St Mary's Monastery is a Christian spirituality and retreat centre in Kinnoull, Perth, Scotland. It was built in 1868 by the Redemptorists. Until 1971, it also served as a novitiate for the Redemptorists. In 1870, the church and shrine, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was built within the grounds. It is located on Hatton Road, to the east of Kinnoull, on the edge of Kinnoull Hill, overlooking the city of Perth. The building has been registered as a category B listed building by Historic Environment Scotland,[2] and was the first Roman Catholicmonastery established in Scotland since the Reformation.[3]
History
Foundation
The monastery is in view in the distance, below Kinnoull Hill, in this circa-1903 view of Bridgend
The purchase of the land and the construction was funded by the family of a Redemptorist priest, Edward Douglas. On 19 May 1869, construction was finished and the community moved in. The church, dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, continued to be built and was opened on 22 March 1870. On 29 November 1913 it was consecrated by the Bishop of DunkeldRobert Fraser.[6] The monastery hosted retreats, was a centre from which Redemptorist priests went to nearby Catholic parishes and was a novitiate, a place of training for Redemptorist novices.[7]
Developments
In 1896, extension work to the monastery and church took place. A new oratory and clock tower were added. They were designed by Andrew Granger Heiton, the nephew of the original architect. In the church is a mortuary chapel, a crypt and a Father Willis Organ.[6] After the 1970s, it was no longer used as a novitiate. In 1978, it began hosting retreats for women. In 1981, it was designated a mission and renewal centre, making retreats its primary focus.[7] In the 2000s, a renovation of the entire building was done and it was reopened in 2017.[8]
