St. Teresa's Carmelite Church

This past Saturday evening we went to mass at St. Teresa's Carmelite Church which is aka the Clarendon Street Church. In Ireland everyone has a nickname for all the churches its kinda funny. Its off of Grafton Street through a small alley. Grafton Street is one of the main shopping areas. During its prime this was a densely populated area. The church opened in 1797 after being in previous locations and the Carmelite's even had to go underground at times during the English persecution.

Sign towards the church on Grafton Street.

The front of the church on Clarendon Street

Entrance to the Church off of the Alley

In the mid 1800's they built a courtyard area next to the Priory. They built this so that people had a place to mingle after mass. They did masses every hour on the hour on Sundays. The mass would only be a half hour long to leave time for people to come and go between the masses. I even remember it being like this when I was a child. This church has 6 masses on Sundays and even 6 on weekdays. This actually surprises me because I believe there is a priest shortage in Ireland. 

Yes this is a little Priory Cafe in the courtyard

Statue in the courtyard

Holy Water fountain in the courtyard

 

The main alter was changed after Vatican Council II and the stain glass windows
were added at the same time. Unfortunately none of these
churches use to the kneeling rail anymore.

 K actually asked me what these were. I guess she has never seen confessionals like this. 

The side alters to St. Joseph and St. Teresa. The St. Teresa alter was
added in the 1920's after her canonization. 

Little Infant of Prague side alter

I think there were 2 other side alters and then one bigger area where they started another mass right after ours. The church was in a cruciform shape and was a pretty good size church. There are a bunch of people buried here at the church including the first 13 Sisters of Mercy. The children enjoyed walking around the church after mass and looking at all the alters and emptying my wallet to light candles. We prayed for everyone!

St. Ann's Anglican Church

St. Ann's is another church located down another alley off of Grafton Street. The famous writer Oscar Wilde attended this church.  Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) attended this church and married at St. Ann's.