St Ignatius Church or the Jesuit Church is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

Church building served by the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

next to

Coláiste Iognáid Coláiste Iognáid SJ ( en, link=yes, Ignatius College), a bilingual secondary school, is located on Sea Road in Galway, Ireland. It was founded in 1645 and has had numerous locations over the years before its current home. The college is a co- ...

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

. It was founded in 1863 and is a protected structure in the city.

History

Origins

The

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

came to Galway in 1620. In 1645 they built their first school in the area. Throughout the 17th century they were banished and invited back into Galway on numerous occasions. In 1652, they had to leave because of the arrival of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

's army was in the area. They then returned with the restoration of Charles II in 1660, but were banished again in 1691 by the army of William III, returning finally in 1728.Our History
from Coláiste Iognáid, Galway retrieved 23 June 2013

Foundation

In 1859, the Bishop of Galway,

John McEvilly John McEvilly (1818–1902) was an Irish Roman Catholic Church clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Tuam from 1881 to 1902. He was born on 15 April 1818 in Louisburgh, a small town near Westport, County Mayo, Ireland., ''The Episcopal Su ...

invited the Jesuits to create a college and a church in the area. In 1863, both the church and the college,

, were built.October 2003
from ''LayJay Bulletin'' retrieved 23 June 2013 St Ignatius' church was originally a 'service church' or chapel of ease that would serve the local

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

, St Joseph's. In 1971, Bishop Michael Browne asked that the church become a parish church. However, in October 2003, it reverted to being a chapel of ease.

Work

Spirituality

Close to the church is the Jesuit Centre for Spirituality and Culture. It was founded in 2006 and is a non-residential centre that, as well as offering courses, talks and workshops in

Ignatian spirituality Ignatian spirituality, also known as Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality founded on the experiences of the 16th-century Spanish saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order. The main idea of this form of spirituality comes from ...

also hosts conferences and events on Irish and Christian heritage.

Church

The church hosts three Masses on Sundays, and one on Saturday evenings. On the other days in the week, Masses are held in the morning.

School

The church has a close relationship with the school next door,

. The church building is used frequently by the school and a Jesuit from the church always sits on the school's board of management.Board of Management
from Coláiste Iognáid, Galway retrieved 23 June 2013

References

External links

Parish of St Joseph, Galway

Jesuit Centre for Spirituality and Culture in Galway
{{Jesuits in Ireland

Ignatius Ignatius is a male given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name Religious * Ignatius of Antioch (35–108), saint and martyr, Apostolic Father, early Christian bishop * Ignatius of Constantinople (797–877), Cath ...

Galway, Ignatius

Roman Catholic churches completed in 1863 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Ireland Galway, Ignatius 19th-century churches in the Republic of Ireland