St Francis Xavier Church, Liverpool facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids St Francis Xavier's Church
Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Liverpool
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OS grid reference	SJ356911
Location	Salisbury Street, Everton, Liverpool
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	Liverpool
History
Status	Parish church, active
Founded	4 December 1848
Dedication	St Francis Xavier
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II*, 28 June 1952
Architect(s)	Joseph John Scoles, Edmund Kirby
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1842
Completed	1887
Administration
Deanery	Liverpool North
Diocese	Liverpool
Province	Liverpool

St Francis Xavier's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Liverpool, England. It is found on Salisbury Street in the Everton area. This church is a very important building. It is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest. Today, it is still an active church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.

History of the Church
Church Design and Features
- Outside the Church
- Inside the Church
Visiting the Church Today
See also

History of the Church

South side of the church

The church was looked after by a group of priests called the Jesuits. They are members of the Society of Jesus. They worked at St Francis Xavier's from its start until Easter 2023.

In 1840, a group of Catholic men in Liverpool met. They decided that a new church was needed. This was because the number of Roman Catholics in the city was growing fast. The first stone of the church was laid in 1842. Joseph John Scoles was chosen as the architect. He also designed other famous churches, like the Church of the Immaculate Conception in London. St Francis Xavier's Church first opened its doors on December 4, 1848. The tall spire on top was added later, in 1883.

The church was built to hold 1,000 people. But soon, even more people wanted to attend. So, in 1888, an extra chapel was added. This was called the Sodality Chapel. It was designed by Edmund Kirby. In 1898, the wall between this chapel and the main church was removed. This made the church even bigger.

The church has beautiful old statues from the Victorian era. It also has many special items, including some by Conrad Dressler. There is a collection of old church clothes, called vestments. These are used by priests during services. New banners and vestments have also been added. In 2007, a special area was created for St Mary del Quay. This was to remember the first chapel in Liverpool from 1207. It also marked 750 years since Liverpool got its special charter from King John.

By the time of the Second World War, St Francis Xavier's was the biggest Roman Catholic parish in England. It had over 13,000 Catholic members. During the war, the church was damaged. The roof was hit, and most of the windows were broken.

From the 1960s, the church faced tough times. Many houses in the area were pulled down. Most church members moved to other parts of Liverpool. Tall apartment buildings were built nearby, but they were soon damaged and later removed. For many years, the area around the church was empty and neglected. Slowly, new, smaller houses were built. But most new residents did not attend the church.

In 1981, there were plans to pull down the main part of the church, called the nave. But people from all over the country campaigned to save it. The church was saved! The local church leaders agreed to help maintain only the Sodality Chapel. The parish had to look after the nave itself. A glass screen was put up between the chapel and the nave. The chapel was fixed up, but the nave slowly got worse.

Later, new Jesuit priests arrived. With their energy, and help from old and new church members, things changed. By 1997, the church celebrated its 150th anniversary. There was a flower festival and a big dinner for 600 people. A special mass filled the church. These events helped the church recover. In 2001, the parish joined with two other parishes, St Joseph and St Mary of the Angels. The Sodality Chapel was renamed The Chapel of St Mary of the Angels and St Joseph.

The old school buildings next to the church were empty for many years. In the late 1990s, Liverpool Hope University took them over. They are now part of the university's Creative Campus. This campus is used for arts and drama studies.

Many famous people went to the SFX schools. These include actors like John Gregson and Charlie Chaplin. Bishops Vincent Malone and Paul Gallagher also studied there. The writer Jimmy McGovern was a student too. Archbishop Thomas Roberts, a local man, was made an archbishop in this church. The famous Jesuit poet, Father Gerard Manley Hopkins, worked at the church for two years. There is a plaque near the Langsdale Street entrance to remember him.

Church Design and Features

View from Angel Field Renaissance Garden

Outside the Church

The church is built from stone with roofs made of Welsh slate. It has a long main hall called a nave. There are also side areas called aisles. At the end is a short chancel, which is where the altar is. There are also chapels on either side of the chancel. On one side, there is a tall tower with a spire. On the other side is the Sodality Chapel. This chapel has a round shape at one end.

In 2000, the church roof was replaced. Since then, new electrical wiring and a heating system have been installed. Grants helped pay for fixing the outside stonework. A group called 'The Friends of SFX' paid for other small improvements. This included fixing a stained glass window of St Ignatius. It was broken during the war and found in a box in the church attic.

Inside the Church

The main altar and the screen behind it are made of white Caen limestone. They have arches and tall, pointed decorations. These were designed by S. J. Nicholl. The side chapels are dedicated to the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of the Rosary. They have similar altars and screens. In the Sacred Heart chapel, there is a beautiful, life-size carving of "Christus Consolator." This is a copy of a famous painting.

The pulpit, where sermons are given, is also made of Caen stone. A fancy font, used for baptisms, is at the back of the church. It is below the area where the organ is. Many stained glass windows in the church were made by Hardman and Powell. The windows behind the main altar were broken during the war. They were replaced in 1945. Other windows include one from 1935 in the organ loft. There are also windows by Linda Walton from 1997 and 2000. These are above the pieta statue and under the organ loft. Two windows from the 1950s show St Nicholas and St George. The stained glass in the Sodality Chapel was designed by Edmund Kirby. It was made by Burlison and Grylls.

The church has a set of eight bells. They were made in 1920 and re-hung in 2002–03. The large organ has four keyboards. It was built in 1849 and later rebuilt and made bigger in 1907.

Nave
St Ignatius window, 1850, rebuilt in 2015 from a found piece
Christ the King window by Hardman & Co. above the organ loft
Side chapel of St Mary of the Angels and St Joseph

Visiting the Church Today

The church is open most mornings of the week, but it is closed on Wednesdays. Services are held at 10:15 AM on Sundays. Weekday services are at midday. The bells are kept in good condition and are rung regularly by a student group.

In 2008, Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture. To celebrate, the church held an exhibition. It was called Held in Trust: 2008 Years of Sacred Culture. The exhibition showed old items from Stonyhurst College. It also displayed embroideries and church plates from the church's own collection. Special church clothes from the Portuguese Embassy in London were also on display. Some items included a book of Pope Gregory's sermons from 1170. Thomas More's hat and Katherine of Aragon's special church robe were also shown. Cardinal Wolsey's Book of Hours was another interesting item.

In 2010, the old community chapel above the sacristies was renovated. It now provides living space for the Jesuit priests who serve the parish.