Pictured at service on Sunday 1st
October to mark the 40th anniversary of St
Columba�s Church, Derryvolgie are L to R: Brendan Kane
- Rector�s warden, Jack Hassard - Diocesan Reader, the
Rev Donna Quigley, the Rev Canon Bertram Livingston,
Dorothy Jackson - Parish Reader and
Bertha Thompson - People�s
warden.
A service was held on Sunday 1st October to
commemorate the 40th anniversary of St Columba�s
Church, Derryvolgie. The present Rector, the Rev Donna Quigley,
led the service assisted by Jack Hassard - Diocesan Reader and
Dorothy Jackson - Parish Reader. The special guest was the
first Rector, the Rev Canon Bertram Livingston (1963-1979).
During the service Mr Livingston recounted the history of how
the church was founded and explained where the various church
items came from. The service was followed by lunch in the
church hall during which Hannah Perry presented Mrs Livingston
with a bouquet of flowers.
A series of events to mark the 40th anniversary of
St Columba�s Church commenced with the Beavers� 40th,
followed by the Mothers� Union 40th and in April, a
Display and dinner celebrating the formation of Derryvolgie
Parish Girls� Brigade 40 years ago. Other events over the past
few months included a Variety Gospel Concert last May
and a concert by Murley Silver Band on Friday 29th
September.
St Columba�s Parish was created in 1963 from the adjoining
parishes of Lisburn Cathedral, Lambeg and Derriaghy. The first
Rector was the Rev (now Canon) Bertram Livingston, previously
rector in charge of five churches in Co. Monaghan. When he came
to Lisburn, there was neither a church, nor land available for
it. His home was used for Sunday School and a Bible Class and
in January 1964, Sunday services and Sunday School commenced in
a vacant shop on the Moss Road. In May of that year, a hut was
built by parishioners to be used until a church could be built
to cater for the needs of people moving into the area of
Derriaghy, Lambeg and Lisburn. The foundation stone was laid on
11th December 1965 and the new building was dedicated
on 10th September 1966. The cost of the building
with furnishings was �23,500. St. Columba�s achieved full
parish status in January 1978.
In 1979 Canon Livingston was succeeded by the late Canon Noel
Wilkinson. On Canon Wilkinson�s retirement, the Rev Chris
Pollock was appointed Rector on 15th October 1993.
The present Rector, the Rev Donna Quigley, was instituted here
on All Saints Day, 1st November 2004. Jack Hassard
was commissioned Diocesan Reader on 20th November
1980. Dorothy Jackson was commissioned Parish Reader on Sunday
4th June 2006.
