St Patrick's Church, Soho Square

St Patrick's Church is a large Roman Catholic parish church in Soho Square, London, that features extensive catacombs (that spread deep under the Square and further afield). St Pat's (as it is informally known) was consecrated as a chapel in a building behind Carlisle House on 29 September 1792, one of the first Catholic buildings allowed in Great Britain after the Reformation.

Exterior of St Patrick's Church

The present church building was built between 1891 and 1893, to designs by John Kelly of Leeds,[1] and replaced the earlier and smaller chapel built by Father Arthur O'Leary in the 1790s. The church has an unusual longish shape due to plot constrictions given at that time. The building is constructed out of bricks with a bell-tower. It is Grade II* listed.[2] The main entrance has a Roman-style porch with Corinthian columns. Above the entrance is an inscription: VT CHRISTIANI ITA ET ROMANI SITIS ("Ut christiani ita et romani sitis", i.e. “Be ye Christians as those of the Roman Church”). It is a quotation taken from the writings of St. Patrick.[3]

The building was closed for renovation and refurbishment between 28 February 2010 and 31 May 2011.[4] During the renovations, services were held in the nearby Chapel of St Barnabas, at The House of St Barnabas.

  • Interior of St Patrick's Church prior to renovation
  • Interior following renovation and refurbishment
  • The entrance to the nave

References
  1. Nikolaus Pevsner and Bridget Cherry, London: The Cities of London and Westminster, (The Buildings of England), Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973, p. 498.
  2. Historic England. "Roman Catholic Church Of St Patricks (1236286)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  3. "St Patrick's in Rome". Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  4. St Patrick's Church Newsletter Retrieved 5 June 2011

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