Location Lismore, Argyll Denomination Roman Catholic Founded 1801 (1801) Founder John Chisholm | Country Scotland Former name(s) Kilcheran House Status Closed | |
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Lismore Seminary was situated in Kilcheran House on the island of Lismore in the Inner Hebrides part of Argyll, Scotland. It served as a seminary for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland in the 19th century. At the time it was the only seminary in the west of Scotland and for the Vicariate Apostolic of the Highland District. The house still stands and has a lime kiln from the time of the seminary within the grounds. Both the house and the kiln are category B listed sites.
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History
Before the seminary moved to Lismore, Scottish seminarians were trained at Samalaman House near Loch Ailort. The house was previously owned by Bishop Alexander MacDonald. The seminary was there from 1783 to 1803. The amount of students at the college were increasing but the site was quite a small place, cramped and uncomfortable, with leaking roofs and unsubstantial walls. So, from 1798, Bishop John Chisholm started to look for a larger and more suitable location.
In 1803, a property was found that cost £5,000 that had a large enough house and substantial gardens. Somehow the Vicariate was able to afford it. So, Bishop Chisholm founded the new seminary on the island of Lismore. The island was staunchly Presbyterian, and there must have been an unexpected feeling on the island when the inhabitants learned of a Catholic seminary being located in their vicinity.
Objections were also raised by Catholics in Scotland. Samalaman seminary was on the mainland and in an area occupied by Catholics, but the new seminary was on an island with no Catholic inhabitants. Bishop Chisholm dismissed these objections by saying that it was more 'accessible here to the world than where I have formerly been at Moidart,' and that 'we never had more or so much liberty to apply ourselves to learning and spiritual matters in any other place.'
In addition to founding the seminary, Bishop Chisholm also ordered the construction of a limestone kiln that was built so that the seminary could benefit from revenues made by a local quarry. The lime kiln made such a local impression that, 1814, when Sir Walter Scott visited the area, he wrote that:
While Lismore seminary served the Vicariate Apostolic of the Highland District, Aquhorthies College in the east of Scotland served the Vicariate Apostolic of the Lowland District. In 1829, with the number of students increasing, it was decided to close both colleges and move the students to the larger St Mary's College, Blairs near Aberdeen.
Preceding seminaries
The seminary at Samalaman was only the latest of a series of attempts made by the Vicariate Apostolic of the Highland District to have a permanent seminary for its students within Scotland. However, various bishops had to almost constantly move the seminaries. This was mainly because Catholic life in Scotland was so fraught and dangerous during the 18th century. Also, it was because of severe financial mismanagement of the funds allocated to the seminaries. This led to considerable stress amongst the Highland district priests and led to friction with their fellow Scottish Catholic Lowland district priests.