Saint Philip Neri Church, Liverpool

Saint Philip Neri Church in Liverpool serves as the Roman Catholic chaplaincy for the city’s universities, offering a vibrant spiritual space for students and the local community alike. This Grade II* listed building, designed by architect P.S. Gilby, is inspired by Byzantine architecture and was constructed between 1914 and 1920. The church's history and design intertwine faith, education, and artistic heritage.

The exterior showcases striking friezes depicting the Last Supper and Our Lady with the Child Jesus. Above the entrance on Catherine Street, inscriptions in Latin ("Deipara") and Greek ("Theotokos") reference the titles given to the Virgin Mary at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. Another notable feature is a large stone commemorating Archbishop Thomas Whiteside, set into the wall and dated October 8, 1916.

The church traces its origins to "The Institute," a school established in 1853 on Hope Street, which hosted visits from Cardinal John Henry Newman, whose devotion to Saint Philip Neri inspired the parish’s name. Parish registers from 1864 are preserved at the Liverpool Record Office. In the 1950s, Father John Garvin created a Spanish garden, "El Jardin de Nuestra Señora," on an adjacent bombsite, and in 2001, the church became the university chaplaincy for Liverpool’s universities.

Inside, the church features six altars, each dedicated to a specific devotion: the main nave altar, the original high altar, and altars dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and Saint Gerard. This spiritual diversity reflects the church’s welcoming and inclusive nature.