Much loved minister says farewell to Cumbernauld

A minister who has served the town for nearly two decides said her very last sermon in Cumbernauld on Sunday.

Reverend Catriona Ogilvie of Cumbernauld Old Parish Church (62) has now retired and will be moving back to her native Dollar with husband Iain.

The former social worker was given an emotional sendoff at the Forge Centre in Balloch where she has been doing ‘double duty’ with Sunday services, while remaining based at the landmark Cumbernauld Village church.

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Mrs Ogilvie said: “This is the sort of job that goes at 100 miles per hour and I am getting to the stage where I think it is time to step back.

“I have loved my time in Cumbernauld. I love the people. There is something about them. They are, as my father used to say “all Jock Tamson’s bairns.”

“They are amazing and sometimes I think they don’t really realise it. Perhaps it is because our town centre gets so much bad publicity but Cumbernauld is a wonderful place with such friendly people.

“It might be the fact that they are from the Glasgow overspill but the same goes for the people in Cumbernauld Village who are Cumbernauld through and through.”

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Born in East Africa, Mrs Ogilvie lived there for a decade before returning to Scotland.

She landed back in Dollar and it is to Dollar she will return when she leaves the manse for good. Mrs Ogilvie’s mother still lives in the Clackmannashire town and she’ll be living in a neighbouring flat.

When asked what she intended doing with her retirement Mrs Ogilvie said: “I will be out walking the dog, meeting up with friends, a lot of whom have retired from teaching recently and just taking it easy.

When asked what she would miss most, she replied: “It has been such a privilege to share the important parts of so many peoples’ lives, with christenings, weddings and yes, even funerals, even though they can undoubtedly be a very difficult time. I have had a lot of help with that from our wonderful local funeral directors who I have a lot to thank for.”

Ivar Struthers of Falkirk Presbytery said: “The congregation and the parish have been richly blessed by having Catriona as their minister.”