Newman Documentary, Day 8, Dublin, Building Churches

Day 8: Dublin
May 18, 2025

Dear Friends,

Did you know that St. John Henry Newman not only envisioned but also actively contributed to the design and construction of several churches?

Throughout his life, Newman raised funds to build new churches, including one to replace the old church at St. Clement’s in Oxford. Despite limited financial resources and no formal training in architecture, his profound love for God and refined artistic sensibility guided his endeavors.

The first was a modest Anglican church at Littlemore, built in 1836, characterized by its austere simplicity. Unfortunately, this church no longer exists.

The second, constructed in 1853 on Hagley Road in Birmingham, was a humble, barn-like structure, with its roof repurposed from an abandoned factory. Designed by Terence Flanagan, a cousin of Fr. John Flanagan of the Oratory, it later saw additions between 1858 and 1861—an aisle, an apse, and two transepts—based on designs by John Hungerford Pollen, a friend of Newman. Notably, both Flanagan and Pollen were not professional architects.

The third church, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom—commonly known as Newman University Church—is located at 87A St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin. Designed by John Hungerford Pollen with numerous inputs from Newman, construction began in May 1855, and the church was consecrated on Ascension Day, May 1, 1856.

In a sermon delivered shortly after the church’s opening, Newman emphasized the essential role of the church in university life, stating, “I wish in the same spots and the same individuals to be at once oracles of philosophy and shrines of devotion.”

The church showcases a Byzantine Revival style, a deliberate departure from the prevalent Gothic architecture of the time. This choice was influenced by Newman’s preference for early Christian architectural forms. It incorporates elements of Romanesque and classical design, alongside its primary Byzantine Revival character. The interior features a richly decorated sanctuary with a semi-dome inspired by the apse of the Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano in Rome. The walls are adorned with marble and serpentine from various parts of Ireland, and a baldacchino stands over the altar.

Newman relied on color to compensate for the simplicity of form, both in Birmingham and Dublin. He wrote: “Since we do not distinguish ourselves in form, we must make much of colour. E.g. how beautiful the colouring of St. Peter’s is!” He also believed that the Byzantine style excels internally rather than externally, as is the case with Gothic.

Our team was guided again by Dr. Angelo Bottone, lecturer in philosophy, who is also a Newman scholar.

Thank you for joining us on this journey with St. John Henry Newman. Please continue to pray for the film team and for the guests who are guiding us—so that many others will come to know Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Catholic faith through this documentary we are filming.

Here is a prayer that you can say with us:

O God, who bestowed on your Priest Saint John Henry Newman the grace to follow your kindly light and find peace in your Church; graciously grant that, through his intercession and example, we may be led out of shadows and images into the fullness of your truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(From the Memorial Mass of St. John Henry Newman)

Sources