Category Fenor Church Windows

Jan 26 2014

Our Lady’s window

Our Lady’s window

Our Lady's window Our Lady's window, Detail 1 Our Lady's window, Detail 2 Our Lady's window, Detail 3

Our Lady is standing on a cloud above two angels who are kneeling on another cloud. She has her left foot on the head of a green snake or serpent. Our Lady is often seen crushing the head of the serpent in pictures and statues. It comes from a vision that St. Catherine Labouré received in 1830.

This is the serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is often portrayed, as above, with a red apple in its mouth but, in fact, the type of fruit is not mentioned in the bible –
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?'” [Genesis 3:1].
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” [Genesis 3:6].
In the Genesis story, the serpent represents evil or its personification, Satan. So the window shows Mary defeating evil.

Strange face

Did you notice the peculiar faces to the left and right of Mary’s head and shoulders? Click on the image to enlarge it and you will see the faces more clearly. Who do you think they are? Notice, too, the beautiful golden robe that one of the angels is wearing. The banner below the two angels says, “Holy Mary pray for us”.

Jan 26 2014

The East Gable Windows

The East Gable Windows

East gable peak window East gable peak window

There are four small windows in the peaks of the four gables. This one, in the east gable, is the smallest of the four. It is difficult to see from inside the church as it is partially obscured by the roof woodwork and by its surrounding masonry. Here we have shown an inside and an outside view.

East gable windows

These are the main windows in the church. The central window is partially hidden by the pinnacle of the main altar. Three figures are shown in the windows. They are, from left to right, Saint Anne, Our Lady, and Saint Joachim.
In the image on the left we ask, “St Anne Pray For Us” and, on the right, “St Joachim Pray For Us”.
The dedication at the bottom of the window is shown in the following three images.

Left window dedication Centre window dedication Right window dedication
PRAY FOR THE REVD JOHN
HE BUILT THE CHURCHES 
DOWLEY P.P. AT WHOSE COST THIS
OF DUNHILL AND FENOR 
WINDOW WAS ERECTED
A.D. 1883 1894 
Jan 26 2014

Fenor Church Windows

The Stained-Glass Windows of Immaculate Conception Church, Fenor

Did you ever stop and look at the stained-glass windows in the church? Possibly not. It’s not something that we do unless we are particularly interested in stained glass, and many of us aren’t. Anyway, it’s not easy to get a good, close look at them. A pair of binoculars is useful but the arms get tired very quickly. A camera is the thing! Modern cameras are equipped with lots of pixels which means that they can capture lots of detail. When viewed on the screen of a television or a computer the images may be enlarged by “zooming in”. It is only then that the amazing colours and fine detail of the windows can be fully appreciated. Not even by perching on the window ledges can you see the windows as well as you can here.

We will begin with the main window in the east gable, above the altar, and then turn left through the north transept, the north wall of the nave, the south wall of the nave, the south transept and, finally, the west gable window above the main door. This is the order adopted in the menu opposite,

Before you set off to view the windows of Fenor church, you might like to look at the window below. It is a detail from a window in St. Carthage’s cathedral in Lismore, Co. Waterford, and shows three women at Jesus’ tomb after the resurrection. According to Luke’s gospel they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. Click the image to zoom in.

Women at the tomb

Women at the tomb