St John the Evangelist Church, Sandymount
St John the Evangelist, Sandymount, is somewhat unique in the Church of Ireland as it was one of the few within the Church that participated in the Catholic Revival movement which would later become known as the Tractarian Movement. St John’s is a trustee church, an ‘estate church’ with an independent liturgy and was financed independently. It was designed as a chapel-of-ease for the parish of Donnybrook and construction began in the 1840s on lands donated by Sidney Herbert, brother of the Earl of Pembroke, as a Trustee Church. The Church Building is a copy of a 13th century church in Normandy, and is the only example of Neo-Norman architecture in Dublin.
it was opened for divine service on Palm Sunday, 24th March 1850. By 1867, the need was felt to determine in explicit terms the parochial boundaries that pertained to St John’s, and it is with this in mind that the letter and map was produced. It is interesting to note that the purpose of the map and the accompanying letter appears not simply to outline the parochial district, but also to remind the ‘incumbent or curate’ of his duties, namely that of ‘the tithes of baptism, confirmation and the Churching of women and the Holy sacraments of the Lord’s Supper shall be solemnized or performed in the said church called the church of Saint John the Evangelist, Sandymount’. From 1903 there were accusations of ritualistic practices.
St John’s had as part of its community, the first religious order of Anglican nuns in Ireland. The sisters first earned a living by producing embroidery and vestments for churches: they took over the Guild for Church Needlework, a group run by ‘a little band of ladies’ associated with St John’s who had done embroidery work for the church. In 1915, the sisters opened St Agnes School for Girls. They would later run St Mary’s, Pembroke Park, a home for elderly ladies of the Church of Ireland.
The Church has the only Stations of the Cross and Monstrance within the Church of Ireland. The Stations of the Cross were presented to the church by Evie Hone in 1937 and designed by Roger de Villiers, a French sculptor. These caused a scandal at the time and the Priest was accused of carrying out unauthorised practices. Evidence heard by a court of three bishops, three Northern judges and one Southern judge led to the Rev SRS Colquhoun being suspended from his ministry for six months and a condition attached that the Stations of the Cross be removed. They were returned to the church in 1997 having been located at the Jesuit Community in Hatch Street.
Incumbents
1850 - 1864 Rev William De Burgh
1864 - 1889 Rev Bennett Charles Davidson
1889 - 1930 Rev Fletcher Sheridan Le Fanu
1930 - 1960 Rev Samuel Randal Sproule Colquhoun
© Karen Poff 2015 - 2022
St John the Evangelist, Sandymount, is somewhat unique in the Church of Ireland as it was one of the few within the Church that participated in the Catholic Revival movement which would later become known as the Tractarian Movement. St John’s is a trustee church, an ‘estate church’ with an independent liturgy and was financed independently. It was designed as a chapel-of-ease for the parish of Donnybrook and construction began in the 1840s on lands donated by Sidney Herbert, brother of the Earl of Pembroke, as a Trustee Church. The Church Building is a copy of a 13th century church in Normandy, and is the only example of Neo-Norman architecture in Dublin.
it was opened for divine service on Palm Sunday, 24th March 1850. By 1867, the need was felt to determine in explicit terms the parochial boundaries that pertained to St John’s, and it is with this in mind that the letter and map was produced. It is interesting to note that the purpose of the map and the accompanying letter appears not simply to outline the parochial district, but also to remind the ‘incumbent or curate’ of his duties, namely that of ‘the tithes of baptism, confirmation and the Churching of women and the Holy sacraments of the Lord’s Supper shall be solemnized or performed in the said church called the church of Saint John the Evangelist, Sandymount’. From 1903 there were accusations of ritualistic practices.
St John’s had as part of its community, the first religious order of Anglican nuns in Ireland. The sisters first earned a living by producing embroidery and vestments for churches: they took over the Guild for Church Needlework, a group run by ‘a little band of ladies’ associated with St John’s who had done embroidery work for the church. In 1915, the sisters opened St Agnes School for Girls. They would later run St Mary’s, Pembroke Park, a home for elderly ladies of the Church of Ireland.
The Church has the only Stations of the Cross and Monstrance within the Church of Ireland. The Stations of the Cross were presented to the church by Evie Hone in 1937 and designed by Roger de Villiers, a French sculptor. These caused a scandal at the time and the Priest was accused of carrying out unauthorised practices. Evidence heard by a court of three bishops, three Northern judges and one Southern judge led to the Rev SRS Colquhoun being suspended from his ministry for six months and a condition attached that the Stations of the Cross be removed. They were returned to the church in 1997 having been located at the Jesuit Community in Hatch Street.
Incumbents
1850 - 1864 Rev William De Burgh
1864 - 1889 Rev Bennett Charles Davidson
1889 - 1930 Rev Fletcher Sheridan Le Fanu
1930 - 1960 Rev Samuel Randal Sproule Colquhoun
© Karen Poff 2015 - 2022