Catholicism Across Ireland's Coasts

On this trip, we visited a variety of Roman Catholic churches in two Irish cities, Dublin and Galway. We selected churches with a spectrum of ages, sizes, and architectural styles. In Dublin we focused on St. Patrick’s Cathedral built between 1220 and 1260, Christ Church Cathedral built in 1038, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church established in 1908. In Galway, we visited Mary’s Dominican Church: Claddagh built in 1890, Saint Augustine’s Church built in 1855, Saint Joseph’s church built in 1835, and Christ the King Salthill Church built in 1936. Through these two cities, we sought to understand how Roman Catholic infrastructure in Ireland differs between smaller, more rural areas, and the largest city. We went to large churches that have integrated structured tourism into their functions while also visiting local parishes to see how they maintain cultural relevance in their communities. 

We visited all the churches and spoke to people in the congregation and in the clergy. We participated in self-guided tours of churches that offered them including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral. We attended morning Mass service at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Dublin, Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Galway, and Saint Augustine’s Church in Galway. At each church, we took comprehensive field notes on-site. Upon our visits, we observed with an eye for the state of the building itself, signage, engagement, and trends in how attendees acted. 

Throughout the trip, we were able to interact with many members of these churches and get a better understanding of how these Catholic churches maintain their parishes. Two of the main commonalities between these seven churches were the focus on young members of the communities and the emphasis on how Catholicism can complement the life you are currently living. Two churches we visited, St. Patrick’s and Christ the King Church, had music school programs for children to participate in where they can be a part of the church’s youth choir and learn how to play various instruments. In addition to these programs, some of the churches offered youth mass which was specifically for the younger members of the church, as well as youth prayer groups. Each church we visited also had a “Child Safeguarding Policy Statement” which was signed by the bishop, in response to the accusations of sexual abuse within Catholic communities. These statements solidified the church’s commitment to maintaining all children’s safety and included the names of those to contact if a member were to have “a suspicion, concern, knowledge, or allegation that a child is being or has been abused,”. Each church demonstrated an interest in involving and supporting its younger members by offering activities beyond regularly scheduled mass as well as learning from the church. The second main observation we made was the common discourse of Catholicism not imposing on one's life. Through the Masses and tours we attended it was common for the churches to emphasize their openness. Churches offered masses in multiple different languages and accommodations for members during Mass. During our tours, they made it clear that this church was welcome to all. In the Mass we attended at Immaculate Heart of Mary the priest spoke about how St. Patrick’s approach to sharing his Catholic values and lifestyle was not to impose on people’s lives but to guide them in seeing how Catholicism could add to their life. Overall the churches are moving towards becoming more welcoming places that offer support and extra opportunities to build community. 

This project allowed us to see multiple forms of beauty in Catholic churches. We were struck by architectural complexity, intricate stained glass pieces, and ornate altars. We were also met with an overwhelming sense that we were welcome in the spaces we visited. Members of the congregation and clergy approached us, on multiple occasions, to introduce themselves and ask more about our background and our project. 

While the percentage of Catholics in Ireland has been decreasing over time, we were able to experience firsthand many lively Catholic church communities working to welcome more people and continue the strength of the congregation for generations to come.

During this trip, we were only able to visit two different cities in Ireland. To provide a more well-rounded view of Catholicism in Ireland it would be important to interact with churches across the entire country. We were also only able to visit each church once and didn’t have time to hear many voices at each church. Moving forward it would be valuable to speak with multiple members of each church as well as people living in the community who were not a part of the Catholic community. This trip allowed us to see the value of Catholic communities in Ireland and begin to understand where Ireland stands with Catholicism today.