Features

Have you taken the time to look at the windows in the Lady Chapel?

This set of three windows depicts the Annunciation of Our Lady.

The left window shows Mary kneeling to receive the message from the Angel Gabriel.

The middle window shows the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary. On the bottom right side you can see a small etching of the original St Peter's church building.

The right window shows the Angel Gabriel announcing Mary would bear a Son and call Him Jesus.

These windows were designed by Beverley Shore Bennett and made by Miller Studios. They were presented to St Peter's by the Fireside Guild in 1971.

Our world of darkness waits for the Christ-light
Gently kindling a new birth of hope
Watching, waiting,
awakening a new birth of hope.

Phil Porter and Elaine Kirkland

Our beautiful Nativity figurines appear every year and are displayed beneath the altar during the Seasons of Advent and Christmas, a visual reminder of the Incarnation and Epiphany of our Lord.

They are made from Italian Alabaster and consist of Mary, Joseph and the Christchild lying in the crib.There are three wise men and three shepherds, one with a dog and another with a flute and the animals are a donkey and a cow.

The photos above shows the Nativity Scenes from 1982 (left) and 2019 (right).

The Nativity set was donated to St Peter's in memory of Donald MacDougal Anderson who attended St Peter's whilst he was a lecturer in English at the new Palmerston North University College from 1960. Donald passed away on 21 May 1961 and his widow Margaret Anderson donated the figurines to "the church he loved" before she returned to England.

Sources
Image of the 1982 set scanned from a photograph appearing on the vestry noticeboard and 2019 taken by the Webmaster.
The Fisherfolk A History of the Church of Saint Peter 1902-2002 by the Reverend Thomas Stanley, pp 119-121