The “community resilience” of Greenisland has been praised after a church in the Co Antrim town was destroyed in a fire.
The Church of the Holy Name was set alight earlier this month as nine fire-fighting appliances and 49 firefighters responded to the scene of the blaze.
Photographs showed substantial damage to its hall, where a section of the roof was destroyed in the fire.
Damages are estimated to cost £2.5 million.
An online fundraiser set up by Rev Isobel Hawthorne-Steele’s niece to pay for the repair work has now reached almost £20,000 – more than three times the initial goal.
Three young boys have been charged in connection with the fire, with one of the suspects aged 11 and the other 10-years-old.
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Northern Ireland Office Minister and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Fleur Anderson spoke with the Rev Dr Isobel Hawthorne-Steele, Minister of the Church, about the attack and viewed the scale of the destruction during a recent visit.
She also heard about the experiences of the community in the aftermath of the attack.
“The discussions I had with Rev Dr Hawthorne-Steele were very constructive,” she said.
“It was sad to see the scale of the destruction to a place that is a beacon of hope for many in the community.
“It was encouraging to hear the positive support shown by local churches in Greenisland, the understanding shown to the families of the young boys involved and the plans for the future rebuilding.
“I stand in solidarity with this entire community and I commend their resilience and forgiveness.
“I must also commend the quick response of the Northern Ireland Fire Service, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, for their valiant efforts in tackling the blaze.”
The Rev Dr Hawthorne-Steele said: “Having met with the minister it was encouraging to learn that she is a fellow community practitioner with extensive experience in building community cohesion and promoting transformative grassroots initiatives.
“Having spent considerable time chatting and seeing first-hand the devastation caused by the fire to our parish centre and church, the minister captured the full impact of the far-reaching consequences on our church and the wider community that this disaster has caused.
“As a church, we greatly appreciate the fact that the minister acknowledged the efforts we are making to grow resilience in partnership with multi-faceted groups and organisations that work within this local area as we rebuild and renew our faith by revealing God’s grace.”