Library windows illuminate beauty of faith
By Catherine Sheehan
The Fr John Wall Community Library in New Town has taken on a new lease of life with the installation of three beautiful imitation stained-glass windows.
The frosted glass windows feature images of Christ the Teacher, St Thomas Aquinas and Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom.
Library Manager, Anita Gill, said the windows enhanced the “aesthetic beauty” of the library.
“Obviously we’re a theological library, so being able to incorporate these ancient symbols of beauty tells a story about our faith and what we believe,” she said.
Anita added that she had already received a great deal of positive feedback from visitors to the library.
“Most people are just really impressed, and they really love them, and they just think it looks beautiful.”
The images were designed by Sr Josephine Marie of the Sisters of Mary Morning Star in Brisbane, after she was commissioned to design a series of stained-glass windows for the library at Campion College in Toongabbie, NSW.
“When I saw the Campion College installation I got very excited and thought it was really beautiful, and I wondered how we might incorporate a similar design here,” Anita said.
“Eventually, I reached out to Campion to see if we could negotiate the use of the images, and they were happy to do that. We entered into negotiations, and we ended up purchasing the rights to three of the images.”
Frequent visitors to the library are the cadets from the St Thomas Aquinas Teaching Institute, making the window depicting Aquinas particularly appropriate. Accompanying the window is a quote from Aquinas mounted on the wall stating, “Hominem unius libri timeo”, “I fear the man of a single book”.
Anita said the windows had generated a lot of conversation since their installation.
“People generally agree it has really lifted the space, makes it feel even more homely and peaceful and blessed.
“It’s been a really wonderful initiative that’s finally come to fruition after a few years of organising.”