On Sunday 15 June, the garden attached to St Philip Neri church, home of the chaplaincy to Liverpool University and John Moores University, was open to the public, raising money for our adopted charity, Mary’s Meals.

Students from the chaplaincy served tea and coffee and conducted visitors around the garden. Most visitors paid a visit to the church as well, which was open for viewing and private prayer. 

The garden is a unique talking point; many passers-by on Catherine Street people pause on their way past the gate to take a look at our garden, with its mediterranean appearance.

Some years ago, a reporter from the Liverpool Echo rang me up to say that each day he sees the garden from the top deck of the bus, and was sure there must be a story behind it! There is.

Originally the area now covered by the garden was the location of the presbytery, built with the church around 1920. The house was demolished by a bomb during the May blitz of 1941, and for some years the space was a vacant lot.

During the 1950’s the then parish priest, Dr John Garvin, decided to create a “Spanish Garden” (apparently the result of a bet with a friend!) and the present garden was born. Of course, there have been some changes over the years but it still retains the same basic layout and its ‘hispanic’ feel.

The church, of course, is Italian/Byzantine in style, influenced by St Mark’s in Venice, but the garden is definitely Spanish, with a shrine to Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the top of the garden. The chaplaincy has been based at St Philip Neri since 2002, and serves the University of Liverpool, John Moores University, and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).

The students who come to the chaplaincy have a unique investment in the garden. In 2022 Mr Tony Brougham took over as gardener. Tony had at one time been a youth worker with the archdiocese, and is also heavily involved with the armed forces charity SSAFA. Tony suggested we involve the students.

Since then, every month during term time we have a gardening morning, usually attracting around eight or nine students who help Tony and his assistant, Dennis Smith, for a couple of hours. They learn skills of plant cultivation and garden maintenance.

Engineering student Kaden Broomhall from Crewe says: “The garden for me is truly an extension of not only the church building but the Church as a community. It brings us all together through our care for the plants but also our care for one another as we pray and socialise in such a beautiful space.”

We finish at noon, praying the Angelus at the shrine to Our Lady…then we have bacon butties and tea!

The garden will certainly be open in future years. We also hope to be able to have the garden and the church open for visitors on other dates through the year.

By Fr Neil Ritchie, Universities Chaplain