St Dominic's Church, Newcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Dominic's Church |
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| 54°58′27″N 1°35′52″W / 54.9742°N 1.5979°W | |
| OS grid reference | NZ258644 |
| Location | Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | StDominicsCatholicChurch.org.uk |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Dominic's Priory Church |
| Dedication | Saint Dominic |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 17 December 1971 |
| Architect(s) | Archibald Matthias Dunn |
| Groundbreaking | 1869 |
| Completed | 11 September 1873 |
| Construction cost | £15,000 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Newcastle City |
| Diocese | Hexham and Newcastle |
St Dominic's Church, also known as St Dominic's Priory Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. It was built a long time ago, starting in 1869 and opening in 1873. A group called the Dominican Order started it. You can find it on New Bridge Street, near the Ouseburn area of Newcastle. A famous architect named Archibald Matthias Dunn designed it. It is considered a special historical building, listed as Grade II.
Contents
History of St Dominic's Church
How the Church Started
A very long time ago, in 1239, the Dominican Order built a place called Blackfriars in Newcastle. But in 1536, during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries, that building was torn down.
Later, in 1798, the first Catholic church in Newcastle after that time, St Andrew's Church, opened. In 1860, the Dominicans came back to Newcastle. They worked from St Andrew's Church for a while. In 1863, they bought the land where St Dominic's Church stands today. This land was once part of Hadrian's Wall, an ancient Roman wall.
Building the Church
The first stone for St Dominic's Church was laid in 1869. On September 11, 1873, a very important church leader, Cardinal Manning, officially opened the church. Building the church cost about £15,000, which was a lot of money back then!
Archibald Matthias Dunn designed the church. It was built in a style that mixes Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The main altar inside the church came from the old St Andrew's Church. That St Andrew's Church was later taken down and rebuilt in a different spot in 1875.
In 1887, a building called St Dominic's Priory was built next to the church. It was also designed by Archibald Matthias Dunn, along with Edward Joseph Hansom. This priory building is also a Grade II listed building, meaning it's historically important.
Changes Over Time
Over the years, new things were added to the church. In 1883, a special organ, known as the Father Willis Organ, was put in. In 1895, some beautiful wooden seats, called choir stalls, were given to St Dominic's Church. These stalls were made in 1827 and came from Peterborough Cathedral.
In 1956, an upper chapel, called the Hogg Chapel, was added to the church.
In 2004, the St Dominic's Priory building was given to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. In 2016, the Dominicans announced they would be leaving Newcastle. They left in 2020. In September 2021, a different group of priests, called the Jesuits, arrived to continue the church's work in the city center.
Church Community
St Dominic's Church is part of a group of churches in the city center. This group includes St Mary's Cathedral and St Andrew's Church. St Dominic's Church holds Mass services on Saturday evenings at 5:30pm and on Sundays at 10:00am and 7:00pm.
