St Peter's Cathedral

St Peter’s Cathedral stands in the Divis Street area along the Falls Road in Belfast. It is the Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Down and Connor and the seat of the Catholic Bishop. Construction began in the 1860s on land provided by Bernard Hughes, a local flour merchant and philanthropist. The building was designed by Fr Jeremiah Ryan McAuley, who trained as an architect before becoming a priest. The cathedral was formally designated in 1986 by Bishop Cahal Daly during a Mass on 29 June. The cathedral is built mainly of grey Scrabo sandstone and features five doorways, with a sculptured spandrel above the main double doorway showing the Liberation of Peter. Inside, an arcade of seven arches separates the aisle from the nave, and the hammer-beam ceiling is noted for its strong, vibrant colours. The twin spires were added in 1886, twenty years after the building opened in 1866. It was originally used as a pro-cathedral, a temporary cathedral for the diocese, and shares this honour with St Patrick’s Church in Donegall Street. Visitors find three choirs active in the cathedral: the Cathedral Choir, the Down & Connor Schola Cantorum (Boys’ Choir), and the Cathedral Girls’ Choir. The Chapel of the Resurrection on the north side contains the tombs of three former bishops, and a window here depicts the Easter morning encounter between Christ and Mary Magdalene. Recent refurbishments restored the original appearance, including new limestone altar and ambo, a baptismal font near the narthex, and a wooden episcopal chair. The cathedral hosts daily Mass and major diocesan celebrations such as the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday.