Come and join a short tour of our church and learn about our stained glass windows from Laura Milandri during our Market Day on the 31st August. Her tour will be on from 11.30 – 12.30. A qualified architect, Laura specialises in heritage and restoration work in Cape Town. Her family has attended St. John's church for four generations and she has served on the church's property management team for the past 2 years.
The stained glass windows at St John’s Church are a striking feature of the stately building that have added beauty and a focus for our worship for well over a century. They hold distinctive historic, artistic and sacred significance and are a treasure worth preserving. Apparently, centuries ago, stained glass windows were put into the “new” church buildings to help tell Bible stories to the laity. As the light came through these windows, they would point people to God through their Biblical scenes and ideas. In the days when many people could not read, they were a helpful teaching tool and even today, remain a signpost to messages of hope and glory.
For example, The Meyer of Munich window was made in 1886 as a Memorial window for Revd. Thomas W. Swift and is still 100% original. In four stunning panels, it depicts the story of Jesus welcoming little ones, while the disciples look on rather disapprovingly. From its early days, St John’s Church has placed a high value in welcoming children and this window was ‘dedicated by the children of Wynberg in token of their love for one who always tenderly cared for the lambs of the flock of Jesus Christ.’
The Peace Window above the communion table came from Harrow, England. The five panels tell the story of our peacemaker, Jesus and display his birth, baptism, death on the Cross, resurrection and ascension to heaven. Come and find out how this window came to St John’s.
These and other windows in our church were originally made by skilled craftsmen and intended to last for centuries, but their lifespan has naturally been affected by many factors, including sun, wind and rain and care and maintenance over time. Some common issues that have arisen in windows over 100 years old are cracked or broken glass, damage to lead strips and sagging of the windows due to structural issues. Restoring these windows should be taken with care and skill.
Francois van der Merwe of Live Light Stained Glass, the specialist, who has assessed each of our windows, reflected that there are many rules and regulations about bricks and mortar of Heritage Buildings in South Africa, but sadly, it seems “any cowboy can tackle Heritage Stained Glass.” In his assessment, we have some amazing windows, but some of the them are in urgent need of repair. For example, one of the windows needs immediate restoration. ‘The multiple deflections in these panels are an obvious sign of lead deterioration. These lead cames can barely hold the glass together. It is also very visible to see what function the horizontal saddle bars play. If it weren't for them, these panels would have been on the floor long ago. The biggest concern about these deflections is that they put tremendous stress on the glass, which leads to cracks, and since the glass is 140 years old, I would put this window on the short-term list.”
We would like to treat our windows with the respect they deserve. At the same time, we want to be true to our calling as a community of faith to love God with all our hearts, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. We do not want to divert all our efforts and finances to the maintenance of our buildings (valuable as they are). To this end, we need help in meeting the high costs of restoration of our stained glass windows and buildings. We have already undertaken some fundraising activities in our 190th anniversary year, such as a High Tea, Market Days and a Heritage Dinner. So far we have raised R60 000 and been able to repair some of the roof and gutters of the main church building. Our target for the professional repair of windows and protective grills is R673,104.00 in the short and medium term. This is daunting and we know we cannot do this without help.
Our next Market Day is on 31st August from 8am to 2pm. In addition to providing opportunity for the public to book a stall and sell their wares, Laura will be conducting an informative tour of our stained glass windows. Come and visit our premises, find out more about our stained glass windows and their significance as well as meet the community, enjoy some refreshments and spend some of the morning with us – we are hoping for spring weather, but can’t guarantee that. Contact Martin (061 071 4851) to book a stall for R100.
If you would like to know more or contribute directly to our Stained Glass restoration project, click here for information on our bank details. Our office can be contacted on theoffice@stjohns.org.za
Comments