St. Patrick's Church, Belfast ( ga, Eaglais Naomh Padraig) 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 lette ...

church located in Donegall Street area of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. The first church was opened on the site in 1815 while the current building dates from 1877.

First Church

Belfast's first Catholic church was St Mary's, Chapel Lane but with the growth of the Catholic population in the early nineteenth century Bishop

William Crolly William Crolly (8 June 1780 – 8 April 1849) was the Bishop of Down and Connor from 1825 to 1835, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh from 1835 to 1849. Early life and education A native of Ballykilbeg near Downpatrick, Crolly w ...

, then a priest in residence in the small Georgian town, decided to construct a new church in Donegall St. This church, dedicated to Ireland's patron saint Patrick, was opened in 1815, the construction made possible - in part - by the contribution of Belfast's educated Protestants and civic elite. In the post-famine era Belfast's Catholic population swelled considerably and, while other churches and new parishes were developed, by the early 1870s it was clear St. Patrick's needed an entirely new and larger church.

Current Church

The new (current) church was designed by the architect Timothy Hevey who was Belfast's leading Catholic architect. It was built by Collen Brothers of Portadown and Dublin who constructed the new church around the old one which was then demolished. The entire fabric of the new church, designed to seat 2000 people, was completed for blessing on 12 August 1877 by the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Daniel McGettigan of Armagh. Bishop Patrick Dorrian, who early in his priestly ministry had served in the parish, and who authorised the construction of the present building is interred in the church. The splendour and scale of the church meant it was the chosen venue for the episcopal consecrations of Bishops

Henry Henry Henry Henry (22 May 1846 – 8 March 1908) was an Irish Roman Catholic Prelate and from 1895 until 1908 he held the title Lord Bishop of Down and Connor. He was known for his energy and zeal, as well as his overt activism in local politics, fou ...

in 1895, of

John Tohill John Tohill (1855–1914) was an Irish Roman Catholic Prelate and 26th Lord Bishop of Down and Connor. He was born in Gortmacrane County Londonderry, on 23 December 1855 to Anthony Tohill and Alice (née Convery) Tohill. He studied Classic ...

in 1908 and later in 1929 of

Bishop Daniel Mageean Bishop Daniel Mageean D.D. 6 May 1882 – 17 January 1962 was an Irish Roman Catholic Prelate and until 1962 he held the title Lord Bishop of Down and Connor. Early life and priestly ministry Daniel Mageean was born in the townland of Darragh ...

. One notable feature is the indomitable 7 ft tall statue of St Patrick above the door which (like the altar) was carved by the English-born James Pearse, father of

Padraig Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary wh ...

. A two-ton bell, cast by Thomas Sheridan of Dublin,Bell from Sheridan’s Foundry, Dublin
National Museum of Ireland website. Retrieved 30 October 2017. had already been placed into the 180 feet high (54 metre) spire.Parish history
St Patrick's Church website. Retrieved 30 October 2017. It is a Grade B+ listed building.Listed Buildings
Department of Communities website. Retrieved 30 October 2017. In the summer of 2017 it was reported that the church needed millions of pounds to complete restoration.

Sir John Lavery

The church also houses a

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...

by a native of the parish who was baptised in the older, smaller church Sir

John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was a Northern Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, baptised at St Patrick's Church, Belfast a ...

. He presented 'The Madonna Of The Lakes' using his wife

Hazel Lavery Hazel Lavery, Lady Lavery (née Martyn; 1880–1935) was a painter and the second wife of portrait artist Sir John Lavery. Her likeness appeared on banknotes of Ireland for much of the 20th century.Sinead McCoole, ''Hazel: A Life of Lady Lavery ...

and step-daughter as models. In 1917, Lavery contacted the then Administrator Fr John O'Neill with the intention of donating a piece of art to the church. The triptych depicting three images - Our Lady flanked by St Brigid and St Patrick - was unveiled in April 1919. The art work was the centrepiece of an historic visit by

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

and his wife

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the acc ...

to the church in May 2015 to mark St. Patrick's bicentenary. The couple viewed the church’s most treasured artwork after a short service of prayer. Parish Clergy In 2022 the parish is served by two resident clergy - Very Reverend Eugene O'Neill VF

Parish Priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

and Reverend Tony McAleese (curate). Parish Mass Times Sunday Masses begin on Saturday evening with a 6pm Vigil - Mass with music led by cantor and organ. Masses on Sunday begin at 9.00am - Mass with organ, 11.00am - Solemn Mass with Choir and Incense, and 6.00pm - Mass by candlelight with Taizé-style music led by cantor and organist. Holyday of Obligation at 7.00pm Vigil; 1.00pm. Mondays to Fridays at 1.00pm. Parish Confession Times Daily, Monday to Friday immediately following 1pm Mass (usually 1.25pm).

St. Patrick's School

Adjacent to the church on Donegall St is the refurbished St. Patrick's School, constructed in 1828 by the Belfast builder Timothy Hevey, father of the architect of the same name who designed the church next door. This was the first Catholic school to be built in Belfast on land was donated by the

Marquess of Donegall Marquess of Donegall is a title in the Peerage of Ireland held by the head of the Chichester family, originally from Devon, England. Sir John Chichester sat as a Member of Parliament and was High Sheriff of Devon in 1557. One of his sons, Sir ...

. For much of its history the school was operated by the Christian Brothers and was a functioning primary school until 1982. After it closed it served briefly as a parish community centre and at one stage the parish clergy wanted to demolish the school for a large car park.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belfast, Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...

Roman Catholic churches completed in 1877 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Gothic Revival church buildings in Northern Ireland Grade B+ listed buildings 1815 establishments in Ireland