The first post-Reformation Catholic Church in Holywood was St Patrick’s in Church View which was consecrated in 1830. However, to meet the growth in the congregation Timothy Hevey was commissioned by Monsignor O’ Laverty, the parish priest, to design a much larger church on a prominent site overlooking the road into Belfast. This was in a most beautiful French Gothic style, and consisted of a nave and chancel with a lofty tower to one side, which was consecrated in 1874. The spire was added in 1891.
Sadly the church was totally destroyed by fire in August 1989 although the tower survived. The new church, which was dedicated in 1995, is circular and the belfry tower was retained. One of the most striking features of the new church is the natural light in the interior space.
