Church and Community

Even though it is fully exposed to the secular influences of the modern world, Belfast has remained a community of churchgoers. St. Michael’s Church in Iona serves the Roman Catholic population concentrated primarily in Orwell, Newtown Cross and Iona.

The present—day St. Michael’s is actually the third church to stand on the site. The original church, built in 1852, was destroyed by fire in 1926. The people of the parish immediately began to rebuild, but the onset of the Great Depression, followed by' the demands of wartime, meant that the sanctuary was never completed to the satisfaction of the parishioners. Unfortunately, it too was destroyed by fire on January 6, 1959.

Although it is a small parish, St. Michael’s has made a significant contribution to the leadership of the Catholic Church. No fewer than 19 young men from the Iona area have been ordained into the Priesthood.

The original St. Michael’s Church, Iona. It was built in 1852 and was destroyed byfire on New Year’s Eve, 1926.

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