St. Patrick's Church, Halifax

St. Patrick's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The parish was founded in 1843 and the present church was opened in 1885. It is registered as a Provincial Heritage Building and is currently served by the Society of Jesus.HistoryFoundationIn 1843, the parish of St. Patrick was founded. The first Masses were held in a local stable on the corner of Gerrish and Göttingen Streets. Two years later, in 1845, the parish moved to a former chapel that was previously an Anglican Garrison Chapel. In 1851, this was extended when a spire with a bell was added. In 1857, a school was opened in the basement of the church. In 1867 the school was moved to a separate building.ConstructionWith the congregation growing in number, plans were drawn up to rebuild the church so that it would have a larger capacity. A local architect, Henry Peters, was chosen to design the church. He also designed St. Matthew's Church in the city. Peters, who is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery was a well known local builder. He also built the South Street Poor House, an Irish Catholic Institution in the Victoria Era. The last Mass in the old church was said on 2 April 1883. On 8 August 1883, the Archbishop of Halifax, Cornelius O'Brien laid the cornerstone of the new church. The first Mass in the new church was said in the basement on 22 December 1883. On 27 December 1885, the church was opened to the congregation and the first Mass was said on the main altar.