St Peter's Church, Roath
St Peter's Church, Roath is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It is administered by the Rosminians. History When the Rosminians (the Institute of Charity) first arrived in Cardiff in 1854, the town had a significant Roman Catholic population but only one place of worship, St David's chapel in the town centre (this building would be replaced in the 1880s by the church which became Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral). In 1858, a site was secured near City Road (then called Plwcca Lane) on a 999-year lease, and the necessary funds were raised. Owing to Anti-Catholicism in the area, plans to extend East Grove, forming a junction with Richmond Road, were scrapped because the objectors did not want a Catholic church fronting a main street. Charles Hanson designed the original church in 1860. The church was initially designed with a tower and spire, but these designs proved over-ambitious, and when the church was opened in 1861, it was without either. The early days of St Peter's were not easy. The area was much-afflicted by poverty and drunkenness, and was far away from the Catholic districts, making work challenging for early priests, and low attendance figures were