RE-DEDICATION OF ENLARGED CHURCH

LEINSTER  LEADER 30 AUGUST 1975

RE-DEDICATION OF ENLARGED CHURCH 

THE RE-DESIGNED, enlarged and renovated St. Brigid’s ParishChurch, Kildare, will be solemnly blessed and re-dedicated by His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Lennon, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, on Sunday at 2.30 p.m.

Work on the Church began in July of 1974 and the Church has been closed for worship since then.  Interim accommodation was found in St. Brigid’s Cathedral, the Carmelite Church, White Abbey, and in the C.Y.M.S. premises; in a booklet marking Sunday’s re-dedication ceremonies the Kildare parish clergy express their deep appreciation of the co-operation given to them by the Church of Ireland community and the Carmelite Fathers.

The new St. Brigid’s Church has been considerably enlarged and the lay-out altered extensively.  Among additions are the altar, ambo and baptismal font; the alter has a table-like mensa made of polished granite stone supported by eight granite stones so cut as to form a St. Brigid’s Cross on all four sides.  The ambo is cut from one granite stone, with a dove carved on the front; the baptismal font is constructed from two granite stones cut in circular form.  Altar, ambo and font were executed by artist Ray Carroll.

All the stained glass is the work of Patrick Pye; much of it is from the old building and has been redistributed.  A beautiful statue of the Madonna in the shrine room is the work of Oisin Kelly; the old Stations of the Cross have been removed from their heavy wooden frames and specially treated.  The brass gates from the altar rails of the original sanctuary are now at the entrance to the mortuary.

All the sanctuary metalwork and enamels in the Church are by Patrick McElroy, head of the Department of Fine Art Metalwork and Enamelling in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.  Especially attractive is the tabernacle, the subject matter for the decoration of which was taken from the Book of Revelation; the tabernacle is raised on a pillar so that it can be seen above the altar, and the sanctuary lamp is in beaten bronze and enamel.

The new main entrance to the building is particularly imposing and, fittingly, is likely to give one of the most lasting impressions of the new St. Brigid’s.  But the overall impression of the new building is one of spaciousness and the introduction of modern design concepts in church building was carried out to blend with most of the outstanding features of the architecture of the old church.  The removal of the boundary wall and the new entrance from Convent Road add to the feeling of spaciousness and quite apart from the actual building give added dignity.

 Re-typed by Mary Murphy