Welcome
to the Web Site of Scotland's National Shrine,
in honour of Our Blessed Lady in the Diocese of
Motherwell. |
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Here
you will find information for the Parish of St
Francis Xavier’s, Carfin and for Carfin
Lourdes Grotto, the National Shrine in honour
of Our Blessed Lady in Scotland.
We
hope your visit to our site will give you a flavour
of the beauty and spiritual peace of this remarkable
place and of the many ways in which the Shrine
and the Parish bear witness to the faith of the
Church in our own day. |
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Carfin
has a long tradition as a parish, dating back
to 1852. The Grotto was founded and opened in
1922 – making it one of the oldest Shrines
in the world in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The
Grotto also honours the saintly life of St Therese
of Lisieux, our secondary patroness, who was canonised
in 1925. |
The
founder and inspirer of the Grotto was Father
Thomas Taylor, whose devotion to Our Blessed Lady
and St Therese made such an impact on the Catholic
Church in Scotland and in the North of England,
that literally thousands of pilgrims visited Carfin
throughout the 1920’s up until the 1960’s. |
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And
today we still welcome pilgrims from throughout
the British Isles. In 2005, thirty five thousand
pilgrims visited Carfin. |
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Calendar of
Events |
Just click
on any date to fine out more information. |
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| Latest
News |
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