Church

Let there be Light

church in sun - click through to see larger imageSomething which strikes anyone entering the church, especially on a sunny day, is how light the church is. Quite different from what we are used to. There are a number of windows, some of them very tall, which allow lots of sun to stream in.

ambo and screen - click through to see larger imageAbove the sanctuary is a tower with windows, hidden from normal view, which shed sunlight on to the sanctuary. The effect is to focus light around the cross on the screen and on to the altar. It is a striking feature symbolic of the Light of Christ.

There is a lot of symbolism in light. It occurs frequently in Scripture and is an important theme in the Gospel of St John. Perhaps something that is important for Catholics in particular is that a church which features so much light is a sign, after Vatican 2, of the Catholic church's willingness to open its windows to the rest of the world.

Space

Another thing which makes an impact on people as they enter the church is a sense of spaciousness. Gone are the pillars that have formed an integral part of larger churches over the years. Instead the roof is supported on huge wooden beams which stretch from back to front and from side to side. This picture shows a glimpse of some of them.

church interior

If you click through the larger picture (then click on the large picture to come back here) you will see, on the far wall, three of the stations of the cross. These were taken from the old church, cleaned and then re-hung in the new church.

Stations of the Cross number 12Here is a close up of one of the stations.