Fundraiser for £30k stained glass in St Mary's Church

Father Tom Boyle, the parish priest of St Mary's on Patrick Street, has been discussing the project with local artist Alec Galloway for the last two years.

He identified an archway inside the main entrance of the church that he felt was 'calling out' for some artistic intervention.

Father Boyle said: "Since I came to St Mary’s seven years ago I’ve wanted to do something about the imagery of Mary in the church.

"Sitting each day in the sanctuary looking down the church I noticed a large space that could be used, the arch over the main doors.

"All Catholic churches dedicated as St Mary’s have one of her titles as a dedication. Ours is the Assumption and so it seems a fitting topic for Alec’s work as an artist.

"Over the last few years Alec and I have been discussing between ourselves what sort of stained glass installation could go into that space above the main doors, which depicted the last moments of Mary’s life on earth."

Father Boyle says that during his travels abroad, every time he saw the image of the scene he would send it to Alec.

He said: " Many great artists have depicted this scene and Alec’s work is a very fitting modern addition to the long tradition of interpreting this mystery of the Catholic faith.”

The historic church, which dates back to 1886, was refurbished around 20 years ago to create a glass entrance and that was when the area above the door was created.

Alec has created a colourful sketch of how the finished stained glass piece will look. He will create a light box with a wooden frame and stained glass, which will be illuminated from behind.

Father Boyle says that while £30,000 is a lot of money to find in this day and age, art is very important in lifting people's spirits.

Alec says he feels privileged to be involved in such an important work in one of Inverclyde's most revered churches.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted, St Mary's was a church I  went to when I was wee.

"The image takes influence from other historical depictions of The Dormition but is a new composition.

"The scene shows the Blessed Virgin, who has fallen asleep and is lying on a bed of white lilies, the flower associated with Mary.

"She is shown in the centre of the design being carried towards Heaven by four angels who hover in a starry sky above her, guiding towards heaven.

"The window ,which is semi circular in shape, is framed within an arch with 12 passion flowers spread across it. These represent the 12 disciples, who are often depicted surrounding Mary at the moment of her death in historical paintings of the Dormition scene.

"God is represented through the inclusion of the Alpha Omega symbol at the top of the design placed central in the upper region of the sky."

He added: "If we do manage to raise the funds, I want to tie in the project with teaching young people.

"It will take more than a year, so that would be enough time to provide training for young people."

*If anyone wishes to make a donation to the appeal they should contact Father Boyle at St Mary's on 01475 721084.