Happy feast day! 1) After Our Blessed Lord rose from the dead, he appeared to his apostles a number of times over a period of forty days, showing them by many proofs that he was alive after his passion. Then, in their sight, Our Lord was lifted up to heaven, that he might make us … [Read more…]
Traditionally, these three days before the feast of the Ascension are ‘Rogation Days’ – days of prayer and intercession. The Litany of the Saints is prayed each day, and on one of the days a church procession may be held. The Rogation Days have their roots in the mid-fifth century, in what we would nowadays … [Read more…]
The next of the windows adorning the nave of Saint Mary’s Heaton Norris, depicts the Presentation of Our Lady. Our Lady’s parents, Joachim and Anne, were most devout. Joachim would donate a whole third of his income to the poor and needy, and a further third to the Temple – far more than was required. … [Read more…]
In addition to the ones we’ve looked at so far, Saint Mary’s has a set of eight windows along the sides of the nave. Depicting various events in Our Lady’s life, these windows were unveiled in 1931 – a gift from Archbishop Curley of Baltimore and Washington, USA, whose cousin, Father Hughes, was parish priest … [Read more…]
Last time, we looked at the window above the side altar to the left of the sanctuary. That window depicts (as we said) the Annunciation. Today, we’ll look at the window behind the side altar on the other side of the sanctuary. In his Gospel account of Our Lord’s crucifixion and death, the apostle John … [Read more…]
Saint Mary’s Heaton Norris is graced, as I said, by some fine stained-glass windows. So far, we’ve looked at the three situated at the far east end of the church, which were already in place when the church opened in 1897. Either side of the sanctuary stands a side altar – and each of these … [Read more…]
Either side of the east window at Saint Mary’s, we have a pair of windows mirroring each other. Yesterday, we looked at the one to the east window’s right, portraying two saints associated with England: Pope Saint Gregory, and Saint Augustine of Canterbury. When Saint Mary’s church was opened in 1897, its congregation, as with … [Read more…]
Our tour of the stained-glass windows here at Saint Mary’s church Heaton Norris began with the east window – which depicts the Calvary scene. Either side of it we discover a pair of windows which mirror each other. Together, they acknowledge the English and Irish origins of the parish – one portraying two saints associated … [Read more…]
Here, following on from yesterday, are a few more personal thoughts about the east window here at Saint Mary’s Heaton Norris. As I was saying, many churches have a depiction of Calvary for an east window, just above the action of the Mass taking place on the altar. They were installed to remind us that … [Read more…]
Mortem nostram moriendo destruxit et vitam resurgendo reparavit. “By dying He has destroyed our death and by rising again He has restored us to life.” The statues are unveiled, the altar dressed, and all is ready for the Mass of Easter Day. A happy and blessed Easter to you all!