Saintfield Parish celebrate 250th anniversary
Last Sunday, 22 March, Archbishop John McDowell was the guest preacher at a service to mark the 250th anniversary of Saintfield Parish Church. He called on the parish to continue to leave their mark on the Saintfield community in the ways that Jesus showed them.
The all-age congregation of 180 included those with past connections to the church who returned specially for the occasion. The service was followed by a celebratory lunch complete with anniversary cake.
Sunday’s celebrations were the first in a series of special events that will include a History Day, a concert with New Irish Arts and a Christmas Tree Festival.
History
The first church on site appears to date from around 1633 - possibly the one whose remains can be seen in the graveyard. The present church was built in 1776 and the gallery added a century later. The fine east window was installed in 1929 in memory of Major and Mrs Blackwood Price whose family presented a silver chalice and paten to the parish in 1724. They are still used. The double line of yew trees at the entrance to the church were a gift from Hugh Armitage Moore of Rowallane in 1881.