St. Mark's Church, Dublin

St Mark's Church is a Pentecostal church located at 42A Pearse Street, Dublin, Ireland. The church is affiliated with Christian Churches Ireland, the Irish branch of the Assemblies of God. The church has two Sunday services; 10am and 11:45am.

St Mark's Church
St Mark's Pentecostal Church
St Mark's Church
St Mark's Church in 2010
53°20′41.26″N 6°15′3.7″W
Address42A Pearse Street, Dublin
CountryIreland
DenominationPentecostal
Previous denominationChurch of Ireland
(1729 – 1971)
AssociationsChristian Churches Ireland (since 1987)[1]
Websitestmarks.ie
History
Status
  • Church (1729 – 1971)
  • College (1971 – 1987)
  • Church (since 1987)
Founded1729
DedicationMark the Evangelist
Consecrated25 April 1757 (1757-04-25)
by Archbishop Charles Cobbe
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationProtected
Architectural typeChurch
Completed1757
Closed1971 (by the Church of Ireland)

Built in 1729 as a Church of Ireland parish church, closed by the Anglicans in 1971, the building was acquired by Trinity College Dublin, before becoming a Pentecostal church in 1987.[2]

Church of Ireland ownership

The church building

The former Church of Ireland church building is a large building surrounded by a grassy churchyard, and was erected in 1729[3] off what was then Great Brunswick Street, now Pearse Street. It was consecrated by the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Charles Cobbe, on St Mark's Day, 25 April 1757.

The Church of Ireland closed the St Mark's Church in 1971. Its contents were distributed throughout the Church of Ireland, and the parish records were transferred to the Representative Church Body. After its closure the building was purchased by Trinity College Dublin which used it occasionally for exams and lectures.

In 1987 the building was purchased by the Family Worship Centre, a Pentecostal assembly, renovated, and re-opened as a place of worship.[4]

The parish

The former Church of Ireland congregation was formed from that of St Andrew's Church, Dublin by an 1707 Act of Parliament,[5] and corresponded to the civil parish of the same name.

The churchyard

The church was surrounded on three sides by a churchyard which contained a large number of graves. In the 18th and early 19th centuries it was a favourite target of body snatchers, owing to its proximity to Trinity College, which taught medicine. A wall was built around the churchyard to try to prevent access. In 1892-3 the wall was removed and a railing substituted.[5]

Notable parishioners
  • Oscar Wilde was baptised in the former Church of Ireland church[6]
  • Katie Taylor, an Olympic gold medalist, is a member of the Pentecostal congregation[7]

References
  1. "Our Churches — CCI - Christian Churches Ireland". Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  2. Wright, George Newenham (2005). "An Historical Guide to the City of Dublin". Online book. Archived from the original on 31 October 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  3. Craig, Maurice (1969). Dublin: 1660–1860. Dublin: Allen Figgis. p. 324.
  4. "History". St Mark's Church. Family Worship Centre.
  5. Cosgrave, Ephraim McDowel; Strangways, L.R. (1908). A Dictionary of Dublin (2nd ed.). Dublin: Sealy, Bryers and Walkers.
  6. "History: Famous people". St Ann's Church.
  7. "Katie Taylor and other Olympians speak openly of their faith". Ci News. 8 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2012. Katie is a born-again Christian who regularly attends St Mark's Pentecostal Church on Dublin's Pearse Street.

Further reading
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