Police are appealing for information after an arson attack at a church in Co Antrim last night.
Extensive damage was caused to the Church of the Holy Name at Station Road Greenisland between Belfast and Carrickfergus.
Emergency services got the call to come to the Church of Ireland building around 9.10pm.
Nine fire appliances spent several hours putting out the blaze.
Police said extensive damage was caused to the property.
The church had celebrated its 70th anniversary recently.
No injuries were reported.
Police said they were treating the fire as arson and have appealed for information and footage from the area.
Massive thanks to @NIFRSOFFICIAL who are tackling fire at Church of Ireland Station Road Greenisland community saddened by this event. pic.twitter.com/FG7f9z4XQ7
— Stewart Dickson CF MLA 🇺🇦 (@stewartcdickson) September 1, 2024
Bishop of Connor the Rev George Davison described the fire as heart-breaking.
In a post on Facebook, he said the community had spent a "joyful afternoon celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Church of the Holy Name" but they had returned later to see a "terrible fire on the premises".
"It was heart-breaking to watch and to stand with so many parishioners who couldn't quite believe what we were witnessing," he said.
Terrible damage done by arson at the Church of the Holy Name in Greenisland near Belfast overnight. Congregation celebrating a 70th anniversary yesterday are in shock today. Thought it may have been an act of vandalism which had serious unintended consequences pic.twitter.com/5manckBZ8G
— conor macauley (@TVconormac) September 2, 2024
"I'm so thankful that no-one was hurt and very grateful to the members of the Fire Service and the PSNI for all their efforts this evening.
He added: "The Church of the Holy Name is not a damaged building, it is the amazing group of people that I met there this afternoon and who stood together this evening and cried and hugged each other and resolved to keep on worshipping and serving Jesus in Greenisland."
The congregation of around 200 families had gathered yesterday for a special service to mark the church's 70th anniversary.
Minister the Rev Isobel Hawthorne-Steele said she received a call shortly after the celebrations finished to tell her the building was on fire.
She said by the time she arrived it was well alight.
She was allowed in hours later to salvage some items of value, including a Bible, but said there'd been extensive structural damage to the church hall, part of the church roof had been destroyed and there was a lot of water damage.
Church leaders are now making arrangements with other congregations in the area for a temporary space for services.
Rev Hawthorne-Steele said her parishioners were resilient people who would rebuild.
Additional reporting PA
