St Peter's Church, Roath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church |
|
|---|---|
St. Peter's Church, as viewed looking down St. Peter's Street, Plasnewydd
|
|
| 51°29′12″N 3°10′06″W / 51.4868°N 3.1684°W | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | https://www.stpeters-roath.co.uk/ |
| History | |
| Status | active |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Dedication | St Peter |
| Consecrated | 28 June 1948 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 19 May 1975 |
| Architect(s) | Charles Hansom |
| Architectural type | Gothic Revival |
| Style | Geometrical |
| Groundbreaking | 1858 |
| Completed | 1883 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1000 |
| Number of floors | 2 |
| Materials | Pennant sandstone, Bath stone, Radyr stone |
| Bells | 14 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Peter in Roath |
| Deanery | Cardiff |
| Archdiocese | Cardiff Archdiocese |
| Diocese | Cardiff |
| Province | Cardiff |
St Peter's Church in Roath is a very old and important Roman Catholic church. It is located in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. This church is actually the oldest one still standing in Cardiff! A group of priests called the Rosminians look after the church.
Contents
The Story of St Peter's Church
When the Rosminians first came to Cardiff in 1854, many Roman Catholics lived there. However, there was only one place for them to worship. This was St David's chapel in the city centre.
Building the Church
In 1858, a good spot for a new church was found near City Road. People worked hard to raise the money needed. The original church was designed by Charles Hansom in 1860. He planned for it to have a tall tower and a spire.
However, these plans were too big for the money they had. So, when the church opened in 1861, it did not have a tower or a spire. Some people in the area did not want a Catholic church on a main street. This meant plans to extend a road in front of the church were stopped.
Early Challenges and Improvements
Life was tough for the church in its early days. The area around it had a lot of poverty. It was also far from where most Catholic families lived. This made it hard for the early priests, and not many people came to services.
Things started to get better after 1868. That year, a very rich man named John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, became Catholic. With his help and a lot of fundraising, the church improved. A school was started in 1872. A house for the priests, called a presbytery, was also added.
In 1883, the church finally got its tower. Lord Bute paid for it. The spire that was planned was never built. The beautiful stained glass windows in the main part of the church were added in 1882. A statue of Saint Peter was placed over the entrance in 1912. More windows were added to the roof in 1926.
World War II and Beyond
During World War II, the main Catholic Cathedral in Cardiff was badly damaged. From 1941 to 1945, St Peter's Church took over some of its important duties. St Peter's was also hit by a bomb, which damaged part of its roof.
This damage was later fixed. The church was officially consecrated in 1948. This happened after all its building debts were paid off. A hall for the church community was built in 1955. In 1975, St Peter's became a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historic building.
The church school moved to a new place in 1977. The old school building was taken down in 1981. From 1970 to 1987, Father Gil Jones was the priest. He even welcomed Pope John Paul II when the Pope visited Cardiff in 1982. The church was given a big redecoration in 2001.
Church Organs
St Peter's Church has had several organs for music during services.
First Organ
The first organ at St Peter's was built by Thompson and Shackell. It had two keyboards. This organ was completely rebuilt in 1963 by R.V. Gill.
New Organ
In 2004, a large gift was given in the will of Sir Julian Hodge. This money allowed for a brand new organ to be installed. The new organ was named in his honour. It was built by a Swiss company called Späth Orgelbau.
This new organ has three keyboards and was finished in 2006. A famous organ player, Dame Gillian Weir, gave the first concert on the new organ on November 4, 2006.
Gallery
-
Statue of the Madonna
-
The main altar
-
Relics of Antonio Rosmini and Pope John Paul II
-
A side chapel
-
Pulpit
.jpg)
