A branch of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association was established in Holy Family Parish. Members enrolled at the opening meeting on Sunday February 26th 1933.
On this date “Lisbreen” 73-75 Somerton Road was purchased as a temporary Chapel of Ease pending the erection of the proposed new Church. Purchase price amounted to £3,646.
“Lisbreen” was formally opened as a Chapel of Ease and the first Mass was celebrated on Sunday 17th September by His Lordship Most Rev. Dr D Mageean.
Opening of the Girls’ Club, Chichester Park. Girls resident as domestic servants in the vicinity were urged to join the club where they could have safe surroundings and legitimate recreation. The members of the local branch of the Legion of Mary were asked to take charge. The club is open on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons.
At all public Masses today in Holy Family Church the Pastoral Letter of His Lordship the Bishop was read exhorting the faithful to join in united prayers for the peace of the city. People were requested to offer their Masses and Communions and pray earnestly for the restoration of peace and order in the city.
“Rathcoole” – a valuable residence situated on Somerton Road was purchased at a cost of £971-3s-2d. It is designed, according to the Bishop’s directions, to serve as a Presbytery for the clergy attached to “Lisbreen”.
A large representative contingent left Holy Family district for Drogheda by special trains today. They were joined by large numbers from other districts in the city – and all arrived in Drogheda to visit the Shrine of Blessed Oliver Plunkett.
Blessing and laying of the foundation stone for the new Church of St. Thérèse at “Lisbreen”, Somerton Road, took place on Monday January 25th. The ceremony took place at 12 noon and was performed by His Lordship Dr Mageean.
Germany invades Poland. Second World War declared.
The Civil Defence Authorities converted the Holy Family Boys’ School into a rest centre to be used by the people in case of an air raid. They built blast walls in the corridors and strengthened the various class halls. The hall was also taken over as a communal feeding centre.
The Perpetual Novena Devotion was introduced into Holy Family Parish on Friday April 7th 1945. It was determined that the Novena will be held on Friday evenings at 7.30.
Estimates were received and approved for the installation of a new heating system in the Church – it is estimated that almost £2,000 will be required. Besides the erection of a new boiler house, it is now found that owing to the peculiar construction of the Church, the pipes will have to be placed underground which considerably increases the cost.
We finally got the boiler installed and contracted for a supply of fuel (coke), which we fortunately obtained. So on Christmas Day the first heat was turned on in the Church.
Mr John Byrne, a Parishioner, presented the Church with a new candelabra, which is now placed beside Our Lady’s Altar. It was a most generous gift indeed.
His Lordship the Bishop made an announcement that the Law of Abstinence will come back into force again on Fridays from 1st November. It had been discontinued during the war years owing to the scarcity of meat, eggs, butter etc.
Already the pilgrimages were beginning to go to Rome for Holy Year. On Friday 24th April Fr. Farry went on pilgrimage and returned on May 12th. In October, Fr. Brady went to Rome and in November Fr. Walls also went so that all three Priests of the Parish were in Rome this year. Many Parishioners also went in the various national pilgrimages.
November 1st saw the Proclamation of the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Various pilgrimages from all over the world were present in St. Peter’s Square where the Pope solemnly proclaimed the Dogma after High Mass before 500,000 people.
Fr. Farry approached the Bishop and got his approval to erect new Stations of the Cross. The cost was approximately £80 each.
In order to meet Parish expenses, the people were asked to increase their copper contributions at the door from 1d (penny) to 3d. The response was magnificent and we have had a 100% increase. The copper amount at Mass used to be £13 - £14 and now it is £25 - £27 per Sunday.
Winter activities in the Parish have begun. The weekly dance on Sunday nights is now in full swing and is a great success. As well there is a cinema show on Sunday afternoons from 2pm until 6pm, then the hall is left ready for dancing.
It has been decided to begin repairs to the Church organ, a scheme long overdue. The Bishop has given his sanction and the contract price of £234 has been accepted.
Coffey & Rooney have the organ renovated after one month’s work. It seems that the organ was in very bad need of this overhaul as it hadn’t been attended to for years. My information is that the organ is now worth £5,000 - £6,000.
A dreadful accident happened today at the building of the new intermediate school at Bearnageeha - a portion of the building fell, killing two workmen.
It was decided to remove the hedge surrounding the Presbytery and put in its place iron railings with a concrete foundation and plinth. It has made an immense improvement to the grounds generally.
We learned that it would be possible to open Bearnageeha in September and the task lay before the Governors of selecting a Principal, vice-Principal and staff. From a very large number of applications, Mr Patrick O’Neill, MA, a member of Trench House staff was selected Principal. Mr William Steele, BA, was selected vice-Principal. He formerly taught in St. Mary’s Grammar School. Seventeen fully qualified teachers were also selected.
St. Patrick’s Intermediate School (Bearnageeha) was formally opened on Wednesday 31st August. Solemn High Mass was celebrated by His Lordship the Bishop. The school was erected at accost of roughly £250,000 and has accommodation for 800 pupils.
The contract for the building of the Girls’ Intermediate School (The Little Flower) situated at Somerton Road was signed by the four Governors. We hope the total cost will be under £155,000
The Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes left in fine weather on Sunday, September 7th. We had hoped that His Lordship, Dr Mageean would accompany us but his medical advisor was against this journey and so Dr O’Doherty , Bishop of Dromore, took his place. We had a wonderful time at Lourdes and got all the facilities that were available. One thing of note – the plane carrying the sick on the return flight could not land at Nutt’s Corner owing to fog and had to touch down at London.
The formal opening of Little Flower Girls’ Intermediate School took place on September 10th, with Sister Domingo OP as Principal and Sister Aimée OP as vice-Principal. The proceedings opened with High Mass in St. Thérèse at 11.00am presided over by His Lordship Most Rev Doctor Mageean. The total estimated cost of the new building was put at £172,000
Owing to the indisposition of Dr Mageean, Most Rev Dr Eugene O’Doherty, Bishop of Dromore, administered the Sacrament of Confirmation in Holy Family to 146 boys, 192 girls and 7 adults.
The first evening Mass was celebrated in Holy Family on May 1st – the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. The Church was crowded.
The death of His Lordship Most Rev Dr Mageean at his residence on Somerton Road is announced. His last visit to Holy Family was on December 19th when he presided at the Requiem Mass for John Loftus who had been a school friend of his at Saintfield.
Dr William Philbin enthroned in St. Peter’s as Bishop of Down and Connor.
Holy Family Church was dedicated on Sunday September 8th, 1912, by Dr Tohill. It is therefore 50 years open today. There is no ceremony to commemorate the event as Dr Philbin has just arrived in the Diocese.
During April and May various meetings were held with the Ministry of Education regarding the School Building Programme. It is now agreed that a new school for 450 girls be erected; that the old Parochial Hall (which is of zinc and has stood since 1895) should be demolished and in its place be erected a school assembly hall and meals centre. The existing boys’ and girls’ schools to be modernised and given over to the boys completely.
Mass in English begins today. The people answer their part quite well. Most people are pleased with the change. Older members of the congregation do not like it.
The Little Sisters of the Assumption take over 222 Limestone Road as a Convent. Mother Provincial, Sisters Gemma and Louise arrive from Dublin. These sisters will be engaged in nursing the sick in their own homes. They will travel by motor scooters to the homes of their patients.
A Credit Union has been formed in the Parish with headquarters in the new hall. The aims and objectives of the new union were explained at a public meeting held on January 9th. Despite the inclement weather more than 300 people turned up at Holy Family hall where they were welcomed by the President of the new branch, Mr Henry McCollam.
Because of heightened tension caused by the violent reaction to Civil Rights marches, a special day of prayer was requested by the Bishop to be observed on December 15th.
For 14 days and nights the Parishioners lived through the effects of the Ulster Workers’ Council strike. The DACRAS organisation, under the leadership of Father John O’Connor, ensured that we had some emergency supplies of foodstuffs, fuel etc.
This is truly an important date in the history of Holy Family Parish. Following a Public Inquiry, a letter from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning arrived to grant outline planning permission for a new Church on the Cavehill Road. This letter ended a long and difficult fight for permission to build on the Cavehill.
In order to make some effort to open up the bricked up houses in the area, a housing Association was set up in Holy Family at the instigation of Mr Seamus O’Hara. We invited the Clergy of the Church of Ireland and the Presbyterian Churches to act as members of the committee.
This month saw the start of negotiations about the Day Centre for Senior Citizens of the Parish. It is hoped that the Parish will be able to purchase property at the corner of Newington Avenue and Atlantic Avenue for this project.
Cardinal Conway, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, died today at 10.30am. His funeral is to take place on Friday 22nd and Bishop Philbin is to be the main Celebrant and Preacher.
The new Nursery School in Baltic Avenue was officially opened today by His Lordship Dr Philbin. Mrs Alma Loughrey is the Principal of the Nursery School and the full quota of 50 children are now about to enter the new premises.
Work began on the new Day Centre for Senior Citizens at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Newington Avenue. Total cost estimated at £72,755.
Threatening graffiti on corrugated surround at site for new Church on the Cavehill Road. Got army and police at midnight to erase it.
St. Thérèse Church painted with loyalist slogans. A minibus belonging to the Secondary School and Youth Club was burned out. Father Hilary Armstrong told The Irish News that he was awakened around 3.50am by an explosion. ”When I came out on to the landing I could see flames through the window. A couple of minutes later I went down to the car park and there were other minor explosions. The minibus was on fire. Everything was covered with loyalist paramilitary graffiti and the doors of the Church were daubed with the most vile and obnoxious slogans”.
Work begins on the new Church at Cavehill Road.
Miss Anne McGrath takes up her position as the first lay Principal of Little Flower School, she is also the youngest Principal to be appointed to the post-Primary sector in the North of Ireland.
Senior citizens Day Centre opened to the public. Great interest in this venture. The building is really beautiful and it is hoped the older people of the area will make full use of it. Over 1,000 people visited the centre today and were much impressed.
Pope John Paul 11 visits Ireland (Saturday 29th September, Sunday 30th September and Monday 1st October). The Parish really responded – buses were organised to go to Phoenix Park, Drogheda, Galway (Youth Mass) and Knock. Everyone very tired but any inconvenience well compensated for by the magnetism of this Most Holy Vicar of Christ.During his visit to Knock on 30th September, the Holy Father blessed the foundation stone for the new Church of the Resurrection at Cavehill Road.
At 4.20am on 22nd November a bomb severely damaged the new Church of the Resurrection at Cavehill Road. As a result the Blessing and Dedication ceremony planned for 30th December has had to be postponed until further notice.
After living in the Parish for 15 years at 222 Limestone Road, the Little Sisters of the Assumption left to take up residence at 122 Antrim Road in St. Patrick’s Parish.
The new Church of the Resurrection has indeed “risen from the ashes”. In an incredibly short time, due mainly to the drive of Fr. McGarry, the building and furnishings were completed in time for the opening on the Feast of the Resurrection – Easter Sunday, April 6th.
His Lordship Dr. Philbin resigned as Bishop of Down and Connor. To mark the occasion the priests of the Parish held a dinner for him in Somerton Road Presbytery.
Dr. Cahal Daly was installed as Bishop of Down and Connor in St. Peter’s Pro-Cathedral on 17th October.
On Friday 12th August the Parish officially received custody of the new St. Thérèse Primary School from the builders. The school was blessed and formally opened by Bishop Cahal Daly on Friday 30th September.
The beginning of this year saw the official entry into the Parish of the Sisters of Mercy to work alongside the Priests in Pastoral Ministry.
Work begins on preparing the site for the new Parish Centre in the grounds of the Church of the Resurrection, Cavehill Road.
Father Sean Emerson is appointed as Administrator. He gave assurance to all Parishioners that he was well equipped for the challenges of his Ministry in Holy Family Parish having served on Rathlin Island for 1 year, 9 months, 10 days and 2 hours! The Parish Finance Committee is formed.
Rev. Jimmy O’Rawe, a Deacon, dies in Maynooth – a parishioner who had worked in the community as a doctor.
The Pastoral Centre, 222 Limestone Road is opened. It will provide facilities for adult education and group meetings. The Parish Pastoral Council is formed.
The parish centre is blessed by Bishop Farquhar. The occasion is attended by local Ministers and many Parishioners.On a sad note, Sr. Ita Carroll, a member of the Dominican Community and Principal of Fortwilliam College, dies after a long illness.
Hugh McCaughan, former principal of Holy Family Boys’ School and great worker for the Credit Union dies.
Official celebrations to mark the opening of the Centenary Year of Holy Family Parish got underway on 17th March.
Holy Family Boys’ PS and Holy Family Girls’ PS amalgamate.
A decision was taken that Holy Family Church would have to be demolished, following a Condition Report on the structure and fabric of the building. This initiated a long period of consultation and research with a view to appointing a suitable Architect with the essential faith, vision and experience required to undertake the Project.
As part of the Jubilee Year celebrations a 5 year Twinning Project was initiated. Nuala Moore, Fr Colm McBride and John Walls RIP travelled to Holy Family Parish, Labasa, Fiji, our twinned Parish, so as to meet and establish links with the Columban Fathers (Fr Martin Dobey and Fr JJ Ryan), school Principals, St Vincent de Paul members and the Project Co-ordinator in Labasa, Mrs Doreen Robinson.
A Youth Faith Development Team was founded with a view to developing a policy for faith development among young people (11-18 years) and to devise strategies for implementing the policy.
The parish website was launched.
Miss Anne McGrath retired as Principal of Little Flower School. The 26 years of her Headship were characterised by faith, leadership, dignity, dedication and vision.
The final Mass was celebrated in Holy Family Church by Bishop Patrick Walsh. It was a day of sadness, nostalgia and memories but above all a day filled with hope, excitement and promise for the future of the faith community of the Parish.
The demolition process begins.
The foundations of the new Church have been laid and the task has been facilitated by an unusual spell of mild and dry weather.
It was with great sadness that the death of Mrs Christine McLaughlin, Principal of St. Thérèse Primary School, was announced. She was a lady who was much loved by staff, pupils and parents. Her warmth, cheerfulness and brightness endeared her to everyone. Her professionalism inspired her colleagues and earned her great respect in the educational community.
Sister Rosaire Boden OP retires as principal of Dominican College, Fortwilliam. She is the last member of the Dominican Congregation to hold the Headship of a post-primary School in the North of Ireland. She will be succeeded by Miss Sally McGahan.
A huge dept of gratitude is owed to the many Dominican Sisters who committed their lives to the education of young people in our Parish community and beyond since the establishment of the College on 15th September, 1930.
The construction of the new Church of the Holy Family is progressing well. The Contractor is scheduling the end of March 2007 as the completion date. In time honoured tradition, the Parishioners have been very generous benefactors. They have supported the ‘Buy-a-brick’ campaign as well as sponsoring the Elements, Vestments and other key furnishings. The new Church will be a beautiful Liturgical space.
The Ceremony of Solemn Dedication and Blessing of Holy Family Church was celebrated at 3.00pm by Most Rev Patrick Walsh, Bishop of Down and Connor. The Con-celebrants were Very Rev Sean Emerson Adm, Very Rev Canon Brendan Murray, Very Rev Fred MacSorley and Rev Senan Timoney SJ. Very Rev Hugh Kennedy Adm (St Peter's Cathedral) and Rev Brendan McMullan fulfilled the role of Master of Ceremonies. There was a full congregation. The Combined Parish Choir, under the leadership of Mark P Laverty, enhanced the Liturgy with magnificent music. A reception was held afterwards, for all those present, in Holy Family Youth Resource Centre. It was a wonderful occasion and a very blessed day for the Parish.
On Friday 29th June, Canon Brendan Murray con-celebrated Mass with Father Fred MacSorley, Father Sean Emerson and Father Brendan McMullan, in the Church of the Resurrection, to mark the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his Ordination (23rd June, 1957)
A very heart warming number of Parishioners were at Mass to share in Canon Brendan's joy at having reached this milestone and to offer their congratulations. Ad multos annos.
