What does Saint Gall's Church 

look like?

Modern buildings can possess many features of immense interest, which are sometimes lost if they are not brought  to our notice. 

We believe that Saint Gall’s Parish Church is one of these buildings, and therefore the following information is given to enable people to appreciate fully the church in which they worship, or which they simply visit. The richness of the design preaches the richness of the Anglican tradition that is the heart of this church.

 

   THE SANCTUARY WINDOW

    The large stained-glass window which shines across the sanctuary has been given the modern treatment of rather paler colours that were found in the older windows.  While it follows the modern trend, quite a large proportion of the window, however, is made up of antique glass.  The overall effect, of course is abstract, but when studied closely, it can be seen to be full of symbolism.

  The bottom right-hand corner shows the Star of Bethlehem shinning over the manger.  From that point can be detected the Way of the Cross, the path which the Christian must take in his life’ pilgrimage.  The path widens and eventually meets the large cross which dominates the whole window in rather more vivid colours of red.  The path continues and changes colour till it has an almost clear daylight effect.  This symbolises our Lord’s Ascension into Heaven, and we finally see the path becoming a rich golden colour representing the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem …”And the city was pure gold”  (Revelation 21.18).

  Down in the left-hand corner of the window is the rather triangular shaped green hill of Calvary, and from it stems the foot of the large cross already mentioned.  Around the hill can be seen the nails which were used to crucify our Lord.  On the left-hand arm of the cross there hangs the Crown of Thorns, and from this arm stretching right across to the other arm is draped the coat or robe which was without seam….”Woven from the top throughout”

  At different points throughout the window one can notice a number of small crosses in different colours.  These simply stand for the different burdens and crosses, some heavier than others, which a Christian has to bear when following Christ.

  The whole window is one of great delicate beauty, and no doubt will grow on the individual as he becomes more aware of its depth and meaning. In more recent times it has served to inspire the parish logo seen in the top left hand corner of our web pages.    

  VESTIBULE WINDOWS

  As one goes through the front entrance of  the church he will not fail to be struck by the handsome sand-blasted windows – a process which produces a deep ‘carved-glass’  window.  There are two; one on the left and the other on the right of the entrance.

  As you turn left, you will see the story of Saint Comgall the teacher, pointing and guiding the way to the young Gall.  In the background can be seen Bangor Abbey (as we know it today) reminding us of the home of Gall’s training as a disciple of Christ.

  On the other side of the entrance is seen the legend of Gall as an old man beside the River Steinach and the bear carrying logs to him to light his fire

   

All the glasswork described was carried out by Caldermac Ltd. (Belfast) – now Solaglas Caldermac Ltd., Lisburn.

 

ST. GALLEN PICTURE

  In the vestry hangs another token of the parish’s link with the Church of Switzerland.  It is an original water-colour painted in the year 1858 by Stahlstich von L. Rohbock.  It was brought here personally  by Pastor Eberhand Zellweger from the Swiss Reformed Church in  St. Gallen when visiting the parish in October, 1965.  It is the gift of the Church and people at St. Gallen.

  The painting gives a panoramic view of the city of St. Gallen with Bodensee (Lake Constance) in the background.

 

 THE LADY CHAPEL WINDOWS

  A  much simpler theme runs through the abstract mass of rich colour which can be seen in the Lady Chapel Windows.  Right in the centre of the large panel at the side of the sanctuary, you  can see the head of Christ hidden in the rich tapestry of colour.  It is deliberately designed in the centre to remind us that Christ is the centre of all life, the Head of all things, the focal point of our faith.  

The beautiful colours represent ‘Glory’ and what inspired the artist when making the window were the two lines from the opening verse of Thomas Kelly’s hymn  “The head that once was crowned with thorns  Is crowned with glory now”.

 

The treatment given to this window is a French process of thick glass, sometimes as much as an inch thick, cast in concrete; and while there is another church  on the outskirts of Belfast with this type of window, these particular windows were the first ever to have  been produced in Northern Ireland.  

While this is looked upon as being a modern method of creating stained-glass windows, the process is in fact many centuries old, and has only come into use again comparatively recently.

 

THE CHURCH BELL

  The bell which calls people to worship is over a hundred years old, and comes originally from a church which became redundant some time ago, situated only a few miles from Ireland’s central town Athlone.

  The bell was cast in 1851 by Thomas Hodges of Abbey Street, Dublin for the Parish Church of Kilkenny West, Co. Westmeath.  It bears the Latin inscription “Venite cum voco” (Come when I call) and also carries the name of the Rector and Churchwardens – “James A. Crozier’ rector; J.L. Cuppaidge, J. C. Tatlow, churchwardens”.

  Perhaps the most interesting thing about Kilkenny West Church  is the fact that the father of the well known writer Oliver Goldsmith was one rector of this parish, and it is reputed that Oliver Goldsmith as a young man worshipped there.

    THE FONT

  Symbolism is once again to be found in the design of the Baptismal Font.  It is triangular in shape, and the triangle has long been regarded as a symbol of the Holy Trinity, and as Holy Baptism is always administered in the  Name of the Holy Trinity (“I baptise thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”) it was thought fitting that the font should be three-sided.

Positioned as it is at the back of the church those gathering to worship pass by the font week by week. In doing so they are reminded of their own baptism and the beginning of their own journey of faith.

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