Remember David Livingstone? He famously said he escaped the dye works because a Catholic priest taught him Latin. That priest was Daniel Gallagher. He held the first Roman Catholic services in Glasgow’s West End in 1855. Today we are standing in front of St. Peter’s.
It opened in 1858. St Peter’s is the third oldest Catholic church in Glasgow after the Cathedral and St Mary’s in the East End. By the turn of the century, St Peter’s proved too small. Dockers and their families needed more space. A new St Peter’s opened in Hyndland Street in 1903.
This building became an extension. It was known as the Bridge Street Chapel. During the Second World War, Polish soldiers needed a church. They had escaped the Nazis. They were based in Yorkhill Barracks. This became their place of worship. Since then, the building has also been known as the Polish Church. It became the heart of the Polish community in exile. Today, the Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass are said in Polish. A Polish priest from Kelvingrove leads the services. There is also Mass in Polish in St Peter’s on Sundays.
In 1945, Glasgow’s population grew. The Archdiocese created a separate parish. This was for the Yorkhill side of Dumbarton Road. The church became St Simon’s. That was the Apostle Peter’s original name. The older housing was demolished. Fr Patrick Tierney refurbished the church. He was a church historian. He had grown up in the area. New housing was built near the church. St Simon’s preserved its heritage. It welcomed new residents.
The church was completely restored between 2005 and 2008. This was for its 150th anniversary. Historic Scotland gave a grant of £200,000. The congregation matched it with fundraising. In 2013, the Parish Council installed stained glass vignettes. Lorraine Lamond created them. They depict Simon Peter. For the Year of Faith, a plaque was put up. It lists the names of those who worshipped in St Simon’s.
In 2007, the parish priest of St Simon’s also became the parish priest of St Peter’s. This was like the situation from 1903 to 1945. Polish workers flooded into Glasgow after 2004. They were too many for the little church. Mass had to be provided for them in the larger church in Hyndland Street.
However in 2011, St Anne’s in Dennistoun was allocated for the use of the new Poles. Fr Wojciech Swiatkowski became parish priest. Fr Slavin then returned to St Simon’s. Fr John McGrorry became parish priest of St Peter’s.
In front of the church is a Memorial Stone in Polish. It commemorates Polish soldiers during the Second World War. They came to this church to attend Mass. They heard the word of God in their native tongue. They sang Polish hymns. They thanked Our Lady Queen of Poland. The Polish community felt grateful to Father Patrick Tierney. He allowed them to celebrate Polish Mass in this church.
St Peter’s has witnessed so much. It has seen communities grow. It has offered solace in times of war. It has adapted to the changing face of Glasgow. Its history is etched in its stones. It continues to be a place of worship. It is a testament to faith. It is a symbol of community.