Vatersay, Our Lady of the Waves & St. John
- Sunday Mass:4pm on 1st Sunday of each month
- Vatersay forms part of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Castlebay
- Parish Priest: Canon John P. MacKinnon
- Star of the Sea, Castlebay,
- Isle of Barra, HS9 5XD.
- castlebay@rcdai.org.uk
- 01871 810267
- www.barracatholic.org
Our Church in Vatersay is situated near the shore on one of the most beautiful bays imaginable. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Waves and St John. The building is currently undergoing some long awaited renovation and has a fascinating history.
Mary Ceit MacKinnon writes…. The church of Our Lady of the Waves and St. John was opened in 1913. In that year Uilleam Boyd, one of the ten Vatersay Raiders, who had served time in prison for his part in the land raids, gave part of his croft at Uidh for the purpose of building a church .
The corrugated iron building supplied by Spiers of Oban could accommodate 250 people and it was chiefly financed by the wealthy philanthropist, the Marquess of Bute. There was also accommodation for the priest should he be stranded due to bad weather.
