.
The parish today ...
in Edinburgh.
See also
*List of Church of Scotland parishes
The Church of Scotland, the national church of Scotland, divides the country into Presbyteries, which in turn are subdivided into Parishes, each served by a parish church, usually with its own minister. Unions and readjustments may however res ...
References
External links
Isle of Lismore site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lismore, Saint Moluag 14th-century church buildings in Scotland Cathedrals of the Church of Scotland Church of Scotland churches in Scotland Lismore, Scotland Medieval cathedrals in Scotland Churches in Argyll and Bute Category B listed buildings in Argyll and Bute Listed cathedrals in Scotland