JOY and celebration gave way to a “great sense of loss” when a fire devastated the Church of the Holy Name, Greenisland, in Northern Ireland, on Sunday night, the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd George Davison, has said.
No one was hurt in the blaze. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are treating the incident as arson.
A few hours before, the congregation had celebrated the church’s 70th anniversary.
Bishop Davison said in a statement on Monday: “I am at a loss to understand why a church, that is such an integral part of the community and a beacon of hope, positivity and goodwill, should be targeted for destruction, but would call on all members of the community to help the PSNI in their investigations.”
It had been “heartbreaking”, he said, to stand with parishioners and watch firefighters attempt to save the building. “The Minister-in-Charge, the Revd Dr Isy Hawthorne-Steele, and the local church community are deeply upset and shocked but determined that they will continue their work and witness and have been overwhelmed by the expressions of support.”
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The Bishop continued: “The Church of the Holy Name is not a burnt building. It is a vibrant group of people who love their God and love the community He has given them to serve. They are devastated, but they are also strong and courageous, and they will continue to worship together and reach out to others with Christ’s message.”
In a Facebook post, Dr Hawthorne–Steele described the incident as “a shocking and terrible night for our parish and the whole Greenisland community. . .
“We have been overwhelmed by the support and love of the Greenisland community — people who helped us out with everything from traffic control, available toilets (much needed!) and of course a cuppa to steady the nerves. We are heartbroken but also so thankful — to the fire crews, to the local community, to our neighbours who sounded the alarm, and . . . that no one was hurt.”
She continued: “We have just spent the weekend giving thanks for the first 70 years of Greenisland Parish life. We have every faith that with God’s guidance, the strength of our parish family and the support of our amazing friends and neighbours, our story will go on.”
The church had been hosting an exhibition of “memories” from the church community. Fire crews managed to save boxes of photos and heirlooms that had been left under a table, which Dr Hawthorne–Steele described on Monday as a “miracle”.
“They’re a little bit soggy and singed, but some of the most irreplaceable items (like Eileen’s wedding album, Susan’s Brownie uniform, Sonia’s confirmation photo and June’s ‘wedlock rock’ newspaper clipping) have been rescued.”
Police are appealing for information about the fire.
Inspector Knowles, of the PSNI, said in a statement on Monday: “The church was celebrating its 70th anniversary this week, and last night was busy in particular. Thankfully no one was injured, however a significant amount of damage was caused to both buildings.
“We are treating this as arson and I am appealing to anyone who may have witnessed anyone suspicious in the area or to anyone with CCTV, doorbell or other footage that could assist with enquiries, to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1437 of 01/09/24.”