The Stations of the Cross at St. John’s
|
|
In 1937, the chaplain of St. John’s was in trouble. He was brought before a Church court. One of the things he was accused of was introducing the Stations of the Cross - something seen as scandalous in a church of Ireland Church of the time. Fr. SRS Colquhoun was suspended from his ministry for six months and the Stations of the Cross had to be removed.
A few years ago an article in the Saturday Irish Times included a note that with the sale of University Hall in Hatch Street the contents of the Residence were to be auctioned. It noted that these included Stations of the Cross attributed to Evie Hone. These of course were those which had caused Father Colquhoun such turmoil in St John’s in the 1930s. After the Consistory Court hearing they had gone to a Church in Wexford and then had been given to the Jesuits for their Chapel in the Hall of Residence. It was felt that an attempt should be made to regain them for St John’s and on the Tuesday after the article appeared Nikki Benson, David O’Brien and John O’Reilly successfully bid for them.
It is pleasing to note that when the Community in Hatch Hall realised by whom the Stations had been purchased they refused any payment for them and they are now back in Sandymount after a lapse of some sixty years. The Congregation is most grateful to the Community in Hatch Street for their generosity.
Now we regularly the follow the Stations of the cross devotions during Lent.
Since their return some research has been done about the origins of these Stations of the Cross. It now seems most likely that they were not the work of Evie Hone as originally thought but that of Roger de Villiers a French sculptor. His oeuvre included a number of war memorials and a large number of religious statues. His final work, begun in 1955, and completed after his death in 1958 by his son, was a life sized set of Stations of the Cross at the Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal in Quebec. It would appear that they were presented to St John’s by Evie Hone hence her connection with them.
A few years ago an article in the Saturday Irish Times included a note that with the sale of University Hall in Hatch Street the contents of the Residence were to be auctioned. It noted that these included Stations of the Cross attributed to Evie Hone. These of course were those which had caused Father Colquhoun such turmoil in St John’s in the 1930s. After the Consistory Court hearing they had gone to a Church in Wexford and then had been given to the Jesuits for their Chapel in the Hall of Residence. It was felt that an attempt should be made to regain them for St John’s and on the Tuesday after the article appeared Nikki Benson, David O’Brien and John O’Reilly successfully bid for them.
It is pleasing to note that when the Community in Hatch Hall realised by whom the Stations had been purchased they refused any payment for them and they are now back in Sandymount after a lapse of some sixty years. The Congregation is most grateful to the Community in Hatch Street for their generosity.
Now we regularly the follow the Stations of the cross devotions during Lent.
Since their return some research has been done about the origins of these Stations of the Cross. It now seems most likely that they were not the work of Evie Hone as originally thought but that of Roger de Villiers a French sculptor. His oeuvre included a number of war memorials and a large number of religious statues. His final work, begun in 1955, and completed after his death in 1958 by his son, was a life sized set of Stations of the Cross at the Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal in Quebec. It would appear that they were presented to St John’s by Evie Hone hence her connection with them.
|
|
