Foreword
The Celebration this autumn of Fifty Years of worship in St Ignatius'
Church is indeed a great honour for all of us who are part of the church
family today.
We stand on tip-toes to see the great cloud of witnesses who have
gone before us in this holy place. From the initial work of Norman
Lockhart and the founder members of Carryduff Parish, through the
vision and energy of Rosmond Good as he harnessed the energy of the
community to build the church in 1965, through the careful and
diligent leadership of Raymond Fox and the team who served around
him in the difficult years that followed, through the team ministry
developed and ably led by John Auchmuty, and on through the exciting
and refreshing years with Willie Nixon at the helm, we see evidence of
the work of God through the parishioners who have offered their
service under these leaders over the decades.
A church building has the potential either to consume energy or to
inspire energy: history alone will be able to tell which phases of the
church's life have been ones of growing life and vitality. The unique
contribution of a building such as St Ignatius' Church is that it is
flexible and beautiful in equal measure. Previous architectural styles
would usually incorporate a long aisle, a remote Communion Table, a
virtually invisible choir, inadequate or unresponsive heating, and small
darkened windows. How things changed with the creation of our
church building. St Ignatius' has a geometric shape, a sense of
proximity of the Communion Table, Choir and Congregation, and bright
and bold windows flooding the easily heated worship space with a
delightful array of colour. It is an energising space.
My hope and prayer is that the second fifty years of St Ignatius' starts
with a similar focus on the spiritual life of the congregation that the
new church building of 1965 encouraged. We thank God for all the
saints who have graced this place with their presence and prayers.
Stephen Lowry
A Sure Foundation
“We continually remember before our God and Father your work
produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance
inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Thessalonians 1 v.3.
A Journey Begins
Carryduff Parish Church, named after St. Ignatius of Antioch, was
consecrated on the 2nd October 1965. The service of consecration was
conducted by the then Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Right
Reverend F J Mitchell. The preacher on that memorable occasion was
Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, head of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchal
Church in Great Britain and Ireland. Right from the start there is a link
to the east.
The consecration was, of course,
preceded - on the 19th September of
the previous year - by the laying of
the foundation stone. This was a
solid block of polished Mourne
granite. It lies in the Jeremy Taylor
Chapel at the west end of the
building, and on top of it stands the
baptismal font. Perhaps it is good to
think of the font being supported by
solid granite. That, arguably, must
count as a sure foundation.
Preliminary Steps
All of this represents the flowering of a seed planted in1950. That
seed was a decision to establish a permanent place of worship in the
Church of Ireland tradition to serve a growing population in the
Carryduff area. This led, initially, to the holding of regular Sunday
evening services in Sloan’s barn from 1952. That fledgling
congregation was fortified by a supportive group from Killaney; and a
new parish was nurtured into life.
The next step was the building of a dual purpose parish hall, dedicated
on the 30th October 1954. That hall continues to provide valuable
service to the life of the parish and to the larger Carryduff community.
It was further extended by the development of a new hall complex,
known as The Dean Good Memorial Hall, dedicated on the 6th October
1990 by Bishop Gordon McMullan.
From Jerusalem to Antioch to Carryduff
It is scarcely surprising that the number fifty might be in our heads at
present – fifty years in the life of a church building since its
consecration. However, another very significant fifty comes readily to
my mind.
In the Jewish calendar the feast of Pentecost occurred fifty days after
the celebration of the Passover – and it was on the day of Pentecost
that the apostle Peter, transformed and filled with conviction about
the resurrection of the crucified Lord, stood up in Jerusalem to address
a crowd, saying “…..Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins….”(Acts 2
v.14).The text goes on to tell us that on that day about 3000 people
accepted Peter’s message and were baptised.
On that day the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles.
On that day the Christian Church was born.
Within a generation the Church had extended beyond Israel to become
an international movement. The gospel message found its way to the
gentile world and, specifically, to the city of Antioch in Syria. Here, a
Greek speaking gentile community welcomed the apostles; and the city
became an important base for the further spread of the gospel. Why is
this significant for us in Carryduff?
It was in Antioch that our patron saint, Ignatius, came to accept and to
expound the Christian faith. In 69AD he became Bishop of Antioch and
remained there as bishop for forty years. His devotion to the faith and
to the order of the Church brought him into direct conflict with the
emphatically pagan Roman Empire. He refused to renounce his faith
and was brought to Rome, sentenced to death by the Emperor Trajan,
and mauled by lions in the Colosseum c.110AD (the precise date is
unknown).
It is in the name of this peaceful and heroic martyr of the early Church
that our parish church in Carryduff is dedicated. It is also significant
that Antioch was the base from which Paul set out westwards into
Europe on missionary service. It was, therefore, a place associated
with outreach - and that, undoubtedly, has some significance for all of
us today in Carryduff parish.
As an aside it is worth noting that Ignatius’ home town is still a major
city, now known as Antakaya. It lies on the Mediterranean coast in
eastern Turkey, near the border with present day Syria.
From West to East
The Christian faith came westward across Europe, eventually arriving
in Ireland by the mid-5th Century. For us it could be said that the light
of Christian revelation, like the light of the Sun, rose in the east.
There is a great symbolism in this which finds expression in the
physical layout of our parish church.
The church building was intentionally laid out on an east to west axis.
As we enter the building through the Jeremy Taylor Chapel we are at
the west end. It is symbolic that this is where the baptismal font is
situated. The sun – the source of natural light – rises in the east.
However, since the font is at the west, it is in that part of the building
which is furthest away from the light. Therefore, when we enter upon
the Christian life at baptism, we are far from the light.
Later on in our faith journey we proceed into the main body of the
church and come closer to the light until, at the communion rail, in
the east, the light of the sun – and the light of true Christian faith –
comes more readily within our reach. We have travelled from west to
east, from darkness to light.
The East Wall Hanging
The east to west layout is by no means unique to our parish church. It
is, in practice, a well-recognised design feature of many churches
within the Anglican tradition. However, we do have something quite
special and unique in the sanctuary, adorning the east wall. I refer
here to the marvellous wall hanging, which was dedicated at morning
service on 3rd March 2002.
This is a most striking example of
contemporary Christian art, reflecting in
both content and design some of the
themes of the two large kite shaped
stained glass windows on the north and
south walls of the church. The wall
hanging itself can be imagined as an
extension of the central passage from
the baptistry to the sanctuary. In that
sense it may be seen to represent part
of the journey from darkness towards
the light. As we look at it we can see
what appears to be a cluster of drumlins
– little hills – woven into the fabric. I
don’t think it fanciful to speculate that
these might be intended to evoke for us
the ups and downs of everyday life.
Then, as we look up, we can discern the
shape of a cross merging into a sunrise –
merging into the source of light. Surely
we are meant to see in this a
representation of Godliness: God as the
light of the world.
If we then look even further up we see a dove with a twig in its beak.
The dove is, of course, a symbol of hope and love and reconciliation – a
symbol, in all its fullness, of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is
surely significant that we must look up – look towards the heavens,
towards the source of light – to fully grasp the impact of this life
changing message.
Then, significantly, if we cast our eyes back westward, towards the
baptistry, we might notice that the carved oak cover on the font is also
in the shape of a dove. In the thoughtful furnishing of the church the
dove – the symbol of the Holy Spirit – is both before us and behind us.
We are in the safe keeping of the Holy Spirit.
The Stained Glass Windows
The dove is also present as the central motif in the large kite shaped
window in the south wall. It looks down benignly over the choir – I
rather like that idea.
It is surrounded by four panels displaying symbols representative of the
four gospel writers.
Facing them, in the main window on the north wall, are four similarly
sized panels.
The two uppermost ones are an Anchor Cross and the more familiar
Latin Cross, both of which are potent symbols of the strength and
reliability of our faith. The two lower panels present a red heart – the
symbol of St. Ignatius – and a Lily of the Valley, a symbol of humility
and purity. The central motif in this window is a Fleur-de-Lys, its
three stems – like the three leaves of the shamrock - symbolic of the
holy trinity.
The two smaller windows, shaped as inverted triangles, present to us
respectively a sheaf of corn and a chalice,
together representing the bread and wine of Holy Communion.
In the centre of all four of these very striking windows there appears
to be a rising pathway, tapering towards the top. The same tapered
pathway appears even more distinctively in the east wall hanging. Is
there a message for us in this? Could this be a subtle prompt to the
congregation to look up from a sure foundation, towards the light?
Looking Upward, Looking Forward
The church, of course, is not just a building. It is a community of
people. That community – of which we are all a part – comes together
in a place set aside for public worship. In our church building we are
fortunate enough to be surrounded by distinctive symbols of our faith;
and it is also a feature of the layout of the building that the lectern,
the pulpit and the holy table all appear to be close at hand. Whenever
we look up – and look forward – we can see that God is not remote. He
is within our reach.
We are, nevertheless, in a place from which we are called to reach
out. This calling must embrace constructive contact with other local
congregations and with the Carryduff community at large; and,
crucially, it must involve mission outreach well beyond our home
patch.
Yes, it feels good to celebrate fifty years since the consecration of the
church building. This is our privilege; but we also ought to see the
church as a centre for reconciliation and outreach; and as a place
where children are welcomed as “little blessings” and nurtured with
Christian love.
In a time of public scepticism – even indifference – we continue to have
the same unchanging purpose to reach out with grace and faithfulness.
Our way of doing so may need to adapt in order to attract or to
encourage new people and to welcome a congregation with a different
range of needs and aspirations. Our church must always try to be a
place of its time.
However, we can be fortified in the knowledge that we have a sure
foundation and that, in this church building, we are comprehensively
and artistically surrounded by so many symbols of Christian faith.
Denis Carson
November 2015
A Sestina for St. Ignatius
A poetic fantasy based on six continuously repeated words – grace – spirit – years –
witness – youth - blessings.
Nurtured from its birth by the gift of grace
And growing in the power of the Holy Spirit,
This church has stood its ground for fifty years,
Its purpose always to bear faithful witness,
To be a beacon of light to aspiring youth,
A source to all of many blessings.
To be a place of welcome, full of blessings,
A place whose mission, moulded by grace,
Extends towards the mind of youth,
Towards those who, prompted by the spirit,
First came and have continued to witness
Faithfully through that span of fifty years.
A font on solid granite through the years
Has offered sure foundations, countless blessings
And heartfelt welcomes to our living witness
To faith that’s grounded in love, imbued with grace,
Proclaimed through Word and prayer in vibrant spirit
That nurtures childhood through the days of youth,
And, in days of growth beyond the time of youth,
Enriches the inner life of later years.
From west and east the dove of the Holy Spirit
Keeps careful watch, bestows symbolic blessings,
Directs us towards an endless source of grace,
Towards a wall hanging bearing silent witness
To faith enriched by sacrament and spoken witness.
This privileged journey from font to table, youth
To age, darkness to light, guilt to grace
Nourishes all who through these fifty years
Have responded to the flow of blessings
From lectern, pulpit and table; and embraced the spirit
Of sunrise illuminating the cross. This spirit,
Which presses towards a reconciling witness
That we must carry forward with fresh blessings,
Fires us with revitalised outreach to youth,
To mission and faithful growth in coming years,
Spurred on by Christian heritage and by grace.
Thus the many blessings garnered since youth
Enrich our spirit and direct our living witness
To a faith of fifty years, sustained in fullness of grace.
Denis Carson
November 2015
The Revd RJ Norman Lockhart
1954-1960
The Very Rev James Herbert Rosmond Good
1960- 1987
The Revd Raymond Fox
1988-2000
The Revd John Robert Auchmuty
2001-2007
The Revd William Samuel Nixon
2008-2012
Canon Stephen Harold Lowry
2013-