The Parish of Saint Paul the Apostle, was founded in 1850 to serve the growing Catholic population of Shettleston, Tollcross, Carmyle, Lighburn, Baillieston, Stepps and Cardowan.

The first church was a converted railway hut near the present Gartocher Road.  The second church and presbytery was built on Shettleston Road in 1857 (The foundation year and cross can be seen near the present hall) In 1959 the present church was build to a design of Jack Coia on the property known as Crownhaugh Farm.  At present the parish covers small parts of the areas of Shettleston, Sprinboig, Larchgrove, Hawthornlea, Sandyhills and Mount Vernon.  Our population is around 2800.  Around 1170 are regular Sunday Mass participants and enjoy a variety of Styles of Worship, devotional services, spiritual input, social gatherings and events that all help build communion and community amoung ourselves and with God.

Our Church was Designed by Jack Coia, son of Diovanni Coia and Maria Ernesta.  Coia was born on 17th July at Woverhampton.  He was brought up in the East End of Glasgow and at 16 began his apprenticeship as an Archietect.  Very soon he became well known and while teaching in the Glasgow school of Art he presented himself to the Archbishop of Glasgow to be considered for the task of designing the new church of Saint Anne in Whitevale Street.  Here began an interesting relationship with the Archdiocese, of which Saint Paul's is one of the many offsrping.

Our Church

Saint Paul's is dominated by the large copper calvary scene which hands above the great oak doors designed by Jack Mortimer a colleague of Coia.

On entry to the building there is a low porch to the left of the original baptistry (now destroyed) and is now our piety stall.  To the righ of the original shop has become the celebrants vesting sacrisity.  Glass doors to reduce noise and draughts were added in the 1999 liturgical re-ordering of the Church.

Between the long clerestory windows; which contain etched symbols of the Lord's passion, you find the stations of the Cross, the sotry of that journey from Pilate to the Cross, through burial and Resurrection.

The confessional room in which we celebrate God's mercy and forgiveness are situated on the east wall of the church.

You will find the new baptistry under the organ loft.  It's positioning here indicated the role of Baptism as a sacrament of initiation or the entry point into the community.  The marble inserts of the floor lead from the font through the assembly to the fine altar table - just as baptism begins that journey through the gathering of God's people to the celebration of the Eucharist.

Left and righ aisle spaces now provide space for the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in choir formation as well as seating for the assembly and areas to crease the music so necessary in our worship.  To the right the organ console rebuilt in 1998/1999 came from Greenlaw parish church in Paisley.  It has been restored and embellished through the generosity of the people of Saint Paul's.  More modern musical styles are also included in areas for instruments and singers from our youth band and family mass group.

ALTAR

The altar is square, recalling the ideal of the Old Testament altars where equal sides meant no front or back, no precedence; but the quality of all who gather round. Green slate and white marble have been used to great effect with the addition of the Eucharistic motifs. The spirit that effects the eucharistic change, the phoenix that rose from the ashes reminding us that Eucharist is a sacrament of the Risen Lord, the pelican that pierced its own breast to feed its young reminding us of the Lords life giving death on the cross, the Lamb of the Apocalyse remindering us of the victory that we will one day share with Christ and the two birds drinking of the fountain of Life as we do at every Eucharistic celebration.

The Baldachino hangs above the altar denoting its sacred space, reminiscent of the canopy that was carried above the ark of the covernant as it was carried before God's pilgrim people.  The painting contains symbols of the trinity, to whom all our worship both lived in our daily lives and celebrated in our community is offerred.

The ambo for the proclamation of Gods Word is sculpted in the same marble that decorates the plain basicican (cross saped with pillars and aisles) type Church.

The Main celebrants chair was commissioned in 1995 to reflect the style and design of the church and to reflect the equality of the assembly and celebrant through the use of the same oak as the benches.

The devotional statues ae of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady, mother of God.  The patronal shrine to Saint Paul is of Fine Italian marble.  The late arrival of which held over the formal opening of the church until July 12th in 1959.

The sanctuary cross becomes a crucifix when the processional corpus is added, it was commissioned in 1999 to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the opening of the current church.