St Vincent de Paul is frequently referred to as 'the apostle of the poor'. The church which bears his name in Liverpool was commissioned by Fr Bernard O'Reilly, later third Bishop of Liverpool, and designed by Edward Welby Pugin in 1852 to serve the poorest community in the Liverpool of the time. Today, it continues in its role as a catalyst for its inner-city community. Making extensive use of original source material, this study concentrates particularly on the establishment of the parish and the construction of its church which stands today much as Pugin left it in 1852.