History of Liverpool's oldest parish to be launched

The press launch of a new history of St Patrick's church, Park Place, Liverpool, by local historian, Michael O'Neill, will take place at the church on Sunday 2 October.

The Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP, Archbishop of Liverpool, will celebrate Mass at 4pm to remember over 7,000 people who have been buried on the site since 1827, especially the priests and people who died during the Typhus epidemic of 1847 and those who were refugees from the Irish Famine. The book launch will take place immediately after the Mass and will be followed by refreshments.

St Patrick's is the oldest Catholic church in Liverpool still in daily use. The decision to build it was taken by a group of local businessmen in 1816. By that year, the population of Liverpool had grown to about 100,000 of whom nearly 20,000 were Catholics including rising numbers of Irish immigrants, and the existing Catholic churches in the town could no longer provide sufficient accommodation for this rapidly rising population. The businessmen formed themselves into the Society of St Patrick, raised £14,000, purchased a plot of land from the Earl of Sefton and commissioned John Slater to design and build a church with a capacity of 1,800 worshippers. The foundation stone was laid in 1821 and the church was opened by Bishop Thomas Penswick in 1827. St Patrick's went on to become the 'Mother Church' of South Liverpool, the place from which subsequent parishes were founded, and its first Pastor, Father Francis Murphy, went on to be the first Catholic Bishop of Adelaide in Australia.

The church has a number of remarkable features: outside are the large statue of St Patrick given by James Brancker in 1827 and the Celtic cross commemorating the ten Liverpool Catholic priests who died in the 1847 Typhus epidemic. Inside at the front of the church is the painting of Christ's crucifixion by Nicaise de Keyser, completed in 1834, and the gallery is dominated by the J. C. Bishop pipe organ, now the oldest organ in Liverpool in playable condition, which has been leading worship since 1830.

Michael O'Neill will be present at the launch of 'St Patrick's, Park Place, Liverpool - A Parish History - 1821-2021' which is published by Gracewing priced £14.99. ISBN 978 085244 981 3.

The Mass and the book launch take place at St Patrick's church, Park Place, Liverpool, L8 5RA on Sunday 2 October 2022 at 4pm.