Saint Francis Xavier Church, Dublin
Encyclopedia
Saint Francis Xavier Church, popularly known as Gardiner Street Church, is a Roman Catholic Church
on Upper Gardiner Street, near Mountjoy Square. The church is run by the Jesuits.
. The church was opened on 3rd May 1832, though the parish website says "The High Altar....was designed and assembled in Rome by Fr. B. Esmonde...who with Mr John B. Keane
was the architect of the church". Architectural critic Christine Casey describes it in her book, "Dublin", as "the most elegant church of the period in Dublin". The building is known for its collection, sculpted altar piece, and paintings, mostly Italian in origin and dating from the Victorian period. The design of St Francis Xavier Church reflects the depth of Father B. Esmonde's knowledge of the temples of Italy acquired during his long residency there.
In 1889 the funeral was held here for the poet Gerald Manley Hopkins.
The church features in James Joyce
's short story "Grace
" from Dubliners
.
The Latin text on the pediment reads, "DEO UNI ET TRINO SUB INVOC S FRANCISCI XAVERII" which translates to english as, "to God one and Three under the invocation of St. Francis Xavier".
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
on Upper Gardiner Street, near Mountjoy Square. The church is run by the Jesuits.
History
Designed by Father Bartholomew Esmonde SJ and erected by the architect Joseph B. Keane as a Classical cut granite stone essay, the first stone was laid on 2nd July 1829, the year of Catholic EmancipationCatholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
. The church was opened on 3rd May 1832, though the parish website says "The High Altar....was designed and assembled in Rome by Fr. B. Esmonde...who with Mr John B. Keane
John B. Keane (architect)
John B. Keane was an Irish architect of the 19th century. . He was engineer on the River Suir navigation.-Buildings:*Mercy International Centre, Baggot Street, Dublin *Courthouse, Tullamore *Carlow County Infirmary, Carlow...
was the architect of the church". Architectural critic Christine Casey describes it in her book, "Dublin", as "the most elegant church of the period in Dublin". The building is known for its collection, sculpted altar piece, and paintings, mostly Italian in origin and dating from the Victorian period. The design of St Francis Xavier Church reflects the depth of Father B. Esmonde's knowledge of the temples of Italy acquired during his long residency there.
In 1889 the funeral was held here for the poet Gerald Manley Hopkins.
The church features in James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
's short story "Grace
Grace (short story)
"Grace" is a short story by James Joyce published in his 1914 collection Dubliners. According to Stanislaus Joyce, the story is based on Dante's Divine Comedy.-Plot summary:...
" from Dubliners
Dubliners
Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. They were meant to be a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century....
.
The Latin text on the pediment reads, "DEO UNI ET TRINO SUB INVOC S FRANCISCI XAVERII" which translates to english as, "to God one and Three under the invocation of St. Francis Xavier".