THE TURN OF THE TIDE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 15, 12 April 1900, Page 10

THE TURN OF THE TIDE.

In the year 1811 St. Andrew's Cathedral was begun. It was completed in 1816. The building of St. Andrew's marked a new epoch in the history of Catholicism in Glasgow. No more building was done until 1830. Fresh arrivals came every day from Ireland and had to be provided for. There was mu^h poverty at the time, and Dr. Scott organised a committee which administered to the necessities of the poor. There was no means of giving the children instructions unless sending them to Protestant schools. Many sacrifices were made by those who possessed a little more than the ordinary education of the time. After their work was done they gathered the children together and taught them to read and write and also the rudiments of their faith. In 1821 Dr. Scott received an assistant, who afterwards became Bishop Murdock. In 1830 the Catholics numbered twenty-five thousand. Three additional priests were Bent to help Dr. Scott and they had plenty of work to do. In 18H2 the great cholera broke out in Glasgow. There was no hospital accommodation at the time, and it was no unusual thing to see the priests administering the last Sacraments on the Green of Glasgow. In 1846 Dr. Scott died at Greenock. His death was brought on by cold and hunger, for he was known to be hours without food attending to the wants of his flock. In 1842 St. Mary's was built. Father Matthew came to Glaßgow and established the the League of the Cross in St. Mary's. An interesting relic of him is still preserved, namely, a beautiful chalice left as a momento of his visit. In 1843 St. John's and St. Alphonsus' were built. It was found necessary to erect other places of worship, and St. Patrick's, St. Mungo'e, and St. Joseph's came into existence.