Upcoming events View our weekly newsletter Times of services Mass readings Listen to our homilies Look at our live broadcast
Go to home page
Welcome
Find out more about us
Our Church
Church Design
The Altar
The Santuary
Crusifix
Tapestry
Evangelarium
Baptistery
Stained Glass Windows
The Entrance Door
The Roof
Church Builders
Find out about our services
Find out about the people involved in our church
Find out more about our parish
Find out about parish groups
Browse through our photos

Stained Glass Windows

Natural light is transmitted into the interior through the entrance gable of coloured glass, the glass linking the segments of the roof, the coloured glass walls of the side aisles and the opaque colourless glass of the side aisles.

The vast expanse of stained glass is used with dramatic impact, its symbolic effect is undeniable. The slim panels of leaded glass between the roof segments give the illusion of extending the huge gable of stained glass on either side of the Pentecost scene. They only come fully into view for the ministers at the altar and the communicants returning from communion. The light transmitted through the coloured glass representing the Holy Spirit may be seen as symbolic of the communicant’s reception of the Eucharist and its spiritual effect. The abstract patchwork of coloured glass set into heavily textured cement in the side aisles also deserves attention. The colours of the glass change as they advance towards the sanctuary, from predominantly red and purple through blue and mauves to yellow, amber and colourless glass.

One of the outstanding features of the church is the giant triangular stained glass window at the entrance gable to the church, broken only by a pair of doors flanking a carved wooden statue of St Anthony over which projects a cantilevered gallery. The window, designed by Richard King, depicts the Holy Spirit coming on Our Lady and the Apostles at Pentecost. Set beneath the apex of the triangle is the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. A circular ball of fire in red, orange, purple and yellow suggests the spiritual enlightenment bestowed by the Holy Spirit. The elongated figures of Our Lady and the apostles, in shades of green and purple, are set within. Our Lady is centrally placed and the eleven apostles each carrying his own symbol or attribute are distributed around her. Simon the Zealot carries a saw, St Jude a lance, St Matthew a purse. The Pentecost scene is set within a vast triangular expanse of stained glass measuring about 82 feet by 70. It is breath-taking in its colours of flame red, plum, burgundy, amber, gold, azure, aquamarine, turquoise and lavender. The diameter of the Pentecost scene is about 36 feet. The parish is very proud of the fact that the stained glass was put in place by Michael Roche of St Patrick’s Road. Michael has maintained all the stained glass since the church opened.