St Benedict's Church
Easterhouse Glasgow City

St Benedict’s Church was opened in 1965 and built to seat 850 people but recent refurbishment in 2004 and the introduction of office space have reduced the capacity to around 300.

The high altar which was originally intended to be surrounded by pews on four sides is now surrounded on three sides only and the space behind the altar serves as the baptistery.

On the right, at the entrance of the church is the new Blessed Sacrament Chapel which is used for weekday services and also serves as a “cry chapel” when the main church is in use.

The sound system is linked to both areas. There is also a small parish hall and kitchen to the left of the church.

The church and house are of load bearing brick construction, the buttresses of the tall church gables being expressed externally and internally. Roofs are timber joisted and boarded and covered in copper, the longer spans of the church being carried on steel beams.

Ceilings are of softwood throughout, close boarded in the house and slatted in the church.

The walls are cement rendered and painted white internally and Sto rendered externally. The floor of the church is finished in red, brown and buff quarry tiles. Timber finishes are of Markore as are the seats in the church. The building was awarded the Gold Medal for architecture in 1969.

Over the years since its construction the building has gradually deteriorated and demolition was proposed. When objections were raised help was sought and obtained from a number of agencies including Historic Scotland, Heritage Lottery, Glasgow City Council, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell and the Greater Easterhouse Social Inclusion Partnership. Help was also received from The Scottish Churches Architectural Heritage Trust, the Dalrymple Donaldson Fund and the Bellahouston Bequest. The result was the £2.5M facelift you see today. Glasgow City Council has since included the church in its programme of floodlighting.

 

https://www.sjb-easterhouse.com/  

 

Amalgamation of the two parishes in Easterhouse

St. Benedict’s Parish and St. Clare’s Parish

St John Bosco Parish was formed from the amalgamation of the two RC Parishes in Easterhouse -

Members of the Salesian Priests of St. John Bosco had provided spiritual and pastoral ministry to the Catholic community within the two parishes in Easterhouse for a quarter of a century, until August 2015. The Salesian Order then had to withdraw the three Priests - who served at that time - from the two parishes; and Bishop Toal of Motherwell Diocese then appointed one Priest to replace them.

We still have Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, within our parish community, who live in the Convent within the grounds of St. Benedict’s Church. One of whom has continued to act as a Pastoral Assistant to our Priest.

On Pentecost Sunday 2016, Bishop Toal conjoined the two parishes into one new parish - to be known thereafter, as the Parish of St. John Bosco. This choice of name had met with universal approval within the two parishes.

The churches are still known as St. Benedict’s, and St. Clare’s respectively - but the Registers for the Sacraments in the two former parishes were closed, and a new Register for the Sacrament of Baptism; Confirmation; Ordination; and Matrimony, in St. John Bosco was opened from that day - 15th May 2016.

The Parish Priest resides in what had been St. Clare’s chapel house.

1959/12/18 The Founding of St. Clare's Parish. No church or chapel house. For 6 years Fr Doherty's home would serve as an oratory.

1960/06/05 Official opening of St. Clare's Church Easterhouse by the Rev Francis Thomson

1965/08/29 The Solemn Opening of the new St. Benedict's Church, Easterhouse by the Rev. Francis Thomson Bishop of Motherwell.

1990/09/03 St Benedict's Church celebrate their Silver Jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving. The Principal Concelebrant was the Rev. Joseph Devine, Ph.D. Bishop of Motherwell.