“You cannot make an omlette without breaking eggs”
This was a favourite saying of my Mother whenever work had to be done around the house that involved a lot of dirt and dust.
It was a phrase that came into my head again and again as the work on the sanctuary began and progressed slowly over the
past 2 months. I wish to extend my deep appreciation to those who clean the church and look after its maintenance.
It has not been an easy time and I wish to publicly thank you for all the extra work and effort it has taken to keep the
church as well as it looks.
The Sanctuary
As I announced earlier in the year, when I spoke at all the Masses concerning the financial position of the parish
, that any extra money which had been allocated towards the refurbishment of the Church Roof would be spent on the Sanctuary,
particularly on the back wall. This was in response to the many requests I received since arriving in the parish one year
ago to “do something about the blank grey wall!”
When the quantity surveyor told me that there was still just over €50, 000 left in the budget I allocated this
for the Sanctuary. (We had spent over €20,000 earlier in the year on the work of replacing the wooden panels of the Oratory
with glass so as to reveal the lovely stained glass windows.) I approached the architects who were working on the roof to
plan some designs for the Sanctuary. We are very fortunate that Aidan Leonard of ’ Mullaly Leonard Architects ‘ is a very
loyal parishioner and he has given of his time and energy over and above his work schedule to contribute towards the
beautifying of our church. His firm have worked on a lot of Churches around Ireland and we have benefited from their
expertise. The final plan was submitted to the Parish Pastoral Group in May and then posted on the Sanctuary wall for
observations and comments. Although the plans were well observed there were very few comments. I suppose like myself it is
hard to visualise what something from a drawing will actually look like.
Crucifix
The new Crucifix has Jesus standing in triumph, victorious over death with the window representing his glorification
The sculpture Mark Ryan was approached to work on the figure for the new Crucifix. Mark is a liturgical artist
who has done a lot of work throughout the diocese, including Balally Church. His family have been involved with Church Art
for generations and his wife also worked on the window behind the Crucifix. From the outset I knew that this would be the
most controversial work as it is very abstract. In fact it is in the same style as the Stations of the Cross, the Tabernacle
and the symbol of St. John the Evangelist on the front wall. However, after some initial critism, in my opinion it looks
better in position with the window behind it. (Canon Battelle informs me that it is the same style as the new Crucifix in
the Basilica built at San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Where St. Pio (Padre Pio) is buried.)
I have asked the Architect and the Sculptor to write a piece on their designs and these will follow this introduction. I
have also written down the scriptural understanding of the crucifixion in st. John’s gospel, which I gave as a brief for the
new Sanctuary design. The original Crucifix has been placed in the Oratory and I know for a few people this Crucifix is very important so I have asked that it be lit up with a spotlight to give it due prominence in its new position.
You cannot make an omlette without breaking eggs
The whole experience has been challenging and represents something new and foreward looking. I am happy to have left the
design and artistic work to those who specialise in this area and I for one am very pleased with the overall result. It is
my hope that you too will like it and above all that it has responded to the request to “do something about that blank grey
wall!”
God Bless, Fr Richard.
September 2007.
The Ambo with the new rails
The Tabernacle with the new backdrop
Architect’s Comments
The new backdrop was designed to bring greater focus to the Altar, especially during the
celebration of Mass. The size was considered the minimum in order to achieve this focus. It is offset in order to complement
the asymmetrical nature of the Sanctuary. The inset circle provided space for the new crucifix and illuminated stained glass
window designed and executed by the artists. The entire perimeter of the backdrop may be illuminated for special occasions.
The colour was chosen in order to harmonise with the surrounding grey brick wall and to unify old and new.
Aidan Leonard, September 2007.
Sculptor’s Comments
The Sanctuary Cross and setting have been made to fit into the opening provided in the new
Sanctuary screen. The aesthetic behind the Cross and glass window, was to portray the Christ figure as the ‘Risen Christ’
or ‘Christ in Triumph’ in a more positive and uplifting manner. The glass backdrop is intended to radiate from the centre of
the Cross, adding to the sense of engagement and mystery.
The Corpus has been crafted from mild steel with a mixture of polished and graphited
finishes. The coloured glass has been selected to compliment the existing stained glass and the colour palette used in the
rest of the Church. The Cross itself is in ash.
Mark Ryan, Sculptor, September 2007.
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