Recently we’ve been looking at some recent additions to the cathedral and some of its finest features. In recent months some new statues have been placed in the cathedral and some relocated.
In clockwise order in the cathedral and the photo:
1. St Joseph: Originally from St Joseph’s Church, Ordsall. The statue was moved to the cathedral along with the benches from St Joseph’s following the church closure last March.
2. Our Lady of Mount Carmel: The patron saint of our diocese. This statue is original to the cathedral and has recently been moved from the right of the main altar to the left in space previously occupied by the organ.
3. St Anthony of Padua: Originally from St Gregory’s, Farnworth, the statue moved to St Joseph’s and then to the cathedral.
4. St. Therese of Lisieux: This statue was in a terrible state at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Ordsall, until 21 years ago when a generous parishioner, Anne Malone, paid the sum of £480 to have the statue restored to its current condition by E. Carrara & Sons of Liverpool.
5. St John the Evangelist: The statue has been in storage beneath the cathedral for many years. It has been brought from storage, cleaned and now sits to the right of the main altar.
6. The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Brought to the cathedral from St Joseph’s, Ordsall, You can see where the paint has worn on the hand from many years of veneration by parishioners.
Many of the statues that now find themselves in the cathedral were originally housed here. The statues were sent from the cathedral when the missions of St Joseph and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Ordsall, were set up in 1870, later becoming Chapels of Ease and then established as parishes. Sadly now these churches have closed and the statues have come full circle and found their way back to their original home in the mother church.
Also in the cathedral are the beautiful Pieta and statues of Our Lady and St. Peter. We’ll tell you more information about these in the coming weeks.
