Sacred Heart Appearing to St. Margaret Mary

Donor: Cathedral Altar Society

Builder: Louis Koch, Beauvais, France

The principal saint promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) was a nun of the Order of the Visitation of Mary at Paray-Le-Monial, France.

Jesus appeared to her over an eighteen month period, requesting devotion to His Sacred Heart. In 1682, Sister Margaret Mary was given positions of authority in her community and was able to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart.

The Sacred Heart is a medieval symbol of Christ's sacrifice, particularly within the Roman Catholic Church.

The sacred heart signifies the redeeming love of God as the source of illumination and happiness, hence the flames, and the thorns representing the Crown of Thorns that Christ wore on the Cross.

The Resurrection

Donor: The Estate of the Late Richard Ivory, Rawlins Cross

Builder: Louis Koch, Beauvais, France

The Gospels do not narrate the actual episode of Christ's resurrection, the gospels tell of his followers at the tomb on the morning of the third day.

Christ is rising up gloriously from death. He is shining and is depicted with the cross in the background.

The Resurrection panel presents the risen Christ, triumphant over death. He floats over the tomb, carrying a heavenly banner.

An angel kneels beneath him, gazing with the stunned soldiers who guarded his tomb.

Feast day: Easter

Saint Jerome

Donor: Unknown

Builder: Same style as Louis Koch's other works

Jerome was an important Church elder who lived during the fourth and fifth centuries. He is most famous for translating the Christian Bible into Latin, in the version known as the Vulgate Bible.

He is the patron saint of translators, librarians and encyclopedists. He is often symbolized by or depicted with a skull, an hourglass and instruments for writing. Jerome took up his pen like a sword.

One other object often appears in depictions of St. Jerome is a sword. According to some scholars, this is what is referred to as the Sword of St. Jerome. This would be fitting, because it is a simple everyday object that can be turned into a deadly weapon or a useful tool, depending on intent.

At the foot of St. Jerome are architectural drawings that reflect the architectural style of the Basilica Cathedral. Perhaps the artist way of making a connection between his art and the Cathedral that had commissioned this work.

St. Bridget

Donor: Mrs. Ellen Walsh, Rawlins Cross

Builder: Louis Koch, Beauvais, France

In Memory of: The Late John Walsh, Rawlins Cross

Saint Bridget

(b. 453, Fochard, Northern Ireland; d. 523, Kildare, Ireland)

Saint Bridget of Ireland was a determined, faithful Catholic who was responsible for starting convents and monasteries throughout Ireland. Bridget's Celtic name, Brigid, which means "fiery arrow," can be traced back to the goddess of the same name with whom Bridget is often conflated.

Also known as Bride, Bridget of Ireland, Bride of the Isles, and Mary of the Gael, she now reigns as one of the most recognized saints in Ireland; she and Saint Patrick are the only Irish saints to hold a place on the celebrated Catholic Calendar of Saints.

In most artistic representations Bridget is show with a cow lying at her feet. This recalls the story that as abbess of a convent in Ireland, with the assistance of angels, she caused cows to give milk three times the same day to enable visiting bishops to have enough to drink.

Another symbol of her position was the crozier. As the leader of the convent she had the right to carry a crozier. The Crozier was a symbol of the Abyess, Abbot, and Bishop.

(Bridget's day is February 1st.)

St. Patrick

Donor: Mrs. Johanna Ivory, Rawlins Cross

Builder: Louis Koch, Beauvais, France

Bishop and apostle to Ireland, Patrick came from a highly religious family in Britain (his father was a deacon, his grandfather a priest) who spent time as a slave among pagan raiders. After his ordination, he dedicated himself to evangelize Northern Ireland from Armagh, where he may have run a school. St. Patrick is given the credit for essentially converting all of Ireland to Christianity.

Christian iconography typically represents St. Patrick driving snakes before him, trampling on snakes, with a serpent (coiled around the base of his bishop's staff), or with a shamrock.

A popular folk tale has Patrick driving all of the snakes out of Ireland and into the ocean. Some versions of the legend depict Patrick doing this after a sermon or after fasting for 40 days. There is no historical evidence to support this tale, but it may have been meant to symbolize Patrick driving out paganism and the Druids when converting the Irish people to Christianity.