northern saints

 

At St Nicholas,’ the church where I am priest-in-charge, we have a large collection of stained-glass windows by the twentieth-century designer Leonard Evetts. Four of these depict northern saints: Columba, Aidan, Bede, and Hilda. Several of the classrooms in our church halls are also named for northern saints, but there was nothing other than a name plate on the door to indicate any significance to this decision.

Recently I was approached by a group of sixth formers (final two years of secondary school education) who were looking for a project volunteering in the community. I invited them to help me reclaim a room on the church halls (the Columba room) that had had various uses over the years, most recently as a storeroom, but that I wanted to use as a space for quiet reflection or prayer, and study.

First, they helped clear the room of everything that was stored in it. Then I took photos of the stained-glass and projected them onto the walls. The students helped me trace them out in pencil, and colour-block them with acrylic paint, and I added the detail.

I have already used the room for Lent conversations on living hope, and baptism preparation with families. The door is kept on the snib so anyone can make use of the room for prayer whenever the halls are open to the community throughout the week.