The sanctuary was completely refurbished and new furnishings, a central aisle, stained glass windows, new organ, new large sacristy and many other improvements, with a white colour scheme for the ceiling and walls.

All of these improvements were costly, but substantial grants from Heritage Scotland and the National Lottery plus some very successful and imaginative fundraising saw the bills paid off in a remarkably short time.

Both these books are placed directly under the high altar in the cathedral as a lasting legacy to parishioners past, present and future.

The new fully refurbished church officially re-opened on 31 March 2000 in a ceremony attended by many people from both civic and religious life, as well as parishioners from Saint Margarets and across the diocese.

This official opening and re-dedication was presided by Bishop Maurice Taylor, and the homilist was Canon Matthew McManus, who served in Saint Margarets as assistant priest from 1965 to 1976.

When the Roman Catholic hierarchy was restored to Scotland in 1878, the Diocese of Galloway consisted of South Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire.

In 1947, the apostolic constitution Dominici Gregis erected the Province of Glasgow by creating Motherwell and Paisley as two new suffragan sees.

This change resulted in Dumfries no longer being central to the population of the diocese as a whole, and convinced the then bishop, Joseph McGee, that he should move his residence to Ayr, where he could be more available to his people.

By September 2001 Bishop Maurice Taylor had come to the conclusion that Good Shepherd church was no longer a suitable venue for the cathedral.

Accordingly, he petitioned the Holy See for permission to transfer the cathedral to St Margaret's, Ayr, the mother church in the area.

As Bishop Taylor was due to retire, the view taken in Rome, was that any decision concerning the future of the cathedral should be left to his successor.

The gallery obscures the central third of the design, therefore the artist chose a repeat pattern so that the mind automatically fills in the hidden parts.

The pattern-work is in the form of Celtic knots which shade from green to blue to represent the relationship between heaven and earth and the unbroken love that God has with everyone.

The Celtic theme refers to the history of the congregation, originating in Ireland but now firmly rooted in Scotland, and because it has no beginning and no end this is also a symbol of eternity.

These words were writ large on the drawing board throughout the design process, but such themes are open to many interpretations and other ideas played their part too.

This was in recognition of the close bonds that the previous cathedral administrator (Patrick Canon Keegans) had with these families as he was parish priest in Lockerbie at the time of the disaster.

The firm shapes of the letters and hearts were made using a plastic film to resist the acid and the more organic textures were created using a bituminous resist.Under the gallery is the new Reconciliation Room, this was the old baptistry.

Blue expresses grief in the saddest moments, when Jesus stretches out his hand to his Mother, when he meets the mourning women and when he is taken down from the cross.

The distance between the two sheets and the transparency of the glass give internal reflections that soften the image and create a kind of dreamy quality.