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Ladye
Chapel |
| After
mass, a procession was formed and wended its slow way to the shrine. Girls
from the Catholic schools of the city led the way. Their white dresses,
flowing veils and many wreaths, gave a touch of pageantry to the occasion.
Then came students, both lay and ecclesiastical, from St Patrick's College,
East Melbourne. These were followed by the clergy and the Bishop in cope
and mitre. When he had entered the Ladye Chapel, his Grace proceeded to
bless the in according to the ritual. Two years later, Fr MacEvey died
After mass, a procession was formed and wended its slow way to the shrine. Girls from the Catholic schools of the city led the way. Their white dresses, flowing veils and many wreaths, gave a touch of pageantry to the occasion. Then came students, both lay and ecclesiastical, from St Patrick's College, East Melbourne. These were followed by the clergy and the Bishop in cope and mitre. When he had entered the Ladye Chapel, his Grace proceeded to bless the in according to the ritual. Two years later, Fr MacEvey died The Argus of the day reported The new chapel present one of the most beautiful interiors of which our city can boast. It is situated on the western site of the cathedral, and contain several windows, all of which are intended to be filled with stained glass. At present two large windows and an oriel are so ornamented: the paintings respectively representing the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption of the Virgin, and the Descent of the Holy Ghost. The mural decorations are alike costly and tasteful, and reflect much credit on the artists who have been employed in their formation. The pillars are judiciously colored, and the carvings are of the most elaborate kind. The altar, when crowned with the lighted tapers, embellished with flowers, and surmounted by a gilded state of the Virgin Mary, presents an imposing appearance. Indeed, the only fault which can be found with the chapel is that it is too rich to harmonise with the rest of the buildings. The Herald of the day reported The Ladye Chapel is built and decorated in the Gothic style of architecture. In beauty and chasteness of deign, it surpasses anything of the kind in the Australian Colonies. The interior decorations have been going on for the past three months under the able superintendence of Messieurs Le Gould and Suter, pupils of the late celebrated Pugin. The windows are of richest stained glass, recently imported from London. The altar is a beautiful piece of workmanship, and reflects credit on out Victorian artisans. The floor of the chapel is laid with marble tiles of deign suitable to the sacred edifice. The stained glass windows were imported from John Harman & Co of Birmingham and in 1972 rearranged. In the 1990s, the windows were put back in their original order. The first altar was wooden with its reredos decorated with glass panels and surmounted by a large timber statue of the Virgin and her Divine Child carved by Emil Todt. The statue was gilt and over time was painted blue. The crucifix, the statue of the Sorrowful Mother, and that of St. John were on exhibit at the Melbourne International Exposition of 1880 - 1881, and drew the attention of all as interesting examples of contemporary church statuary. The statues, which came from the Meyer studios in Munich were placed in the Ladye Chapel. When the new altar for the sanctuary was purchased, Fr O'Meara had the altar in the Ladye Chapel altered so that the statue of the dead Christus could be placed inside it. In 1907 when the marble altar was erected in the Ladye Chapel, the dead Christus and the crucifixion group were moved to the eastern transept. On 8 October 1905, Dr Carr blessed the new altar, which replaced the timber altar. The new Old English Gothic style, marble altar, designed by Messrs. Jageurs and Son uses highly polished Carrara marble altar and features Cork red and Genoese green marble. The frontal is divided into three sections by red marble columns with foliated caps and bases. The centre panel had carved on it in bas-relief and elegant design the monogram "M" with crown and lilies. In contrast, the panels on wither side carry nothing but a simple cross. The front of the tabernacle is richly decorated with roses. Its brass door is adorned with grapes and wheat and is flanked on either side by green marble colonettes with shamrock-ornamented caps. The two spandrels over the peaked tabernacle are adorned with intertwined lilies of the valley and shamrocks. The reredos carries carefully carved lilies, emblem of purity of the Virgin. The recesses throughout the reredos are relieved by fancifully placed hall flowers, which are the symbol of the incarnation. To support the state of Our Lady is a richly moulded capping. On 8 December 1907, the state of Our Lady, carved by Signor Palla and given by Mr John Dynan in memory of his deceased wife for the Ladye Chapel, was blessed on the Feast day of the Immaculate Conception. The model chosen for the new statue was that of Our Lady Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia. With true artistic temperament, the sculpture, instead of faithfully copying the model, elected to give his own conception of that title. Fr Quilter was disappointed as the statue has little resemblance of the beautiful Salesian image. The old statues were placed in the western transept. In 1990, the 1956 timber altar rails were removed and new carpet laid and replica altar rails installed. New votive candle stands were installed in 1991. In 1996 - 1997, the ceiling, windows, statues and altar in the Chapel were restored. In 2001, detailed conservation analysis was undertaken and the decoration applied to the walls and ceiling in 1858 were replicated as restoration was impossible. |
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