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News from The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in Scotland Page 6
News Round-up
The Home-coming of Saint Brendan
N SATURDAY 3rd August outside the 900
O Oyear old Birnie Kirk, the oldest church in
Scotland in continuous use for Christian worship,
a procession began to wind its way up the ancient
Glebe path to the church carrying a large caved
stone image of Saint Brendan the Navigator. Led
by monks, priests, ministers and people chanting November 2023 when the Church of Scotland
the Litany of the Saints, this ancient, sacred space decided to close Birnie Kirk an approach was
witnessed the Home-coming of St made to the Ordinariate asking for
Brendan, who, over fourteen hundred help in continuing the unbroken
years earlier, led by the Holy Spirit 900 years of Christian worship. An
arrived at this holy mound of Birnie. ecumenical group led by members
of the Ordinariate was formed and
St Brendan lived in the 6th century included local Catholics, former
and is famous for his legendary sea members of Birnie Kirk and of the
voyages, putting all his hope in God’s new Kirk Session of Elgin.
mercy and protection. His story,
although wrapped in myth, is a Evening Prayer is now said every
testament to his deep faith. Born in Wednesday using Divine Worship
County Kerry, he went on to found Daily Office, drawing up to 40
many monasteries in Ireland. people each week. The Elgin Kirk
Session also invited the Ordinariate
According to the Navigatio Sancti to celebrate Holy Mass on the first
Brendani - The Voyage of St Brendan Saturday of each month and in these ways, the
- composed in 512, Brendan chose fourteen 900 years of unbroken Christian worship in
disciples and set sail in a wooden boat. They Birnie Kirk continues.
discovered many lands and met many interesting
people and creatures, it is even discovered The stone plaque, carved from a single block
America, although there is a lack of evidence of golden coloured stone quarried nearby, shows
to support this. Having sailed the great oceans, St Brendan with two monks in an open sailing
they eventually arrived on the coast near Banff boat. The carving was made for the Ordinariate
and made their way to the green mound at will be positioned on the south wall within Birnie
Birnie where once there was a pagan shrine. Here Kirk. It was carved by sculptor Philip Chatfield
Brendan built his simple church, bringing the who was working at nearby Pluscarden Abbey on
Gospel to this holy place and thus gave his name many different carved stones and statues. The
to the parish and Kirk of Birnie. procession entered a full church with over 90
people present where it was blessed. A splendid
Around the year 1140, and under Gregory, the sung Solemn Mass followed and the day ended
first Bishop of Moray, the present Kirk of Birnie with a barbecue in the afternoon sun.
was built and still today remains substantially as
it was then. The first four bishops of the diocese
had their seats at Birnie and the Kirk was their
Cathedral. The fourth Bishop, consecrated in
1172 was buried beneath the Nave in 1184.
Birnie Kirk has survived reformation,
revolution and disruption. Its clergy have been
Catholic, Episcopalian and Presbyterian. In
