St Philip Neri

Despite being named after a man who sounded like the most odious kind of estate agent, the church of St Philip Neri is a surprising nook of exotic tranquility that sits on Catherine Street surrounded by mansions of Georgian splendour.
A huge brick representation of the Last Supper dominates the façade of the building, but inside the atmosphere is much cooler, both in temperature and in the way the Fonz would use it. To the right of the main entrance is a tiny chapel of blue mosaic tiles, where the light spilling through the little window gives the impression you’re underwater, preferably somewhere in the tropics. It may just be the most relaxing place I’ve ever stood.
Outside, the gardens (or El Jardin della Nuestra Señora) feel strangely foreign, like the kind of serene place in Greece or Italy you’d stroll around amid the buzz of cicadas. It’s just a shame you can see English traffic grumbling past.

This is a GORGEOUS church. Where do I start? The beautiful gardens? The ornate architecture? It might be little but what it lacks in size it makes up for in sheer eye candy. Incorporating carvings of the Madonna with child, Christ and a life-​size Last Supper, this is a visual spectacle.
Catharine Street is a very picturesque little area, and this church is home to the Liverpool universities’ Roman Catholic Chaplaincy. Built somewhere between 1914 and 1920, the focus here is on sculpture and the name ‘Saint Neri’ came from Philip Neri having founded the original Oratory church in Rome. It’s a Grade II listed building and recently obtained a grant amounting to £72,000 for the purpose of repairing water damage to the stunning mosaic tiles.
You must explore the garden if you get a chance, it’s been so beautifully done. The whole thing is a treat for the sentences and so very cute you might well sigh.