St. Patrick's Church, Soho Square
Encyclopedia
St Patrick's Church is a very large Roman Catholic Parish Church in Soho Square
, London
that features extensive catacombs
(that spread deep under the Square and further afield). St. Pats (as it is informally known) was consecrated as a chapel in a building behind Carlisle House on 29 September 1792, the first Catholic church created in England after the English Reformation
.
The present church building was built between 1891 and 1893, to designs by John Kelly of Leeds, and replaced the earlier and smaller chapel. 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. The main entrance has a Roman-style porch with Corinthian columns. Above the entrance is an inscription: "VT CHRISTIANI ITA ET ROMANI SITIS" (“Be ye Christians as those of the Roman Church”) is a quote taken from the writings of St. Patrick.
The building was closed for renovation and refurbishment between 28 February 2010 and 31 May 2011.
Soho Square
Soho Square is a square in Soho, London, England, with a park and garden area at its centre that dates back to 1681. It was originally called King Square after Charles II, whose statue stands in the square. At the centre of the garden, there is a distinctive half-timbered gardener's hut...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
that features extensive catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
(that spread deep under the Square and further afield). St. Pats (as it is informally known) was consecrated as a chapel in a building behind Carlisle House on 29 September 1792, the first Catholic church created in England after the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
.
The present church building was built between 1891 and 1893, to designs by John Kelly of Leeds, and replaced the earlier and smaller chapel. 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. The main entrance has a Roman-style porch with Corinthian columns. Above the entrance is an inscription: "VT CHRISTIANI ITA ET ROMANI SITIS" (“Be ye Christians as those of the Roman Church”) is a quote taken from the writings of St. Patrick.
The building was closed for renovation and refurbishment between 28 February 2010 and 31 May 2011.