On the notice board is an interesting 1912 photograph of the Church as it was before the adition of the foyer. The tower on the left is balanced by an architectural construction on the right. INDEX
22. SACRED HEART
A statue of the Sacred Heart is commonly found in Catholic churches and cathedrals. This statue was donated to St Thomas’ Church in Kanmantoo by the residents of Kanmantoo – a settlement not far from Mt Barker – in memory of their sons killed in WWI. The statue was brough to St Joseph’s Church, Nairne, in the 1980s. It was restored in August 1996. (Thanks to Mrs Gertruda Stolarski.)
23. PLAQUES
This medallion and plaque relate to the St Francis de Sales Foyer which was blessed and opened by Archbishop James W. Gleeson in his Silver Jubilee Year, 19th December 1982.
24. STOUP AND FONT
Near the entrance to the nave we find a stoup for holy water, and a small font. The plaque on the baptismal font tells us that it was designed by Fr Anthony Kain, handcrafted by Mr Trent Paech, and dedicated by Fr James Valladares on 26 November 1996.
26. NAVE
The nave is impressive too! Looking East, from beyond the Western transepts, there are three stained glass windows on either side, and various Stations of the Cross. At the far end a gothic arch and two doorways lead through to the sanctuary area.
27. NAVE ROOF
This nave roof has a lining of stained wooden planks above the trusses. The truss design has the makings of a hammer beam construction, but then solid rafters span the width. At the centre of each span, two circular quadrant braces pick up the shape of the front gothic arch.
28. WEST WALL
Looking back, we see the West nave wall flanked by the two transepts. High up in the wall are three gothic lancets, and below, there are three sets of doors. The left and central doors lead back through to the foyer. The doors at right lead to the tower room / vestry.
29. WEST WINDOWS
This is a poor distant photograph. The central panel shows Mary as Queen of Heaven with the Infant Jesus on her lap. Below is an intriguing logo: a red star in a white castle in a circle surrounded by a pair of handcuffs. There is writing on the surrounding banner, but it is illegible to me.
31. CLOSER
Catholic churches frequently have a Sacred Heart Chapel, a Blessed Sacrament Chapel, and a Lady Chapel, but this does not conform to any of these.
32. CHAPEL FIGURES
The lady at left is commonly found in Catholic churches: she is the popular figure, St Thérèse of Lisieux. She is popularly known as ‘The Little Flower of Jesus’ or simply ‘The Little Flower’. The crucifix at centre is a focus for meditation here. At right stands St Joseph holding the infant Jesus, and the identifying budding staff which traces back to an old legend.
33. NORTH NAVE WALL
This view of the North nave wall shows us the the three stained glass windows, and seven of the 14 Stations of the Cross.
34. STATIONS VII – I.
The Stations of the Cross depict the journey of Jesus from judgement to Cross. They are an aid to meditation, particularly around Easter time. Included here are the judgement, Jesus falling, Jesus with his mother, and Veronica wiping Jesus’ face.
35. NORTH WINDOWS
The left window shows the crucified Christ. It was made by Joe Van Eyk in 1985 in memory of John Sanderson. At right are two more traditional windows depicting the Sacred Heart and St Patrick. These were given in memory of James Lance Neagle who died in 1939, and the parents of the Very Rev James Aylward P.P.
36. SOUTH NAVE WALL
When we turn and look across to the South nave wall, we see a mirror image of the opposite wall: three stained glass windows plus a clear pair of transept windows, and seven Stations of the Cross.
37. STATIONS VIII – XIV
These Stations depict the final stages of Christ’s journey to the Cross. It is interesting to look closely at the Stations – each one is finely crafted with bright colours and intricate detail.
38. SOUTH WINDOWS
The two windows at left are of similar design. The left-most window shows St Peter, identifiable by the keys he is holding. The central window depicts Mary. The windows are given in memory of Peter Joseph Kenny who died in 1938, and Robert Doran who died in 1932. In this window notice the subtext: Our Lady of Sorrows pray for us. The window at right is in memory of Shirley Patricia Francis who died in 1988. The plaque gives details.
39. ORGAN
Music for the Church is supplied by a small modern organ located near the Southwest transept.
