In 1838 the Archbishop of Dublin, Fr Daniel Murray, and the parish priest of St Paul’s, Arran Quay, Dublin, Dr William Yore, decided to give St Peter’s Phibsboro, over to the Vincentians. Frs Thomas McNamara, John Hand and Edmund Scully were the first to… Read more
In 1838 the Archbishop of Dublin, Fr Daniel Murray, and the parish priest of St Paul’s, Arran Quay, Dublin, Dr William Yore, decided to give St Peter’s Phibsboro, over to the Vincentians. Frs Thomas McNamara, John Hand and Edmund Scully were the first to take care of the parish. Thomas McNamara and Edmund Scully were ordained as Vincentian priests, but Fr Hand was not, although he did found All Hallows College, Drumcondra, in 1842, which itself became Vincentian in 1892.
St Peter’s Church was enlarged after a public meeting in 1841, with the addition of 43 feet in length. In 1854, the Vincentians officially took over St Peter’s Church. The church, which was Gothic but not very elaborate, was considerably extended in the 1850s and 1860s under the persuasion of Fr McNamara. In 1843, schools were built beside the church, and again in 1891.
After 1902, Fr Cornelius Hickey, a later superior of St Peter’s, caused further renovations and extensions to the church. The spire was completed in 1911. The current building is a spacious Gothic Revival church.
For over 150 years, the Vincentians have given pastoral care in Phibsboro.
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