St. Aloysius

Introduction

Saint Aloysius Church in Garnethill is a Category A listed building, added on 15/12/1970. The church is notable for its use of concrete roofs.

History

The parish began as a Chapel of Ease for Saint Joseph's parishioners, with Mass celebrated in a room in the College. The foundation stone was laid on 4th October 1908 by Archbishop Maguire of Glasgow. The church is built in the Renaissance style of the seventeenth century, after the Cathedral of Namur, Belgium. The church was solemnly opened on 6th February 1910.

The church was still unfinished at its opening, but a General Mission necessitated its use. The marble cladding of the interior was added in 1927 by Austrian architect Ernest Schaufelberg. The church has a campanile 150 feet high and a nave span of 44 feet. The church is 150 feet long, focused on the large Sanctuary at the West end. Major repairs and improvements have included securing the tower, redecoration, re-lighting, and installation of a new organ.

Architecture and furnishings

The free standing marble altar was added in 2002. The Sacred Heart Chapel is of red Languedoc marble with a mosaic of Christ pointing to his heart. The church has two choir lofts, mosaics in the nave, stained glass in the central dome, a marble pulpit, and altar rails.

The church has a campanile at the NE corner. The church has a nave, transept, and side aisles. The church has polished ashlar, rusticated base, and plinth advancing to podia. The church has a giant order of tetrastyle fluted Corinthian pilasters to entrances at Rose Street and Hill Street.

The church has a central corbelled elliptically-headed, keyblocked light. The church has narrow, round-headed aisle-lights to return elevations. The church has a ground floor cornice and continuous die parapet with balustrades. The church has sculpted panels at capital height and central sculpture above window.

The church has outer bays small, plain aedicule lights. The church has a plain domestic block with linking string courses to SW return. The church has a rusticated wall with outer, corniced piers. The Hill Street elevation has projecting transept/entrance bays to W with central segmentally pedimented, pilastered.

The campanile is plain with recesses panelling to 2nd stage. The campanile has segmentally pedimented, keyblocked, louvred bellcote. The campanile has open aediculed final stage and gold ball and cross finial. The church has concrete roofs and cuploas.

The church has wrought-iron railings. The interior has a nave arcade and richly decorated side chapels.

Parish life

Since March 2016, the church has hosted English language classes for refugees and asylum seekers at the Ogilvie Centre. In 2019, the church’s ESOL students created a photography exhibition called 'Refuge Garnethill' exploring heritage, culture, and home.

The church is in the care of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Attached to the church is a set of parish rooms and bookshop, called the Ogilvie Centre.

Sacraments and pastoral care

In the Archdiocese of Glasgow, First Holy Communion is received in Primary 4, usually shortly after Easter. Before a child receives Confirmation, parents or guardians meet with the parish clergy, and the child must have their clear consent and desire. The parish requires a minimum of six months' notice before a wedding date. To request the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, whether at home, in the hospital, or before a medical procedure, one contacts the parish office to arrange a visit with a priest.

Funeral arrangements can be made directly with the parish office or coordinated through a chosen Funeral Director, and once a date and time are confirmed, the priest meets with the family to discuss the liturgy, readings, and music choices. Prior to the First Sunday of Lent, catechumens and candidates, together with their sponsors and those accompanying them, are invited to participate in a day of retreat.

The church, alongside the parish of St Augustine’s in Milton, dedicates its ministry to the members of the Deaf community in Glasgow. The ESOL school prepares students for progression to an ESOL course at one of the Glasgow colleges, Clyde, City or Kelvin.