Special services mark golden jubilee of St Donard’s Church, Belfast (1950)
Special services marking golden jubilee of St Donard’s Parish Church, in East Belfast, opened during this week in 1950, when the Lord Bishop of Down and Dromore (the Right Reverend W S Kerr, DD, was the preacher.
He dedicated a stained glass window to the memory of the late Mr Robert Dunn, JP, of Holywood, who had been the secretary of the Select Vestry for 24 years.
The window was unveiled by Mrs Dunn, and Mr Tom Dunn (son) who had requested the Bishop to dedicate it. Other members of the family present were Mr R L Dunn (another son) and Miss Isobel Dunn, a daughter.
The Bishop spoke in his address of the need for beautifying church buildings.
“At one time,” he said, “there was a foolish revulsion against decorating and beautifying churches, perhaps because worship had become superstitious, and decorations had been removed. But it was soon realised that that it was not the way either to preserve the purity of worship or to help the devotions of the people.
“Now, everywhere, the feeling and practice are that churches must be beautified and capable of drawing our hearts and minds to God. It is only natural that people who liked their own homes to be nice should put beautiful things into their churches.”
He added that St Donard’s was an example of “how it was to the service of God and for the good of the people” that the church should be made beautiful.
He continued: “The late Canon A Moore, whose name will always be associated with the parish, had that spirit. It was his view that nothing but the best was good enough for God's house.
“That tradition has been further fulfilled by the dedication of the new window to the memory of Mr Dunn, who has the right to the name of a good church builder – one who loved his church and had worked for it for many years. He has been honourable and straightforward, serving God in his day and generation.”
Dr Kerr said that he had always looked upon St Donard’s as “almost the model church”.
He said: “The beautification of the church is not for a conventional Sunday parade, but it is to bring people into touch with the Divine and make them feel the presence of God.”