The foundation stone of St Peter's was laid and blessed by Archbishop James Smith on Easter Tuesday (17 April) 1906 and the church was solemnly opened on the Feast of St Mark (25 April ) 1907. In the presence, once again, of the archbishop High Mass was sung with music from Palestrina's Mass Tu es Petrus as well as Purcell's Te Deum at the end of the ceremony.

Much of the cost of the construction of this church was borne by the Paris born Andre Sebastian Raffalovich, a friend of the first parish priest, the Rev. John Gray. Both of these men, who had known each other in the literary salons of London in the 1890s, were converts to Catholicism, who gave much to the Church.

Raffalovich, quietly and self-effacingly gave generously of his fortune and Gray gave a lifetime of service to the archdiocese as a priest, first of all in St Patrick's in the Cowgate and from 1906 onwards as priest in charge of St Peter's.

Father Gray gathered together many fine religious artifacts to embellish the church, which is itself regarded as Robert Lorimer's most innovative design. The church was built in two stages,1906 - 7 and the nave was completed in 1928-29. The ceiling is of Oregon pine and the painted wooden crucifixion group is the work of the sculptor Joseph Hayes.


Just as St Peter's was one of the finest Catholic churches in Scotland before the watershed of the Second Vatican Council. it has been, in the opinion of many (but not all), sympathetically remodelled to accommodate the post Vatican II liturgy. Much of this took place during the time of Father Walter Glancy,(PP 1956- 1981).

By 1970 the decision had been taken to redesign the sanctuary and create a new marble altar table and marble lectern. At this time the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in one of the side chapels, but in the time of the present parish priest, Father Francis Kerr (PP 1989 ........) the Blessed Sacrament is once again reserved in the apse behind the main altar.

The lead baptismal font, with fish motif, by G.P.Bankart was moved from the original baptistry to the front of the church, as indeed recommended by the Second Vatican Council, linking together the two major sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.

The highlight and culmination of the Centenary year was the solemn consecration of the church on Friday, 25th May 2007 by the diocesan bishop, Cardinal Archbishop Keith Patrick O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

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