ARCHBISHOP Leo Cushley helped Selkirk's Catholic congregation celebrate 150 years of worship at Our Lady and St Joseph's Church.

A special anniversary mas was observed in the historic church last month.

Our Lady and St Joseph’s Catholic Church was opened on April 22, 1866.

And ever since, it has been hosting Mass services for its flock from across the Royal and Ancient Burgh.

Ahead of the Archbishop of St Andrew’s and Edinburgh conducting the Vigil Mass, he spoke of Selkirk's historic connections with the Catholic faith.

He stated: "Devotion to Our Lady seems to be the golden thread that runs through the history of the Catholic faith in Selkirk.

"The Tironensian abbey, founded by St David I of Scotland in 1120, was dedicated to St Mary and St John the Evangelist.

"The arms of the Royal Burgh are based upon the abbey's seal.

"Even the very name Selkirk, as any good Souter knows, means "the church in the forest", a reference to the Church of St Mary near St Mary's Loch in the Ettrick Forest.

"Selkirk's devotion to Our Lady rekindled with the return of "the auld religion" to the town in the mid-19th century. We know that in 1854, priests from Galashiels would visit occasionally. On April 22, 1866, however, a new Catholic Church was finally opened by my predecessor, Bishop John Strain."

Mass had been said in Selkirk for two years before the Church opened, by the Jesuit Fathers of Galashiels in a school room built by the Duchess of Buccleuch.

James Hope Scott QC of Abbotsford, who was married to the grand-daughter of Sir Walter Scott, paid the £70 construction costs of the new Church on the High Street, which was built by Messrs Robert Hall and Son of Galashiels.

The parallelogram of 25 feet by 60 feet was designed to comfortably seat 300 people as well as leaving space for a sanctuary.

For Bishop Strain's opening the altar was decorated with flowers and other ornaments from Bowhill House, Abbotsford House and Huntlyburn House.

And the first sermon was preached by the Rev Father Noble of Leith on ‘The Mystery and Fruits of the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist’.

In the afternoon the Rev Father MacLeod preached on ‘The Doctrine of the Patronage and Invocation of Saints’ with a special reference to St Joseph as the saint of the day.

Exactly 150 years on the current St Joseph’s congregation are enjoying another landmark celebration.

As well as the anniversary Mass, the congregation has produced a commemorative booklet featuring the Church's history and memories from many of the older worshippers.

Peter Birney from Our Lady and St Joseph’s Catholic Church helped organise the 150th celebrations. He told the Border Telegraph: “We were delighted to have the Archbishop with us on this occasion.

"There were twice as many people at the Archbishop's Mass than on a normal Saturday evening, and the community spirit which surrounds the Church shone through."

The celebrations will continue over the coming months with a food-and-wine tasting evening planned for Friday, May 27.

Supermarket chain Morrisons will provide their full Market Street range for the evening in the Church Hall between 6pm and 9pm.

And later this summer a pilgrimage is planned to the Carfin shrine in North Lanarkshire.

A bus is being organised and an open invitation has been made to worshippers from other congregations.

Mr Birney added: "We hope to see as many people as possible at our food-and-wine tasting evening at the Church... everyone will be made most welcome.

"Our celebrations will continue in either late August or early September with a pilgrimage to the Grotto of Our Lady at Carfin - anyone from other Churches across the Borders would be welcome to come with us."

Further details of the food-and-wine tasting evening and the Carfin pilgrimage are available from Mr Birney on 01750 21656.