Saint Malachy's Church is a Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 Church in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It is located in Alfred Street, a short distance from Belfast City Hall

Belfast City Hall

Belfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council. Located in Donegall Square, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it faces north and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre.-History:...

. The Church is the focal point of the local parish community and Saint Malachy's Parish is one of the 88 parishes in the Diocese of Down and Connor

Diocese of Down and Connor

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor, is a Roman Catholic diocese in the north-eastern part of Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh and is subject to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh...

. After Saint Mary's Church in Chapel Lane and Saint Patrick's Church in Donegall Street, Saint Malachy's is the 3rd oldest Catholic Church in the city of Belfast.

In the beginning Saint Malachy's was administered by the priests of Saint Mary's Parish until The Parish of Saint Malachy was created in 1866 and Fr Geoffrey Brennan was appointed Administrator. The first Parish Priest of Saint Malachy's was Fr Daniel McCashin.

History

On the November 3, 1841, the feast of Saint Malachy

Saint Malachy

Saint Malachy was the Archbishop of Armagh, to whom were attributed several miracles and a vision of the identity of the last 112 Popes...

, the foundation stone for Saint Malachy's Church was laid. On December 15, 1844 Dr William Crolly

William Crolly

William Crolly was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh from 1835 to 1849....

, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland dedicated the building. Dr Crolly was a native and former Bishop of the Diocese of Down and Connor. Originally Saint Malachy's was intended to be the Cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 Church of the Diocese of Down and Connor and was to seat 7,000 worshippers but in the time when the Great Famine

Great Famine

Great Famine may refer to any of several historical famines:* The Great Famine of 1315–1317 in northern Europe* The Great India Famine of 1344-1345...

 took hold in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 it was decided that the funds would be better spent elsewhere to alleviate the suffering of many. What was intended to be the vast sanctuary of the new Cathedral was remodelled to serve as the local Church. The Church is regarded as one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival

Tudorbethan architecture

The Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...

 churches in Ireland.

Interior

The Church was designed by Thomas Jackson of Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

 and it is in the ecclesiastical style of the Tudor period

Tudor period

The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...

. It is cruciform in shape, 113 feet wide, 52 feet wide and 40 feet high. The original High Altar, Pulpit and Altar Rails were of Irish Oak however they were replaced with marble when the Church was renovated in 1926. All that remains of the original ornaments is the canopy over the pulpit which has been painted white to match the marble of the present altar furnishings. The Sanctuary floor is mosaic, the principal colour being blue. At the foot of the Altar is a pelican, a common Christian symbol of sacrifice.

Saint Malachy's is, perhaps, best known for its fan vaulted ceiling which is an imitation of the Henry VII

Henry VII of England

Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....

 Chapel in Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...

. Sir Charles Brett stated: It is as though a wedding cake has been turned inside out, so creamy, lacy and frothy is the plasterwork. There are two Side Altars in the Church, on either side of the Sanctuary. One is dedicated to Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....

, the other to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church also has statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Philomena, Saint Malachy himself, and Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, known as "The Ragged Saint" by the people of Belfast and throughout Ireland.

World War II

During the Second World War there were a number of raids on Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 by the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

, the German Air Force. On one occasion, during the infamous Belfast Blitz

Belfast Blitz

The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on the night of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941 during World War II. Two hundred bombers of the German Air Force attacked the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Nearly one thousand people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. In terms...

 of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941, a bomb landed in front of the Church and, while it did not cause any structural damage to the Church, many of the windows were blown in. A second bomb landed at the nearby Gasworks. The explosion caused a huge vacuum in the local area which literally sucked out the remainder of the windows and the original Irish Oak frames were destroyed. Being a time of war, it was impossible to replace the oak window frames and so they were replaced in concrete, something that was to prove more damaging than the German bomb. The strength of the concrete has, over the last 60 years, destroyed the bricks surrounding these frames (the Church was built with handmade bricks) and by the time the Restoration work was complete upwards of 80,000 bricks needed to be replaced.

Restoration

The area of the city around Saint Malachy's has been dramatically developed in the last number of years. That, and its age, have led to the deterioration in the condition of the brickwork which has meant that a full scale Restoration Programme began in January 2008 and was completed in 2009 at a cost of £3,500,000. The interior of the Church has also been restored. The ornate stencilling around the Sanctuary, painted over in the 1950s, was restored as were the Altar Rails and the intricate mosaic floor. The Solemn Re-Opening and Dedication of the Altar

Altar (Catholicism)

In the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, the altar is where the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered. Mass may sometimes be celebrated outside a sacred place, but never without an altar, or at least an altar stone.-Precedent:...

 was celebrated on March 29th 2009 by the Bishop of Down and Connor Dr Noel Treanor

Noel Treanor

Noel Treanor is the 32nd and current Bishop of the Irish diocese of Down and Connor. On 22 February 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced the appointment of Noel Treanor as Bishop...

 in the presence of the Bishop Emeritus

Emeritus

Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...

 Dr Patrick Walsh

Patrick Walsh

Patrick Walsh was an American politician and journalist.Walsh was born in Ballingarry, County Limerick, Ireland. With his parents he emigrated in 1852 to Charleston, South Carolina, where he was apprenticed to a printer...

.
This was the first time that Saint Malachy's had been closed for an extended period since the Church was opened in 1844. Although the Church suffered a great deal of damage during the Second World War it was still kept open by doing the work in stages, sometimes with half the Church closed off.

Liturgies

The liturgy of the Catholic Church is varied and as a working Church Saint Malachy's has celebrated most, if not all, of the various liturgical celebrations. During the period of Restoration, Nuptial and Requiem Masses were celebrated in neighbouring Churches.

• Sunday Masses are: Vigil (Saturday) 6pm; 9.30am, 11.30am and 5pm.
• Weekday Masses are at 8am and 1pm, Monday to Friday; 10am on Saturdays.
• Confessions are at 12.30pm and 5.30pm on Saturdays.

Priests

Administrators and Parish Priests

• Rev. Geoffrey Brennan Adm. (1866–1882)
• Rev. John P. Greene Adm. (1882–1889)
• Very Rev. Daniel McCashin PP (1889–1919)
• Ven. Archdeacon John McKinley PP VG (1919–1934)
• Right Rev. Monsignor Canon James Clenaghan PP VG (1934–1940)
• Ven. Archdeacon John Macaulay PP (1941–1955)
• Right Rev. Monsignor Dean Francis Kerr PP VG (1955–1967)
• Very Rev. Canon John McSparran PP (1967–1973)
• Very Rev. Canon James Close PP (1973–1978)
• Very Rev. Alexander Darragh PP (1978–1982)
• Very Rev. Canon Peter McCann PP (1983–1997)
• Very Rev. Anthony Curran PP VF (1997–2010)
• Very Rev. Michael McGinnity PP (2010– )

Curates

1866-1910

• Rev. J. Hamill
• Rev. J. Canavan
• Rev. J. Ryan
• Rev. P. Magorrian
• Rev. M. Hamill
• Rev. J. Moore
• Rev. E. Hassett
• Rev. B. McCann
• Rev. J. O'Boyle
• Rev. R. Crickard
• Rev. T. Twomey
• Rev. J. McArdle
• Rev. J. McIlvenny
• Rev. R. Smyth
• Rev. J. Kennedy
• Rev. D. McGorrian
• Rev. A. Quinn
• Rev. J. Quinn
• Rev. W. McCourt
• Rev. P. McErlean
• Rev. H. Heffron
• Rev. A. Tully
• Rev. M. Laverty
• Rev. F. C. Henry
• Rev. W. J. Kelly
• Rev. J. Nolan
• Rev. D. Magennis
• Rev. M. Leahy
• Rev. G. Crolly
• Rev. B. Laverty
• Rev. J. F. Shiels

1910-1925

• Rev. B. Laverty
• Rev. J. Boylan
• Rev. G. McKay
• Rev. T. McGowan
• Rev. J. Walsh
• Rev. T. H. McAuley
• Rev. D. Tuathail
• Rev. J. Gillan
• Rev. J. McSparran

1925-1947

• Rev. J. Gillan
• Rev. J. McSparran
• Rev. E. Diamond
• Rev. F. Kerr
• Rev. V. Davey
• Rev. D. J. Morgan
• Rev. R. Rogan
• Rev. J. Dean
• Rev. A. Connolly

1947-1965

• Rev. J. Dean
• Rev. A. Connolly
• Rev. F. Scullin
• Rev. J. Moloney
• Rev. F. Corr
• Rev. A. Scott
• Rev. J. Fitzpatrick
• Rev. J. Kennedy

1965-2011

• Rev. Vincent Leonard
• Rev. Denis McAteer
• Rev. Patrick McCrea
• Rev. Aidan Kerr
• Rev. Denis Newberry
• Rev. Andrew McGrattan
• Rev. Anthony McHugh
• Rev. Anthony Curran (Succeeded as Parish Priest)
• Rev. Michael Sheehan
• Rev. Brian McCann
• Rev. Martin Graham

The Great Bell

The Church houses the largest bell in Belfast. Close to the Church stood a whiskey distillery and its owners claimed that the peal of the bell was upsetting the distillation process. Contrary to popular belief the bell was not removed, instead it was wrapped in felt to soften its peal and vibration however by the time of the Restoration work in 2008/2009 the felt had long since rotted away and the full peal of the bell can be heard at least four times daily.

Awards

Since the Church reopened in 2009 the restoration work has won high praise and a number of awards from groups within Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and in the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. These include The Aisling Award 2009 (Northern Ireland) for Belfast Brand; The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is an independent, representative professional body which regulates property professionals and surveyors in the United Kingdom and other sovereign nations....

 Award 2010 for Building Conservation; The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Award 2010 for Project of the Year; The Royal Institute of British Architects

Royal Institute of British Architects

The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...

 Award 2010; the Civic Trust

Civic Trust

The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...

 Award 2010; The Royal Society of Ulster Architects

Royal Society of Ulster Architects

The Royal Society of Ulster Architects is the professional body for registered architects in Northern Ireland. Chartered RIBA members in Northern Ireland are automatically members of the RSUA. RSUA Members use the suffix RSUA and also may use RIBA....

 Conservation Award 2010; The Irish Georgian Society

Irish Georgian Society

The Irish Georgian Society aims to encourage an interest in and to promote the conservation of distinguished examples of architecture and the allied arts of all periods in Ireland...

Award 2010.

External links

• The Diocese of Down and Connor
• The Parish of Saint Malachy
• The Holy See