The first anniversary of the death of Derry’s Sister Aloysius McVeigh was marked at the Playhouse the site of the Convent of Mercy, Pump Street, Derry. The event included the unveiling of the stained glass window and an evening of sacred music in her honour.
The Mercy Window was the last piece the iconographer worked on before her death on Christmas Day 2008. The window which was unveiled on Sunday 20th December, 2009 pays tribute to the work and legacy of the Sisters of Mercy from when they arrived in Derry in 1848.
This included an exhibition of the preparatory drawings and sketches of many of Sr. Aloysius commissions and other art, including some of her works in progress. Pauline Ross, Director and Founder of the Playhouse said: ‘Just over two years ago as part of the plans for the refurbishment of the historic Playhouse buildings, we asked Sr. Aloysius would she design a stained glass window for the Playhouse.’ The theme was very much around the ‘Mercy’ legacy. Towards the end of her illness, the work was handed across to Brother Joe Connolly to complete, and what has been produced is beautiful and a reminder of all the work carried out by the Sisters in the city.
Niall McCaughan, Playhouse General Manager and a colleague and friend of Sr. Aloysius described the evening as a wonderful and remarkably fitting tribute to a remarkable lady.
Both Bishop Daly and Bishop Mehaffy spoke of their admiration for Sr. Aloysius. The music was provided by Colmcille Ladies Choir and their Director Sheila Carlin with Declan Carlin on piano. The soloists were Niamh McGowan violin, Dessie Quigg on clarinet, and Marjorie Donaghy singing solo.
Sr. Nellie McLaughlin and the Derry Sisters with dignitaries at the special event
The Foyle Hospice benefited from the evening‘s proceedings as all monies raised were donated to the charity. (Adapted from the Derry Journal by Veronica O’Brien)
On a personal note Sr. Perpetua McVeigh, Sr. Aloysius’ sister reflects on the development of the project.
“Sr. Aloysius stained glass window was unveiled in the Playhouse, in Artillery Street, Derry on the night of 20th December. This was her last commission and one very dear to her heart. She had been asked to design a window depicting something of the life and work of the Sisters of Mercy in Derry over the years since our arrival here in 1848. She had been working hard for months before her illness, developing her ideas and sketches. When she was taken to the Hospice she asked me to bring her things down there – pens paper, paints brushes, inks, overhead lamps etc. There in her ‘apartment’, which she called ‘Enumah’ a Greek word meaning ‘Trust in God’, she continued working on her sketches during her rest periods. – when she was free from visitors! For as long as she was able.
Finally she had to give it up and she asked her friend and fellow artist Brother Joe Connolly to bring the work to completion. This he has very successfully done. There is a good description and explanation in the Programme for the event. It is a very lovely work detailing the Martha and Mary aspects of the works of Mercy, initiated under the guidance of the Holy Spirit by our Foundress Catherine McAuley. A lovely reminder to all who visit the Playhouse of the continuing Love and Mercy of God for all people, especially the poor, the sick, those under privileged or in any way deprived or in need of help, spiritually or intellectually.”
Mercy Window at the Playhouse Derry
Description Of The Mercy Window
The window was commissioned by The Playhouse to commemorate the presence of the Sisters of Mercy in these buildings for over a hundred year, i.e. Convent of Mercy, Pump Street, Derry.
Sr. Aloysius McVeigh was asked to design the window and had made the preliminary sketches, colour and layout roughs. Sadly she was unable to complete the project due to illness that led to her death on Christmas Day 2008. She entrusted the completion of the design to Brother Joe Connolly, who tried to be as true as possible to her concept. The overall narrative, colour composition and many of the detailed images are Sr. Aloysius’s. The side windows representing the passages of time during the Sisters’ tenure and later The Playhouse were added by Joe.
The overall narrative is the two strands of the Sisters of Mercy’s ministry in this place, the social and the spiritual, personified in the images of Martha and Mary, the sisters from the Gospel story, who welcomed Jesus into their home, each in their own way.
The two lower panels on the left portray the social ministry of the Sisters to the poor and disadvantaged. The lower panels on the right show the ministry of The Spirit, education, prayer and spirituality, arts and music. Both strands come together in the top two panels and merge in the heavenly realm. The icons of Sr. Aloysius are represented by her much loved Michael, The Archangel and her Holy Family image. Catherine McAuley founder of the Mercy Order and some of Sr. Aloysius’s favourite images from the Long Tower Church are among the images used here.
The corner images of the Hand of God and the Dove of the Holy Spirit are signature images of Sr. Aloysius which frequently are found in her icons. The flame suggests the central place of love in the ethos of the Sisters and the rays descending from the heavenly realm to the mundane suggest the inspiration that motivated the Sisters’ work.
The two side windows suggest the passage of time and the changes in society since the Sisters of Mercy came to this place. The two figures at the bottom are seen from the back as if they are going away into the future.
The realisation of the design was done by Alpha Glass. This was not a mechanical copying of the design and there is much of the stained glass artist’s influence on the finished product, complete by Joe Coyle Senior and Joe Junior.
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