St Thomas' Church, Belfast facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Thomas' Church |
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| Location | Eglantine Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | http://stthomas.connor.anglican.org/ |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Consecrated | 1870 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Completed | 1869 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Thomas |
| Archdiocese | Diocese of Armagh |
| Diocese | Diocese of Connor |
St Thomas' Church is a beautiful old church in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Church of Ireland. You can find it at the end of Eglantine Avenue, where it meets the Lisburn Road. This church holds regular services and is a special place for many people in the area. The church's parish covers a wide area, from Elmwood Avenue to Adelaide Park. It also stretches from the Malone Road to the Lisburn Road.
Contents
A New Church for a Growing Area
In the mid-1800s, the area south of Queen's University in Belfast grew very quickly. Many large houses and grand streets were built there. People called this area the 'Malone Ridge'. At that time, there were not enough churches for everyone in the Church of Ireland. The existing churches were too far away or not big enough.
A kind person named Andrew Thomas McClean left money in his will to build a new church. This generous gift helped make St Thomas' Church possible. In 1866, John Lanyon was chosen as the architect. Building work started in 1869. St Thomas' Church was officially opened and blessed on 22 December 1870.
Church Design and Features
St Thomas' Church was designed by the architect John Lanyon. It was finished in 1870. Lanyon's company also designed other important buildings in Belfast. These included Belfast Castle and the main building at Queen's University, now called the Lanyon Building.
St Thomas' Church is a great example of High Victorian Gothic style. This means it has tall, pointed arches and lots of detailed decorations. It is one of the most impressive churches of its kind in Ulster. The church is built from white Scrabo sandstone. It also has bands of red sandstone and colourful marble discs. These add to its unique look.
The church's design mixes different styles. It mostly looks like Early French Gothic. But the use of many colours shows an Italian Gothic influence. There might even be a nod to old Irish Christian designs. This is seen in a round stone stair tower. The year 1870 is carved above the north doorway. The church faces north, which is unusual. This was probably because of the sloping ground it was built on.
In 1888, the church was made bigger. John Lanyon also designed these changes. A new porch was added at the southwest end. An inside gallery with a wooden staircase was also built. These changes made the church longer and wider. It could then seat over 1,000 people.
Inside the Church
The inside of St Thomas' Church is very grand. It has a tall, open wooden roof. The walls are decorated with different coloured bricks and carvings. There are elegant, narrow Gothic windows in the chancel (the area near the altar). The columns in the main part of the church have strong carvings of leaves.
One special carving is above the pulpit. It shows four heads of angels and is very detailed. You can also see carvings of symbols for the four Evangelists. These are a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They are near the windows of Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These windows are next to St Thomas and St Paul. The wooden altar also has beautiful carvings. The stone pulpit is heavy but has many decorations. Old iron light fittings are still used in the main part of the church. Eight modern round pictures on the chancel wall show parts of the Holy Communion.
The church has about 45 beautiful stained-glass windows. Many of the older windows were made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne of London. Most of these windows show scenes from the life of Christ. They also show famous Bible stories, like the Parable of the Sower. The story of the Resurrection is also shown often. You can find a map of the windows and their meanings inside the church.
The church has a special organ built by William Hill & Sons in 1874. It was made bigger in 1906. Since then, it has mostly stayed the same. This makes it a very important musical instrument. The church tower has eight bells. These bells were given to the church by Robert Atkinson in 1870. In 2008, the church was updated and repaired.
The Rectory Building
The house next to the church, called the rectory, was also designed by Lanyon's company. It was built in 1871. It is a lovely red brick house. It also has bands of different colours for decoration. Above the front door, there is a nice sandstone carving of an angel playing a lute. The most recent rector, or church leader, is the Reverend Paul Jack.
