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								St Patrick's Parish Edinburgh


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Church History

The Beginnings
St Patrick's began life in 1774 as Cowgate Chapel, built for a congregation of the Scottish Episcopal (Anglican) Church. When the congregation began moving across the city to the growing New Town, Cowgate Chapel was sold to a Relief (Presbyterian) congregation in 1811. The Episcopalian congregation transferred to the newly built St Paul's (now St Paul & St George) at the top of Broughton St.

The Relief Presbyterian congregation never fully established itself in Cowgate Chapel, and struggled constantly with finances, eventually selling, via a 3rd party, to the Roman Catholic Church in 1856.

St Patrick's
The Catholic community in Edinburgh began to grow considerably in the mid 19th century, its numbers swelled by immigrants from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. These immigrants settled mainly in Grassmarket, Cowgate, Canongate and what is now the Holyrood area. Tens of thousands of people lived in poor, crowded insanitary conditions. The church provided a religious, social and often national focus for the Catholic community, in the face of local indifference, or, at worst, hostility.

The newly-purchased Cowgate Chapel was dedicated to St Patrick, and quickly extended to cater for the many thousands of worshippers who attended Mass. A new sanctuary was added on what was the North side of the chapel; and an impressive classical façade was added to what had been the south side of the chapel, facing Cowgate.

First Home of Hibs
St Patrick's was the first home of Hibernian Football Club, founded in the parish by Canon Edward Hannan, parish priest for over 40 years. A memorial plaque to Canon Hannan may be found just inside the main doors of the church. The canon's name is revered by supporters of the Hibernian Football Club to this day.

Runciman paintings
Amongst the notable features of St Patrick's are four paintings by Edinburgh artist Alexander Runciman. These wall paintings are in the original Eastern apse of the church, and are surmounted by a mural of the Ascension by the same artist. The mural was painted over in the course of time, but a project is underway to restore it to its original glory.

The Venerable Margaret Sinclair
Margaret Sinclair was a local woman, living in Blackfriar's Street, yards from St Patrick's church. She was born in 1900, and from her earliest years earned a reputation for piety and holiness. She died in 1925, and her cause for Canonisation is underway. Her shrine in St Patrick's was blessed on 25th October 2003 by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pablo Puente, in the presence of the recently appointed Cardinal O'Brien and over 1,000 people. It is now a centre of prayer and devotion.