St Peter's Church, Belfast facts for kids

St Peter's Church is a Church of Ireland parish church located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a special place of worship for the Anglican community living near the Antrim Road.

History of St Peter's Church

Building the Church

The first part of St Peter's Church was built at the end of the 1800s. This included the chancel (the area around the altar) and the front part of the nave (the main seating area). It was made from beautiful Scrabo sandstone. People at the time thought it looked very grand, like a small cathedral.

The back part of the church was added in the early 1930s. It was built in the same style as the original church. However, if you look closely inside, you can see a slight color difference in the stone. There's also a small hole in the middle of the nave floor. This is where the lock for the original main door used to bolt into the ground.

Items from Other Churches

St Peter's Church now holds several items from other churches that have closed.

Chapel of the Resurrection

Some items came from the Chapel of the Resurrection. This was a small chapel built for the Earl of Shaftesbury. It was located between St Peter's and Belfast Castle. The chapel used to have special evening services with choirs from all over Belfast. Sadly, it closed in the 1970s because of damage. Many of its beautiful furnishings were then moved to a side-chapel in St Peter's. This area was renamed the Chapel of the Resurrection to remember the old chapel. It is used for smaller services.

St James' Church

The church also has items from St James' Church. St James' was an older church, about 30 years older than St Peter's. It was a large building on the Antrim Road, near Belfast Royal Academy. In the 1970s, during a time of community tension, many people moved away from this part of Belfast. Because of this, fewer people attended St James' Church.

So, St Peter's and St James' churches decided to work together and share a rector (the main priest). In 2007, it was decided that St James' Church would close. Many important items were moved from St James' to St Peter's. These included the Holy Table, a special stand for books, flower stands, and banners. The north aisle of St Peter's was renamed St James' Chapel to honor the former church. This area is now used for evening services that don't include a choir.

New Halls

In 2007, new halls were built at St Peter's. These include a main hall, a smaller hall, a kitchen, and offices. You can get to these halls from inside the church.

Rectors of St Peter's Church

St Peter's has had seven rectors (head priests) since it opened in 1900.

• The Very Rev'd Henry Brett was the rector from 1900 to 1926. He later became a very important leader at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast.
• The Very Rev'd Dr Richard Breen served from 1926 to 1963.
• The Rev'd Canon Will Harris was the rector from 1963 to 1990. He also became a Canon at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
• The Venerable Dr Stephen McBride was the rector from 1990 to 1995. He later became an Archdeacon in the Diocese of Connor.
• The Rev'd Canon Charles McCollum was the rector from 1995 to 2008. He was the first rector for both St Peter's and St James' churches after they joined.
• The Rev'd Adrian Dorrian served from 2009 to 2012.
• The Rev'd Brian Lacey has been the rector since 2013 and is still serving today. He also helps lead churches in North Belfast.

See also

• List of places of worship in Belfast