With a thunderstorm raging outside and a capacity congregation of 630 within, Stevenston's new £40,000 RC Church of St. John in Hayocks Road was opened last Thursday evening by the Right Rev. Dr. Joseph McGee, Bishop Of Galloway.

Representing the burgh's first Catholic church for 400 years, it replaces a chapel-school in Moorpark Road West - a place of worship used since 1905 by the parishioners who now number 1,800.

First In Scotland.

Of striking lines, the new church is also the first to be opened in Scotland during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI whose Apostolic Blessing, sent from Rome, was read by the Rev. James Quinn S.J., Edinburgh, a noted Scottish Catholic theologian, who preached the sermon.

Contemporary in design and furnishings, the building has many features unique in churches in the diocese. Huge laminated wooden trusses, each weighing two tons, form its superstructure and support the roof.

It contains the only wooden altar in the diocese, and an all brass font shaped like a tree trunk with a brass fawn sheltering at the side. Four large stained glass windows depict Biblical scenes; these, and the gable-ended window of St. John, were executed in France by M. Gabriel Loire of Chartres.

Assisting Bishop McGee in the solemn celebrations were the Rev. John Kane, Stevenston-born priest now on the staff of St. Mary's College, Blairs, Kincardineshire; the Rev. G. Redden, curate of St. John's; the Rev. S. Kennedy, Shortlees, Kilmarnock; The Very Rev. Clement Canon McGowan, Largs; the Rev. M. Littleton, Kilmarnock, and the Rev. Vincent Walker, Irvine.

The Right Rev. Mgr. Joseph Provost McHardy, Prot. Apost. M.C., Vicar General of Galloway; The Right Rev. Mgr. John Canon McQuillan, DD, Troon and the Very Rev. Michael Canon O'Connor, Saltcoats were present in the sanctuary.

Congregation and visiting clergy were welcomed by the Rev John (sic) N. Maxwell, parish priest of St. John's, and the new Compton organ, the first part of which, costing £2,000, has been installed, was played by Mr. H. McFarlane, principal teacher of music at St. Michael's College, Irvine.

Three other Stevenston-born priests - the Rev. James McHugh, Cumnock; the Rev. Peter Murphy, St. James Paisley and the Rev. John Conlan, Maryhill, Glasgow - attended the service at which the oldest parishioners were Mrs Agnes Hanlon (80), 6 Craigdene Drive, Stevenston and Mr. Michael Leahy (86), son of the parish's first doctor, Dr. Edmond Leahy.

Civic guests at the ceremony and at the reception which followed, in Hotel Kilmeny, Ardrossan, included Provost James Clements and every member of Stevenston Town Council. Also present were the Misses Reilly, Ardrossan Road, Saltcoats, relatives of Stevenston's first native-born priest.

Town Council Thanked

Tribute to the Town Council for their co-operation and help in connection with the site of the new church was paid by Father Maxwell, who also expressed appreciation of the efforts of the parishioners and of the assistance given by many non-Catholics during an intensified drive undertaken to gather funds throughout the past six years.

Other speakers included Bishop McGee, Mgr. McQuillan, who had, for six years, been parish priest at Stevenston; Mr. James Houston, jun., Kilbirnie, architect, and Provost Clements who said the continuance of church-building in a materialistic and intolerant world augured well for the spiritual well-being of Scotland and Stevenston.

Within six years intimated Mr. Pat Savage, chairman of the Church Building Committee, they hoped to be clear of debt on the new building. So great, he added, was the demand by non-Catholics to inspect the church that they were considering holding an "open day" for that purpose.