St. Patrick's
(Click the image for a better view)
| Clergy: | FR. LIAM BELTON, P.P. |
| Address: | Parochial House, Kilquade, Co. Wicklow. Tel: 01-2819252 |
| Mass times: | Sun: 12 noon | Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri: 10am |
| Baptisms: | 3rd Sun @ 12.45pm (4 weeks notice required) |
| Preparation Meeting (See Delgany Church) | |
| Weddings: | Contact the Parish Office. Information here |
Fr. Liam Belton P.P.
Kilquade & Greystones
Kilquade is a far-flung Parish. It embraces Kilquade, Kilpedder, Kilcoole, Newcastle, Delgany and Newtownmountkennedy. This website will be helpful to all in our faith community. In particular, it extends a warm welcome to our new residents. We hope you will enjoy your time among us.
There are three Churches in our Parish. The Parish Church at Kilquade, and Chapels of ease at Newtown and Kilcoole. We hope you visit them, walk around, sit quietly and pray. Experience a sense of God’s peace and return to join in our Services. If you are a new resident, please contact any of the priests, who will meet and welcome you.
Our Parish Church was beautifully restored and re-ordered
to mark its bicentenary in 2002. The original Church was burned down during
the 1798 Rebellion. Re-built in 1802, many of its original features, the
old stone floor, the windows above the Sanctuary etc. were restored. A
new, beautiful liturgical sanctuary was established. An historical Church,
of which we are proud!
St Patrick’s Church, Kilquade is steeped in history. The very name
Kilquade (Cill Comhghaid) tells of a St. Comghaid who had a hermit’s
cell or a church in the area.
We
know that there was a Catholic community here in the sixteen hundreds.
Indeed two chalices still in use, bear the inscription “Anno
Domini 1633” and 24th November 1759”
Also, official
records of 1701 list a Fr. Seneca Fitzwilliam as the incumbent priest
recognized by the British Government under the Penal Laws.
Tradition
in the area tells that the original was burnt down in the time of
Cromwell and rebuilt again. We know for certain that in 1798 the church
was burnt down and in 1802 the present church built. Part of the funding
for the new building was in the form of a “Restoration Grant”
of £ 77 which came from the British Government. Consequently,
St Patrick’s Church is known as a Compensation Church”
and is the only such church remaining in the Dublin Diocese.
We know
that the Catholic community here was an active one by the fact that
after Catholic Emancipation, Daniel O’Connell wrote to Fr, Stennett,
the then parish priest of Kilquade, asking if he had received a receipt
for the contribution made by the parishioners of St. Patrick’s
to the newly formed Catholic Association.
Now over
two hundred years old, St. Patrick’s Church Kilquade had been
recently renovated and refurbished. We pray that the faith, handed
down to us by the generations who worshipped in this sacred place
in the past, will continue to grow in our time and will shine brightly
in this area in future generations.
