St. Vincent De Paul, Liverpool

Introduction

Saint Vincent de Paul Church in Liverpool was built in 1856-7 and designed by Edward Welby Pugin. An 1857 article in The Tablet described the church as the 'Church of the poor'.

History

A shed in Norfolk Street was fitted out as a chapel, serving an area of 7,600 souls, and in August 1852 was separated from Saint Patrick's to form a Mission in its own right. The first rector, Father Edward Walmsley, was appointed in 1852 and died of Typhus a few months later. The church was completed and opened in August 1857 and dedicated to Saint Vincent de Paul. The Missionaries of Africa arrived in the parish on 18 September 2018, the first priests to reside there for 17 years.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of stone with slate roofs in the C13 style, with a 6-bay nave and 2-bay chancel. The church has an open traceried iron bellcote with short spire. The interior has a nave with arcade with angel stops to hoodmoulds and a wagon roof on wallpiers. The chancel has arcades to flanking chapels, 3 marble altars with reredoses, and each chapel has 3 statues in canopied niches.

The church contains windows by Hardman of Birmingham; stone carving by William Farmer and R. L. Boulton; and an 1857 pipe organ by Gray and Davison. The reredos is fronted by Chestnut floor panels from the Earl of Shrewsbury's home, Alton Towers. The church and priests' house are both listed buildings, Grade II* and Grade II respectively. The church has a continuous marble altar rail to chancel and chapels and C19 stained glass to the east end.

Parish life

The parish has ministries for visiting and taking the Eucharist to housebound community members. The parish runs a food bank serving the poorest in the area, continuing its mission of fundraising and campaigning for a more just world.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish runs a food bank in collaboration with Micah Liverpool. For infant baptism and marriages, the parish asks people to get in touch with the parish. For funerals, the parish directs people to speak with their funeral director about having a funeral at St Vincent’s.