Diocesan News
St Gall’s look to the future with new church extension
After ten months of building, the congregation of St Gall’s Church, Carnalea, came together on Sunday 19 November to celebrate the dedication of the new extension to the church.
An extensive program of works has added a new community cafe space, church offices, facilities, choir room, extended chapel and front porch. A host of innovative technologies will make the building more efficient to heat and more comfortable for the folks within the church and community who use it.
Canon Michael Parker, Rector of St Gall’s, said: “It was a great stretch of the imagination to take our fifty year old building and transform it, making it fit for the twenty–first century. We love hosting a range of community events through the year but the congregation recognised that the years were taking their toll. A lot of planning by our Select Vestry and work by our architect Barry Patterson and our contractor MRPx have achieved a total transformation. It has been lovely to watch people react to the building as they come through the door for the first time and see the changes. We have been able to renew and extend our building to meet the needs of our congregation and the community that we serve.”
The service on Sunday was attended by Lady Sylvia Hermon MP, the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Robert Adair, and Gordon Dunne, MLA for North Down. Directors of MRPx Ryan Lusk and Brian McGimpsey attended, along with site manager for the project Andy Collins.
Former clergy from the parish participated in the service including the very first minister in charge of the church, Bishop Edward Darling, formerly Bishop of Limerick until his retirement in 2000. He read the Gospel reading as part of the service of Holy Communion. Also attending were the Ven Gregor McCamley and the Ven John Scott who had been the Rectors of St Gall’s through the 1970s and the 1980s respectively. Bishop Harold Miller celebrated Holy Communion and also preached the sermon which focused upon the parable of the talents in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25.
Following the service the congregation began a twenty four hour prayer vigil through into Monday. The Rector said: “After all of the excitement of the building and the dedication service we knew that it was important to hallow the building. To recognise in our prayers that we have been very blessed with all that has been achieved and committing ourselves to seeking God’s will and his purpose for what we are doing here as a parish. We model our vigil prayers on the ancient Bangor Abbey traditions from the time of St Columbanus and St Gall. That ancient model of prayer would have seen the abbey community praying all through the day and night.”
The Rector continued: “The church is to be open during the coming days. We would like to extend an invitation to anyone who is passing to pop in and see all that has been done. Pray with us and pray for us as we step into the next chapter in our church story.”
With thanks to Canon Michael Parker
Photos by Mr Sam Anderson (view the photo gallery here).
For further information please contact:
Diocesan Communications Officer, Down & Dromore
07840 006899
Mrs Annette McGrath
dco@downdromorediocese.org