St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2023) |
| St. Nicholas Collegiate Church | |
|---|---|
St. Nicholas | |
| Administration | |
| Province | Dublin |
| Diocese | Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe |
| Parish | Galway |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | Lynda Peilow |
| Laity | |
| Organist/Director of music | Mark Duley |
The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas is a medieval church building in
Wardenship of Galway
The church was raised to the status of a collegiate church by letters under the seal of
The granting of collegiate status in 1484 required that the City of Galway and some surrounding parishes be severed from the Archdiocese of Tuam. The priests of the city were constituted into a College of
At first, only the city and the parish of
Historical notes
Over the centuries St. Nicholas's has played a central role in the life of the city. For many years the triennial elections of the mayor and corporation (city council) were held within its walls. Only male members of fourteen select Galway families, known as the Tribes of Galway, had suffrage.[citation needed]
Local legend states that Christopher Columbus worshipped there when he visited the city in 1477.[1]
Modern times
In September 2002 the Collegiate Church attracted controversy when it was the scene of the first public blessing for a same-sex couple in an Irish church.[2] The Avowing Friendship service for a lesbian couple, it was reported, was conducted by the rector, the Reverend Patrick Towers, in September 2002. The Bishop of Tuam, Richard Henderson, prohibited any further services of this kind, and Towers agreed to abide by this ruling.[citation needed]
The church was used for Catholic Mass by the congregation of St Augustine's Church during the refurbishment of their church between April and December 2005. This generous act cemented good local relations between the Church of Ireland and the
The Reverend Patrick Towers was succeeded in July 2009 by Archdeacon Gary Hastings as Rector of St. Nicholas. Archdeacon Hastings is a well-known Irish traditional flute player, and author of With Fife and Drum, a study of the
Every year on the Sunday before Christmas, the church holds the Civic Carol Service of Nine Lessons and Carols attended by the Mayor and City Council in full ceremonial robes and accompanied by the symbols of mayoral dignity - the Great Mace and Civic Sword. The service concludes with the solemn blessing of the city by the assembled clergy of many denominations including the Anglican Bishop of Tuam and the RC Bishop of Galway.
Regular Services
| Day | Time | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 09:00 AM | Holy Communion |
| Sunday | 11:00 AM | Eucharist |
| Wednesday | 10:30 AM | Holy Communion |
Literature
- J. F. Berry: The Story of St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway. Galway 1912.
- Harold Leask: The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, Galway. Galway 1936.
- reprinted The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, Galway, Galway 1962.
- Adrian Martyn, The Tribes of Galway 1124-1642, Galway 2016.
External links
References
- ^ "History". St. Nicholas Collegiate Church, Galway. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Lesbian couple get church blessing.(News)". 28 September 2002. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Reverend Lynda makes history – for the second time". Connacht Tribune. Retrieved 21 February 2019.