History of St Francis'
The parish was founded in 1969, with Mass originally celebrated in St Michael’s Primary School. As the parish community grew, fundraising began to support the building of a dedicated church. The church was constructed by Robertson’s of Greenock. On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception 1974, the first Mass was held ahead of the official dedication on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, 22 December 1974, by Bishop Stephen McGill.
The sanctuary was refurbished in 1994 with the introduction of a new altar, ambo, tabernacle and font. In 2007 a new Lady altar was constructed with the original wooden statue as its centrepiece.
The parish celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. To commemorate the founding of the parish, relics of St Francis and St Claire of Assisi were deposited in the altar.
December 2024 saw the closure of Holy Family parish. St Francis' and St John's Port Glasgow now incorporate the former territory of Holy Family and we welcome all new parishioners.
Clergy of St Francis'
Since September 2024, Fr Jonathan Whitworth has been our parish priest.
We remember with gratitude the priests, assistant priests, deacons and religious sisters who have served the Parish of St Francis of Assisi, Port Glasgow, over the years. Through their ministry, dedication, and pastoral care, they have played an important role in shaping the faith life of our parish community. We give thanks for their service and keep them in our prayers.
St Francis of Assisi Parish has been richly blessed with a number of vocations to the priesthood over the years. Among those called from the parish are Canon Michael McMahon, Fr Andrew Coleman, Fr Ian Stevenson, and Fr Ryan Black. Their vocations are a source of pride and gratitude for the parish community, and we continue to pray for them in their ministry.
