Good things come in threes, according to an old adage, and for the parishioners of St Patrick’s Church in Donaghmore, Castlefin, Sunday 21st September 2025 was a day of triple celebration, as they marked 300 years of worship in the church, the dedication of the recent works of renovation to the building, and what the local Rural Dean Very Rev Liz Fitzgerald called “the glorious celebration of Harvest Thanksgiving”. Indeed, evoking the name of the parish, it was described as “a great Sunday”, by Bishop Andrew Forster, in his sermon.
For the congregation, today’s Service of Evening Prayer and Harvest Thanksgiving was an opportunity to see their beloved church at its splendid best after almost two years of building work. During that time, the parishioners worshipped at their sister church, St Anne’s, in Killygordon.
At the beginning of today’s service, churchwarden Kenneth Witherow outlined the extent of the renovation works: the building got a new roof and toilet block; the exterior wall was completed; new pathways were built, and drainage and guttering replaced; internally, a new heating system was installed, along with new wiring; plaster repairs were carried out; the church was painted – inside and outside – new flooring was put down in the porch and a new carpet was laid in the main part of the church. In his remarks, Mr Witherow remembered the beneficence of brothers Victor and Jim Harron whose generous bequest had, he said, enabled the work. “If it wasn’t for their kind donation, it wouldn’t have taken place.”
Bishop Andrew remarked on the success of the renovation during his sermon. “Here we are, in this beautiful building – absolutely stunning the workmanship, such a credit to you as a parish, a credit to the contractors, a credit to the architect. It really does look remarkable, and I have to say two things, very simply: thank you and well done.”
Among those listening to the Bishop were the Diocesan architect, Karl Pedersen, and building contractor Richard Gamble, whose companies had worked on the renovation.
The Bishop confessed that growing up in Holywood, in County Down, he had learned no Irish. “But I’m reliably informed that Donaghmore, in Irish, means ‘great Sunday’. Isn’t this a great Sunday?,” he said. “This is a wonderful Sunday, because we’re gathered in this beautiful place to give thanks to God for 300 years of history, and to give thanks to God for a bright present and a hopeful future, because of generosity, because of hard work and because of commitment. It is wonderful on this great Sunday to be in this great Sunday church of Donaghmore.
“Three hundred years ago, men and women of faith gathered here with vision and with courage. They laid foundations, they raised walls, they built a house of prayer and praise. But more than that, much more than that, they planted something living – a community of believers, rooted in Jesus Christ – and today, three centuries later, can you believe that, three centuries later, we stand on their shoulders. We give thanks for their courage and commitment. We look around this beautiful church, freshly renovated, and give thanks for the care and generosity that has breathed new life into ancient stones and timbers, and we celebrate harvest – the ancient reminder that your God is a god of provision and abundance.
“So, today is not just an anniversary, it’s harvest of faith, a thanksgiving for renewal, a call to trust God for the future. This is a great Sunday for a great Sunday church, and today we give thanks to God for it.”
Bishop Andrew congratulated young members of the congregation who brought Harvest gifts to the front of the church during today’s service. “Whenever we were in Sunday School,” he recalled, “we would’ve been told that church wasn’t just about the building – it’s the people – and we all know that to be true. And I can imagine that the good parishioners of Donaghmore, today, are sitting thinking of generations who have gone before, and whom our wonderful floral displays today are dedicated to. You’re thinking of past generations who blessed you, who passed the faith on to you in a wonderful way. And, yes the church is about people, but we remember the people in the building – the people who loved the building. And, yes we can say it’s just a building but a church becomes so much more than stone and lime, bricks and mortar, timber and slate, it’s so much more than that, because it is the story of the faithfulness of God to people through 300 years. For 300 years this has been a place where people gathered in joy and in sorrow, in times of peace and in times of trouble, in seasons of plenty and in seasons of want. Think of all the baptisms that have taken place in the fonts of this church. How many children have been welcomed into the family of God over 300 years? Think of the weddings, the promises made, the joy of celebration. Think, too, of the funerals, the tears shed, the comfort shared. Every generation has brought its prayers here, every generation has sung its hymns here, and through it all God has been faithful.”
The Bishop turned to the Harvest theme to speak to today’s generation of worshippers. “The good news is that at Harvest time we are so thankful that we are in partnership with God – the farmers, the gardeners – in partnership with God, who gives us the seeds and the plants but they’re nurtured by the resourceful toil of men and women. We’re in partnership with God. And we’re in partnership with God not just on the land, we’re in partnership with God day by day, making his world a better place, in partnership with God in his ongoing, wonderful work of creation, to see his glory grow around the world.”
After the service ended, a celebratory cake, decorated with the image of St Patrick’s Church, was produced at the front of the church and the honour of cutting it fell to Mrs Betty Beattie who, as well as being a churchwarden, has been sexton in Donaghmore for over 50 years. The cake was then shared among the congregation as they enjoyed refreshments and fellowship at the back of the church.
Today’s service was led by Dean Fitzgerald. Music was provided by the church choir, under the direction of organist Heather Doherty. The readings from Scripture were delivered by Mrs Pearl Barnett and Kenneth Witherow.
