Ireland’s Church in Rome: There is No St. Patrick’s Now: it will be a startling discovery to many Irishmen perhaps to most of them, to know that there is no longer any such thing in Rome as their national Church of St. Patrick. Apparently, there is scarcely any knowledge of the fact that it has vanished into space, and that the grand plan proposed, seconded, and partly carried to completion, is a thing of the past altogether. Without any intentional secrecy, but none the less in a way which is not known, the Church of St. Patrick has ceased to exist … (description of plans and attempts to build) … By this time, it was pretty clear that St. Patrick’s was never going to be built. The work actually done up to then was a “white elephant” on the hands of the Augustinians, so they were busily looking about for a purchaser. There could never be a St. Patrick Church when those in charge of the work were looking anxiously around for purchasers. Some looked to the Australian bishops, who might want to buy the house for a Roman college; others looked to the Roman communities. Two of these became bidders — the Little Company of Mary, which has a hired a nursing house on the Via Castelfidado. and the Benedictine Nuns, ruled by Lady Abbess Pynsent. These bought it for a handsome sum, and at once set about getting it ready for occupation. The Augustinians left it almost at once, and the nuns are now installed in the house, while they are begging to build on the foundations of the church. The spot is no longer St Patrick’s; it is St Benedict’s. The lady abbess is an Englishwoman, who formerly ruled a Benedictine convent in the diocese of Plymouth. Leaving that place she lived in Rome for a few years in a lay dress while preparing to open a new house in Rome. The house is now open, and she has a large community of English-speaking and Italian nuns and lay sisters. A peculiarity of the house is its wealth. Not a few heiresses have entered it, and one of the most recent acquisitions was a rich American lady: so, there is no St Patrick’s now.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO1138 Devonport: Lucretia Anna Maude Pinsent: 1857 – 1934