Former Church of St Pius X and attached campanile

Former Church of St Pius X and Attached Campanile

A former Roman Catholic church with attached campanile, built in 1959 and designed by Felix A Jones of the Dublin practice Jones and Kelly. The attached presbytery and church hall are not included in the listing.

The church and campanile are constructed in yellow brick with concrete and stone detailing. The church has a pitched tile roof with swept eaves.

The church has an unusual rectangular plan aligned east-west, with the nave to the east and chancel to the west. A campanile rises above a single-storey flat-roof range attached to the south-west.

The church presents as a single-storey gable-end building. The east gable end, facing Sefton Avenue, is the main entrance front. It features a central entrance with double doors flanked by stained-glass windows and limestone-rubble cladding, all set within a concrete frame that forms a pediment above the doors. A blue-mosaic threshold runs in front of the entrance, and three multi-coloured mosaic shields sit above the pediment. The dominant feature above is a large five-light triangular-headed window with a straight-sided concrete frame and concrete mullions. The central entrance is flanked on either side by a small single-light window and a large full-height flat pilaster decorated with projecting bricks arranged in a diamond pattern. The building's foundation stone is set into the right pilaster. The north and south elevations are divided into seven bays by narrow inward-curving buttresses, most of which contain a large pointed-arched window with concrete sill. The west gable end is blind above the flat-roof range that wraps around the west end of the church, which is lit by single-light windows.

The slender campanile rises to 21 metres from the centre of the flat-roof rear range and sits at a slightly different angle to the church. Each side of the tower features concrete-framed belfry louvres. Originally decorated with tall metal crosses, these were removed at an unknown date. Steel restraint straps were fitted to every joint in the concrete framed apertures at around the same time to address concrete spalling problems.

The interior is entered through the east end into a lobby. To the right is a pair of metal gates with elongated hexagonal frames containing coloured glass decorated with a cross motif, partitioning off the former baptistery, later converted to a small shop. To the left a staircase rises to the choir gallery. Beyond glazed-timber screen doors lies the nave, a large open space divided into six bays by full-height pointed arches springing from the parquet floor. The arches are constructed in stack-bonded brick with single timber bands attached to their tops. The painted plaster ceiling is contrasted by the arch ribs and the exposed-brick window bays. Either side of the nave's west end are two confessional rooms, one of which has been converted to storage; the confessional bays and door overlights follow the pointed-arch motif. The chancel occupies the west end and is lit by side windows. A central sanctuary is defined by a pointed arch containing the High Altar, which stands on a raised marble and parquet platform. Side altars recessed within pointed-arched niches flank the sanctuary. The altars, pulpit, font and lecterns are clad in a combination of mosaic, timber, marble and limestone rubble. All pews and the 14 Stations of the Cross have been removed. The stained-glass windows share a common motif of a ruby cross on a fading blue and yellow background; some panes, particularly on the south side of the nave, have been replaced. A door in the south-west corner leads into a corridor flanked by service rooms. The corridor features square roof lights and two large concrete ceiling beams that support the campanile above.