Who Built St Mary's Church?
The Census in 1782 showed
that there were 365 Catholics living in Belfast. At
that time, there was no Catholic Church in the City.
The Presbyterian and Church
of Ireland communnities took up a special collection
at their services - the Handsome Collection - and made
a gift of the monies donated to build the first Catholic
Church in Belfast - St Mary's Chapel Lane. The generosity
of the Presbyterian and Church of Ireland people of
Belfast demonstrates the unprecedented religious tolerance
of that time.
It was on Sunday, 30th
May 1784 that Mass was celebrated for the first time
in the new church of St. Mary's for the first time by
Father Hugh O'Donnell, first Parish Priest of Belfast.
A sister church was built
- St Mary's on the Hill in Whiteabbey. And Father O'Donnell
would mount his horse after saying Mass in Belfast and
ride on horseback to Whiteabbey to say Mass there.
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