Most days we visit a church or two and often light a candle and pray for friends of ours in Canberra who were bereaved recently. Yesterday beside the candle holder at St Marys Cathedral in Killarney was this piece written by Bo Setterlind of Reykjavik:
Light the light of frankness
In the darkness of fear.
Light the light of justice
In the darkness of corruption.
Light the light of faith
In the darkness of denial.
Light the light of life
In the darkness of despair.
Light the light of love
In the darkness of hatred and death.
Light the light.
A interesting feature of St Marys is that it shares its architect, Augustus Pugin, with several churches in Australia including one at Berrima just 150kms from Canberra and Oatlands in Tasmania. Pugin is probably best known for designing the interiors of the Houses of Parliament in London. He was a devout Catholic and when a close friend of his was appointed the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Tasmania in the mid C19, he loaded a boat with architectural drawings, models, clerical robes, church furniture and communion silverware, all of which he had designed himself ( there was an exhibition of some of it in Canberra about 5 years ago) – his churches for the colonies were simple but with elegant gothic styling. So it was fascinating yesterday to see his work on a grand scale in Killarney..
