Art in the National Shrine of Our Lady
As well as the wonderful statue of Our Lady of the Taper, there are many beautiful artworks in this church that are worth spending some time noticing on a visit to The National Shrine.
The Shrine Statue and Mother Concordia Scott OSB
Mother Concordia Scott OSB was Prioress of Minster Priory in Ramsgate, and was one of the Worlds leading sculptors of religious art, and the only nun to have an international reputation as a sculptor.
She studied at Edinburgh’s college of art, and graduated in 1946, with her training having been interrupted with the |Second world war, and her being called up to join the ATS on her 19th birthday.
She entered the Benedictine community of Ramsgate in 1952, and didn’t sculpt again until 1959, when she exhibited some of her past work at a vocational exhibition in Manchester, and from that followed a constant stream of commissions. Her work is displayed in many notable locations, including Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The Vatican, St Thomas’ Cathedral in New York (Our Lady of 5th Avenue), St David’s Cathedral Cardiff (Our Lady of Penrhys and the Welsh Martyrs), and the National Shrine of Wales to name a few.
She saw her work as being another job in the Priory, with all work of the community done equally for one purpose – the greater glory of God. However, in order to be able to create a religious image for use in an environment of faith and prayer, she said “you have to ask someone who believes”.
The Image of the Risen Christ was sculpted in clay and cast in Fiberglass infused with bronze powders, and was created and cast by Mother Concordia. The Shrine Statue was sculpted in clay by her, and cast in bronze at a foundry near her monastery.
Altar, tabernacle plinth and baptismal font
Central to our focus in the Church is the altar, and the tabernacle, stood on a plinth that matches the altar. These together with a baptismal font, are made of green slate from the famous Penrhyn quarries of Bethesda. The pedestals are heptagonal to recall the seven sacraments. The altar was consecrated on 23rd July 1970 by Bishop Langton Fox.
Carved wood
There are a variety of carved wood objects in the Church, and predominantly made of Welsh oak. They include the surround to the tabernacle, the dove representing the Holy Spirit and the paschal candle stand, depicting the instruments of the passion and the cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus following the crucifixion. In 1970 he also installed the Stations of the Cross.
Close to the Shrine, there is a carved casket also crafted by Harry Comley, containing the candle blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1986 for the inauguration of Cardigan as the Welsh National Shrine of Our Lady.
The Crown of thorns, has in its centre three nails, and behind them a hammer with a stone set into its head, along with the INRI sign. The Stone came from the site of Calvary, and was brought back to Wales by Fr James Cunnane in 1988. As the plaque of Our Lady of Cardigan stands in the Holy Land for pilgrims to venerate, an important piece of the Holy Land is venerated in Wales by the many pilgrims who visit the Shrine.
Wall Hanging
In 1976 a friend of the church funded a wall hanging seven feet square and suggested Lt.-Col. (later Baronet) Berowald Innes as the craftsman. At Berowald’s request David John designed it on the theme of the Shrine: Christ, Light of the World. Symbolic rather than representational, it shows the Paschal Candle dipped into the waters of Baptism, and also suggests the Pillar of Fire, while the background hints at the Light that shone in the darkness (John 1:5). Bishop Langton Fox blessed it on 22 May 1977.
Stained Glass
Amber Hiscott of Swansea created the stained glass. The windows at the back of church are on the Seven Sacraments. In 1999 she created panels for the high windows in church that faced the road, depicting flowers named after Our Lady in Welsh.
They portray the devotional history of the people of Wales towards Our Lady. There are over 50 flowers which, in the Welsh language, are associated with Our Lady and are named accordingly. Mair (Mary) forms the basis for many country flowers; Mennyg Mair (foxglove), Mantell Mair (Lady’s Mantle), Chwys Mair (buttercup), Rhos Mair (rosemary) and Dagrhau Mair (fuchsia).
The sunlight streaming through them on late summer evenings turns them into a riot of colour. Amber Hiscott was also commissioned for the stained glass in the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
Stone Cross
Caroline Davies owned Noyaddwilym, where the Breton monks had lived from 1904. In 1986 she donated the cross that the monks made to stand over their church door. It is now mounted on the wall of the Church, near to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper.
