St Dominic's Church, Newcastle

In 1239, Blackfriars, Newcastle upon Tyne was established by the Dominican Order. However, in 1536, with the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the building was demolished. In 1860, the Dominicans returned to Newcastle and in 1863 they bought the site of St Dominic's Church. The site was originally on the line of the eastern extension of Hadrian's Wall between Pons Aelius (Newcastle) and Segedunum (Wallsend).[2]

In 1869, the foundation stone of the church was laid. On 11 September 1873, Cardinal Manning opened the church. The construction of the church cost £15,000, and it was designed by Archibald Matthias Dunn. According to Historic England, it was built in the Romanesque-Gothic transitional style.[2] The altar of the church came from the original St Andrew's Church on Pilgrim Street in Newcastle, the first Roman Catholic chapel in Newcastle after the Reformation. St Andrew's Church was demolished and rebuilt on Worswick Street in 1875.[3]

In 1887, the priory next to the church was built, St Dominic's Priory. It was designed by Archibald Matthias Dunn with Edward Joseph Hansom. St Dominic's Priory is also a Grade II listed building and was registered on 30 March 1987.[4]

Additions were made to the church. In 1883, the Father Willis Organ was installed. In 1895, some stalls from Peterborough Cathedral were given to St Dominic's Church. The stalls were made in 1827, designed by Edward Blore and carved by Francis Ruddle. In 1956, the upper chapel of St Dominic (the Hogg Chapel) was added to the church.[2]

In 2004, the St Dominic's Priory was given to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. In 2016, the Dominicans announced that they would leave Newcastle.[5] They left in 2020,[6] and in September 2021 a community of Jesuits arrived to begin a city-centre apostolate from St Dominic's.[7]