By Julie McLaughlin
A local church has recently completed a major restoration project and will be holding special services in February to celebrate.
Kilhorne Parish Church, located on Kilkeel Road in Annalong along the Irish Sea coast, has finished renovations designed to protect the structure and heritage of the building for churchgoers for many years to come.
The Church of Ireland congregation will hold its reopening celebrations at the church over the weekend of 14 and 15 February. “Our newly refurbished church is now warm and welcoming, with improved access for people of all abilities. It is a restored place of worship for our generation and for generations to come,” explained Rev Bryan Martin, rector of Kilhorne Parish Church.
“We look forward to opening our building on Saturday, 14 February, at 2pm with a short service led by Bishop David McClay, joined by invited guests and our church family. The church will be open that day from 2pm to 8pm for anyone who would like to visit and view the restored building,” he said.
The following day, Sunday 15 February, there will be a Service of Rededication at 11.30am, with guest speaker Bishop David McClay. All are very welcome to attend. “We are profoundly grateful to God for His kindness toward Kilhorne Parish Church, for His guiding hand throughout this project, for all who have worked and volunteered, and for all who have prayed and given so generously. Please do come and worship with us. We would love you to join us in knowing the God who makes Himself known,” Rev Martin added.
The church will also host a series of invitational services entitled Behold Our God, focusing on the book of Isaiah, from Tuesday 17 February to Thursday 19 February, at 8pm each evening.
Kilhorne Parish Church has a long history in the seaside village. The church was built in the 1840s using Mourne granite.
Read the full story in the current issue of the Mourne Observer.
