Saint Malachy's Church, Belfast
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Saint Malachy's Church is a Catholic Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in Alfred Street, a short distance from Belfast City Hall. The church is the focal point of the local parish community and Saint Malachy's Parish is one of the 88 parishes in the Diocese of Down and Connor.
[edit] History
On the November 3, 1841, the feast of Saint Malachy, the foundation stone for Saint Malachy's Church was laid. On December 15, 1844 Dr William Crolly, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland dedicated the building. Dr Crolly was a native and former Bishop of the Diocese of Down and Connor. Originally Saint Malachy's was intended to be the cathedral church of the Diocese of Down and Connor and was to seat 7,000 worshippers but in the time when the Great Famine took hold in Ireland it was decided that the funds would be better spent elsewhere to alleviate the suffering of many. What was intended to be the vast sanctuary of the new cathedral was remodelled to serve as the local church. The church is regarded as one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival churches in Ireland.
[edit] Interior
The church was designed by Thomas Jackson and it is in the ecclesiastical style of the Tudor period. It is cruciform in shape, 113 feet wide, 52 feet wide and 40 feet high. The original high altar, pulpit and altar rails were of Irish Oak however they were replaced with marble when the Church was renovated in 1926. All that remains of the original ornaments is the canopy over the pulpit which has been painted white to match the marble of the present altar furnishings. The sanctuary floor is mosaic, the principle colour being blue. At the foot of the altar is a pelican, a common Christian symbol of sacrifice. Saint Malachy's is, perhaps, best known for its fan vaulted ceiling which is an imitation of the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey. One writer stated: It is as though a wedding cake has been turned inside out, so creamy, lacy and frothy is the plasterwork. There are two side altars in the church, on either side of the sanctuary. One is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the other to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The church also has statues of Saint Joseph, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Philomena, Saint Malachy himself, and Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, known as "The Ragged Saint".
[edit] Restoration
The condition of the brickwork has meant that it is now necessary to begin a full scale Restoration Programme which will begin in May 2007 and is due to be completed in the autumn of 2008. The interior of the Church will also be restored and will mean that the Church will be closed from October 2007 until Easter 2008.
