St Aloysius Church, Glasgow Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Aloysius Church
View of church along Hill Street
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OS grid reference	NS586660
Location	Glasgow
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	staloysius.rcglasgow.org.uk
History
Status	Active
Founded	1868 (1868)
Founder(s)	Fr William Kay SJ
Dedication	St Aloysius Gonzaga
Consecrated	29 November 1953
Architecture
Functional status	Parish Church
Heritage designation	Category A
Designated	15 December 1950
Architect(s)	Charles Menart
Style	Baroque Revival
Groundbreaking	4 October 1908
Completed	6 February 1910
Specifications
Capacity	800
Length	150 ft (46 m)
Width	90 ft (27 m)
Nave width	44 ft (13 m)
Height	60 ft (18 m)
Spire height	150 ft (46 m)
Administration
Deanery	West End
Archdiocese	Glasgow
Province	Glasgow

St Aloysius Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the only church in Glasgow that is run by the Jesuits. You can find it on Hill Street, right next to St Aloysius' College, Glasgow. The church and the college have a very close relationship.

When it was first built, St Aloysius Church was the only Catholic church in Glasgow with a tall tower. Its design is similar to Namur Cathedral in Belgium. It is also a very important historic building, known as a Category A listed building.

History of St Aloysius Church
Church Community and Activities
Inside the Church
See also

History of St Aloysius Church

Founding the Church

The Jesuits, a group of Catholic priests, came to Glasgow in 1859. They started by taking over a church called St Joseph's. In the early 1860s, they bought land in an area called Garnethill. This area was then on the edge of the city and was a popular place for wealthier families to live.

In 1868, Father William Kay SJ arrived in Garnethill. He was given the job of starting a new church called St Aloysius. This new church would be separate from St Joseph's. Father Kay quickly built a large building on Hill Street. It was made of iron and glass, much like a train station. People even called it 'Fr Kay's Railway Shed'. This building served as the main church for the next 40 years.

The Sisters of Mercy, a group of nuns, also came to Garnethill in 1868. They rented two houses from the Jesuits on Rose Street, where the church now stands.

A view along Rose Street

Building the Current Church

The first stone for the church you see today was laid on 4 October 1908. The church officially opened on 6 February 1910. The Archbishop of Glasgow, John Maguire, led the opening ceremony.

The church was designed by a Belgian architect named Charles Jean Ménart. He used a style called Baroque Revival. This style looks grand and dramatic. St Aloysius Church was special because it was the only Catholic church in Glasgow at the time with a tower. Its design was inspired by Namur Cathedral in Belgium and the Gesu in Rome.

The two bells in the church tower were put in place in 1910. These bells had an interesting journey! They were originally part of a set of 10 bells from St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, installed in 1865. In 1890, St Giles' sold the set to St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh. St Mary's wanted to build a tower for them but couldn't raise enough money. So, in 1910, the bells were split up, and two of them came to St Aloysius Church.

Inside the church, there are four smaller chapels. These include chapels for The Sacred Heart, the Lady, the Holy Souls, and St Ignatius. There is also a special national shrine for St John Ogilvie. This shrine was added in 1933 to celebrate John Ogilvie becoming a saint in 1929.

Decorating the inside of the church took a long time and cost a lot of money. The church had a large debt. It wasn't until after the Second World War that the debt was finally paid off. On 29 November 1953, Archbishop Donald Campbell officially consecrated the church in a special ceremony.

The Black Madonna Statue

In February 2008, a special copy of a famous statue was given to the church. This statue is called Our Lady of Montserrat, also known as The Black Madonna. Visitors from Spain donated it. This statue is now in the Lady Chapel. It is only the second such statue outside of Catalonia, a region in Spain.

Church Community and Activities

St Aloysius Church works very closely with St Aloysius' College next door. The college often uses the church. School assemblies are held in the church twice a week because it is so large. Masses are also regularly held in the church for students from both the junior and senior schools.

Next to the church is the Ogilvie Centre. This center hosts different groups connected to the church. For example, the local Christian Life Community and a social justice group meet there.

There is also the Ignatian Spirituality Centre nearby on Scott Street. This center is in the same building as the local Jesuit community. It used to be in Hamilton and was called the Craighead Jesuit Spirituality Centre. It moved to Glasgow later and was renamed. The center offers guidance and different courses based on Ignatian spirituality. This helps people in the area with their spiritual journey. The center has a team of Jesuits, other religious people, and Christians from different churches.

Inside the Church

Interior
View of the dome interior

St Aloysius Church, Glasgow facts for kids

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