Cavehill Cross at St Peter’s represents hope in face of terror

Wednesday July 27th 2022

Stephen Parker’s sister Karen beside the Cavehill Cross.

A difficult story, shared by St Peter’s Parish Church, Antrim Road, Belfast, through its social media pages this week recalls the murder 50 years ago of teenager Stephen Parker.

Stephen Parker.

Thursday July 21 marked the 50th anniversary of Bloody Friday, when IRA bombs killed nine people and injured 130 more. Among the dead was Stephen, aged 14, who was due to be confirmed in St Peter’s.

From the wreckage of the debris at the place he died, the Cavehill Cross was constructed, and it stands at the back of St Peter’s Church, both as a reminder of that atrocity and of a determination to be hopeful in the face of horror.

This year, Stephen’s sister Karen travelled from Canada to visit St Peter’s, and she is pictured here beside the Cavehill Cross. Karen and her brother Roger ensure that flowers are placed at the foot of the cross every year.

 

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