St Patrick's Church, Edinburgh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Patrick's Church |
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 St Patrick's Church
Location in Edinburgh city centre
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| 55°56′59″N 3°11′05″W / 55.9498°N 3.1846°W | |
| Location | Old Town, Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | StPatricksParish.co.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Patrick |
| Events | Facade added in 1929 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Category B listed |
| Designated | 14 December 1970 |
| Architect(s) | John Baxter, James Graham Fairley and Reginald Fairlie |
| Style | Neoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | 1772 |
| Completed | 1774 |
| Construction cost | £4,000 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | St Giles |
| Archdiocese | St Andrews and Edinburgh |
| Province | St Andrews and Edinburgh |
St Patrick's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in the Cowgate part of Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built from 1771 to 1774. It became a Catholic church in 1856. The front of the church was designed by Reginald Fairlie in 1929. It is located between South Gray's Close and St Mary's Street. This church is a special building, listed as Category B, which means it's important for its history and architecture.
Contents
History of St Patrick's Church
What Was Here Before the Church?
The land where St Patrick's Church stands has a long history. Records from the early 1500s show it was an empty piece of land. Later, important people owned parts of it.
For example, Archbishop James Beaton bought some of this land in 1509. He built his palace nearby. Even Mary Queen of Scots' Italian helper, Francisco de Busso, owned a section.
In the late 1600s, a judge named Sir James Elphinstone built a place called 'Elphinstone Court' here. Then, in 1770, a church group bought most of the land. They wanted to build a new church.
How Was the Church Built?
The original church was designed by John Baxter. Construction started in June 1772 and finished in 1774. It was first built for the Scottish Episcopal Church.
In 1818, the building changed hands. It became part of the United Presbyterian Church. The first church group had asked Alexander Runciman to paint special murals inside. These paintings were put up but then covered by the new Presbyterian group.
The murals were forgotten for a long time. Then, in the 1960s, an art historian named Duncan Macmillan found out about them. Some of these murals have been uncovered. They show stories like the Parable of the Prodigal Son and Ascension of Jesus. Work to restore them is still ongoing.
In 1856, the church was bought by Bishop James Gillis. He was a leader in the Catholic Church. The church cost £4,000. Half of the money came from the local people, and half from the Catholic Church. On August 3, 1856, the church officially opened with a special Mass.
When Were the Church Extensions Added?
Over the years, St Patrick's Church has been made bigger and better.
- 1898: The area around the altar, called the sanctuary, was redesigned. A new main altar was put in. This work was designed by James Graham Fairley.
- 1921: A special chapel was built to remember people from the church who died in World War I.
- 1924-1925: Two more chapels were added. These are called the Lady Chapel and the Sacred Heart Chapel.
- 1929: The impressive front of the church, known as the facade, was built. It was designed by Reginald Fairlie. It includes statues of St Patrick and St Brigid.
Recent Changes at St Patrick's
In 2001, a group of priests called the Redemptorists came to serve the church. They stayed for 13 years. On November 21, 2014, they left. The church then went back to being looked after by the local Catholic leadership, the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
In September 2023, a new group of priests moved into the church. They are exploring a community life similar to the Oratorian tradition.
Archaeology at St Patrick's
From 2006 to 2007, archaeologists from Headland Archaeology dug up parts of the church grounds. They did this before a new hotel was built nearby. These digs helped us learn about how the Cowgate area developed over time.
They found that flash floods used to sweep through this part of Cowgate. This happened until Edinburgh started to become a proper town in the 11th-12th centuries. In the 1300s, a large ditch was dug across the site. This ditch was likely the old town boundary. It was also used as a smelly rubbish dump! Later, the ditch was filled in. Buildings were eventually constructed on the site in the 1600s, before the church was built.
Notable People Connected to St Patrick's
Many interesting people have been part of St Patrick's Church:
- Canon Edward Joseph Hannan (1836-1891) was a priest who led the church for most of his life. He also helped start Hibernian Football Club.
- Canon John Gray (1866-1934) was a poet and a priest. He was a friend of Oscar Wilde. He worked at St Patrick's and later founded St Peter's Morningside.
- Margaret Sinclair (1900-1925) was a nun. She is considered a very holy person by the Catholic Church. A special shrine dedicated to her is located inside St Patrick's Church.
- James Connolly (1868-1916) was an important Irish revolutionary leader. He was born in Scotland to Irish parents.
The Parish and Community
St Patrick's Church has a strong connection to its community.
On August 6, 1875, Hibernian F.C. (a famous football club) was founded. It happened at the Catholic Institute, which was linked to St Patrick's. The parish priest, Father Edward Joseph Hannan, and Michael Whelahan from the church's youth group decided to create the football club. On St Patrick's Day in 2013, a plaque was given to the church to remember this important event.
The church holds three Sunday Masses for its community. These are at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 4:30 PM.
See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh
