History in the making
David Carnduff • Published 22 Apr 2010 11:34
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It was a ceremony that took just about half an hour to complete. Yet those present during those brief minutes in the glebe at Luss Church were asked to contemplate a time span of truly immense proportions.
It had been 1,500 years since the man, who would become celebrated as St Kessog, had first arrived at this very site to establish Christianity. The missionary from Ireland who is reputed to have been trained by St Patrick, chose the south-west corner of Loch Lomond because it was an important area where three ancient kingdoms met.
During 10 years of ministry here, he travelled throughout Scotland before meeting his death as a martyr half a mile south of Luss at Bandry, where a heap of stones was subsequently known as St Kessog's Cairn.
On Sunday, parishioners from the linked congregations of Luss and Arrochar churches gathered at another cairn, this one under construction at the Glebe, in an historic event designed to symbolise the continuing tradition of Christian worship at the site. The villagers brought their own stones to be added to the new cairn and, thereafter, they looked on as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Rev William Hewitt, placed a time capsule - containing a variety of topical items from the church and community - among the stones in the hope that it will remain undisturbed for a further 1,500 years of Christian worship at Luss.
The Moderator, making a special visit to mark the milestone year in the church's history, had led the congregation to the glebe after the morning service where he had been guest preacher. He also planted two oak trees close to the cairn.
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