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CHAPEL OF THE VISITATION

Religious Artwork

ARTIST
Michael Galovic

200 Year Anniversary Windows

To the right and the left of the main entrance, the 200 year anniversary windows depict four majors incidents in the early story of the foundations of the Australian Province of the Marist Brothers.

The first window captures the dream, known as the Pledge of Fourviere, of the 12 newly ordained priests in Lyon France, 200 years ago. The central image is that of Mary holding the child Jesus. The is the significate image of the Black Madonna, before which Marcellin and his fellow priests made a promised to form a new society to be known as the Society of Mary, whose aim was to make Jesus Christ known and loved in the way of Mary.

Then second window tells the story of Saint Marcellin’s visit to the young boy who was dying, knowing nothing of God. The dark colours emphasise the crisis for this young boy and the local Church. While sowing that the boy has already died and in in the care of the angels. Saint Marcellin is depicted contemplating how he can respond to this crisis and fulfil his dream of making Jesus known and loved.

The third window shows the interior of the house at La Valla that Saint Marcellin acquired to accommodate the first two Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary as they were more commonly known at our beginning. The window shoes a section of the table that Saint Marcellin had built for his infant community, as well as other rustic features of this first Marist house. A loaf of bread is positioned in the middle of the table symbolising the sacredness of the community gathered around this table. The Marist mission to make Jesus known and loved had begun in earnest.

The final window represents the difficult situation that the first Australian Marist Brothers’ Community had in establishing their first school at The Rocks in Sydney in 1872 The students were undisciplined and it wasn’t until the Brothers invited the students to build a May Altar to Mary and to pray through her daily during the month of May that things began to markedly improve. The chaotic lower area of the windows quickly gives way to the more ordered church stained-glass windows. The bright golden intrusion of colour from the top left of the window suggest the work of the Holy Spirit has been significant in bringing a change of attitude and behaviour to the students. The Marist Mission make Jesus known and loved had come to birth in this young colony of Australia.

The four windows were commissioned for the Australian Marist Bicentenary 2017. They were created by artist Michael Galovic who is responsible for most of the iconic work in the chapel – notably the images of The Holy Family, Saint Marcellin Champagnat, Saint Peter Chanel (proto-martyr of Oceania), and Saint Mary MacKillop (Australia’s first saint).

One notes the striking Icon of the Visitation which is displayed in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, depicting the meeting of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Saint Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.

CHAPEL OF THE VISITATION

Liturgical & Religious Artwork

ARTIST
Mark Weichard
Orchard Studios

madonna sculpture

MADONNA SCULPTURE

 

MATERIALS: Huon Pine, stainless steel, Artglass panels, gold leaf

ARTIST’S COMMENT: The core of the artists brief given to me by the Brothers at the start of this project was to use the artworks to attempt to capture the Marial Spirit and present this in a way that helped others understand their devotion to the Madonna and its central place within their lives both as individuals and as community.

The Madonna Shrine seeks to help us begin our journey of understanding into this central relationship within our Catholic faith. The piece is intended to work on a number of levels, beginning with the relationship of this mother for this child. But through this and our understanding of the momentous events which were surrounding them, we can begin to appreciate the depth of feeling contained within the gaze of the Madonna as she holds the Christ child.

Cloaking the figure is the blue of her veil and the traditional gold leaf braiding of classical European church art and beyond this again the earth lines of Australian tribal art and contemporary sculpted forms in stainless steel and glass. The shrine both protects the Tabernacle and invites us to enter through her into the sacred space of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the place where the living presence of her son dwells.

altar

ALTAR AND AMBO

 

MATERIALS: Tasmanian Myrtle, stainless steel, Tasmanian Huon Pine, Art glass panels, Gold leaf

ARTIST’S COMMENT:  Designed to be visually strong, while at the same time allowing it to appear transparent. The art glass panels complete the fabric of these pieces, while also allowing the viewer to see through it to what lies beyond. It is intended to take up a strong presence within the sacred space, while also reading as light and ethereal.

presider's chair

PRESIDER’S CHAIR

 

MATERIALS: Tasmanian Myrtle –Veneer and solid timber, Leather and gold leaf

ARTIST’S COMMENT:  This piece is connected to the Sanctuary suite, but offers a different interpretation of how to construct with these materials. Using a contemporary curved veneer shell as the structural mainstay of the work, the ancillary components are arranged around this central component. More like a sculptural exercise than a furniture project, this piece looks dynamic, but is still comfortable to sit in.

TABERNACLE

TABERNACLE

 

MATERIALS: Timber, stainless steel, cast bronze

ARTIST’S COMMENT: Along with the Madonna Shrine, this work carries the sacredness of the Chapel space and is intended to work closely with the Madonna Shrine. The work is unusual in that it both houses the blessed sacrament and displays the host within a custom made monstrance which is part of the ceiling of the Tabernacle itself. The Tabernacle sits within a custom built enclosure which seeks to further enhance the visitors experience of the sacred within this holy place. The polished stainless steel case is fronted by cast bronze panels and a polished brass cross detail. Centrally located on the wall behind the Tabernacle is the art-glass panels of the Sanctuary Lamp. The red glass of the lamp glows from beneath the blue glass panel of the Madonna, thus we are drawn to approach the mystery of the Messiah through the life and devotion of his mother.

 

processional cross

CRUCIFIX 

MATERIALS: Huon Pine, stainless steel, sandstone, gold leaf.

ARTIST’S COMMENT: Along with the Madonna Shrine, this work carries the main ‘sacred image’ responsibility for the Chapel renovation project. This contemporary work uses the blue stained timber to lead the viewer to the figure of Christ through the symbol of his mother. But this is not the slumped figure defeated by the cross, this is a dynamic figure which is at once held by the wood of the cross, but also released and supported by it as the cross is transformed into an instrument of resurrection. The contemporary metal sculpture surrounds the figure carved into a large solid section of rare Huon Pine. The metal reflects the light and is intended to represent the release of the spirit at resurrection. Between them, the metal of the cross and the wood of the sculpted figure attempt to capture the paradox of our humanity, an eternal spirit wrapped within our temporary earthly existence.

SANCTUARY WINDOWS

 

MATERIALS: Individually applied sandblast ‘resist’ medium, over toughened light blue-grey proprietary glass

ARTIST’S COMMENT: These important windows are intended to provide visual privacy within the Chapel sacred space while also allowing the viewer to look out and contemplate the beautiful Mittagong landscape. These windows carry the Marian colour of blue and relate closely to both the glass of the Madonna Shrine, the Altar and the Tabernacle. They complete the Sacred Space by enclosing the viewer within the folds of a blue veil.

PROCESSIONAL CROSS 

Materials: Mirror polished Stainless, Timber. Artists Comments: This work relates closely to the central Crucifix, echoing the main features of this piece while extending the contemporary design parameters involved in the original. The materials relate closely to those of the original crucifix, but are used in the processional cross to capture the impression of the ‘Marial’ spirit.