The Parish

The Parish of St John Ogilvie serves the Catholic communities of Tain, Invergordon and the surrounding area of Easter Ross, through its two churches, St Vincent’s in Tain and St Joseph’s in Invergordon.

The story of the parish is one of faith, perseverance and the dedication of generations of Catholics who worked to maintain a Catholic presence in the area. The two communities developed at different times and in different circumstances, but their histories eventually came together in the formation of the Parish of St John Ogilvie.

Invergordon has the longer history of the two present churches. In 1917, during the First World War, the American Navy established a timber chapel with a tin roof just off the east end of the High Street. Dedicated to St Joseph, the chapel served the Catholic community of Invergordon and was attended by priests travelling from Dingwall. Mass was initially celebrated only occasionally, but the Catholic community gradually grew. By the 1950s the chapel was being used for Sunday Mass, but the building had deteriorated considerably, with a leaking roof and a failing floor. This led to the construction of the present St Joseph’s Church in 1958.

The Catholic community in Tain followed a different path. For many years there was no permanent Catholic church in the town, and Catholics travelled to Invergordon or Dingwall for Mass. By the 1970s, efforts were being made to establish a more permanent Catholic presence, with Mass celebrated in places including the Duthac Centre and St Andrew’s Episcopal Church. In 1985, Canon Hugh Malaney secured a site for a new church, and construction followed. St Vincent’s Church was officially opened and dedicated to St Vincent de Paul on 23 September 1986, providing the Catholic community of Tain with a permanent place of worship.

A significant moment in the history of Easter Ross came on 26 August 1979, when the new Parish of St John Ogilvie was established. Canon Hugh Malaney became its first parish priest and served the parish from 1979 until the end of 1999. His years of service coincided with an important period of development for the Catholic communities of both Tain and Invergordon, including the establishment of St Vincent’s Church.

The parish has continued through changing circumstances and periods of different forms of pastoral leadership. Priests, deacons, parishioners and volunteers have all played their part in sustaining Catholic life across Easter Ross. The history of the parish is therefore not simply the history of its buildings, but the story of the people who have worshipped in them, cared for them and passed on the faith from one generation to the next.

Today, St Vincent’s and St Joseph’s form one parish community. Together they continue to provide places for the celebration of Mass and the sacraments, prayer, fellowship and service, carrying forward a Catholic presence in Easter Ross that has been sustained for more than a century.

Our Patron

The parish takes its name from St John Ogilvie, Scotland’s only canonised Catholic martyr. His life was marked by a determination to remain faithful to his beliefs during a period of profound religious division in Scotland and throughout Europe.

John Ogilvie was born in Scotland in 1579 and was raised in a Protestant family. As a young man he was sent to the Continent for his education, where he encountered the religious divisions of the Reformation and began a long period of reflection and study. He eventually converted to Catholicism and later entered the Society of Jesus. After years of study and formation, he was ordained a Jesuit priest in Paris in 1610.

Ogilvie was determined to return to Scotland to minister to Catholics living in a country where the public practice of Catholic worship was prohibited. He returned in disguise in 1613 and began his missionary work, travelling secretly and ministering to Catholics despite the considerable danger.

In 1614 he was arrested in Glasgow. During months of imprisonment and interrogation, Ogilvie remained steadfast in his faith and in his belief that the Church possessed spiritual authority independent of the civil authorities. He was eventually convicted of high treason and executed at Glasgow Cross on 10 March 1615, at the age of 35.

More than three centuries later, John Ogilvie was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929 and canonised by Pope Paul VI on 17 October 1976. At his canonisation, Pope Paul VI described him as a heroic figure of Scotland and an inspiration to its people, recognising his witness to faith, courage and religious freedom.

For the Parish of St John Ogilvie, his example remains particularly fitting. His life reminds us of the importance of faith, courage, perseverance and fidelity to one's vocation. As a parish community named in his honour, we seek to continue that witness through our worship, our service to others and our life together as Catholics in Easter Ross.