St Mary Star of the Sea (Leith) Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated on Constitution Street in the Leith district and staffed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The church was designed in 1854 by the architects E.W. Pugin and Joseph Hansom in the Gothic style. It is a Category B listed building. The Church has over 20 stained glass windows, and one of the side altars is dedicated to Mary Star of the Sea, the patron saint of Leith since the 12th Century Archaeology and History Archaeological work carried out in advance of the construction of a new church hall in 2004 found the remains of the front of Balmerino House. That house was built in 1631 by John Stewart, Earl of Carrick, and sold to Lord Balmerino in 1643. It remained in the Balmerio family until 1746 when the fifth Lord Balmerino died and then the Sixth Lord was executed for his part in the failed Jacobite rebellion. The house then changed hands several time until the Church purchased it in 1848. St Mary's Star of the Sea was built in 1853 and Balmerino House was finally demolished in the 1970s. There is some conflict over the date it was built - the church website says it was designed in 1854 but the historical records in Canmore state that it was opened in 1854 From 2017 the many parishes in Edinburgh have been organised into clusters to better coordinate their resources. St. Mary's is one of four parishes in Cluster 5 along with Holy Cross, St. Margaret Mary's and St. Margaret (DM). The parish is part of the Oblate Centre of Mission Edinburgh which also includes St John Olgilvie's Church in Wester Hailes and the priests of both parishes.
