News from St Peter's

That Which Was Lost is Found

For over two years, we at St Peters have been trying to track down the original altar window which was removed and replaced in the early 1990's. This long running mystery has entailed much research, enquiries and questioning. We were particularly keen to locate it as it portrayed the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary having been painted by an unknown Italian prisoner of war in 1943.

In the early 1990's the local newspaper reported the installation of the present stained glass window

above the altar of St Peters with the statement that: “The old window is likely to be returned to the

church at a later date in a new position.” Almost a quarter of a century later, it is now reinstalled in the

window next to the vestry at St Peters, having come to light in a timely manner just a few days before

Christmas. You can imagine what “joy to the world” this discovery gave.

It was Jane Day who suggested it may have been put into St Peters loft and Ian Parkin who went up and

handed it down into Peter’s waiting hands. To think that all this time it had been quietly resting there,

waiting for the right time to come.

Unknown to Peter, the day he installed the window was “God incidently” the Feast of the Annunciation

and on Mothering Sunday it was there for all to see. A beautiful arrangement of lilies had been placed

by Jane Day on the candlelit table beneath the picture with illumination from behind which Peter had

installed in the shape of a cross. Beverley focused her sermon on the painting with the congregation

gathered around, preaching on the four elements of the picture: Mary, Gabriel, the lilies symbolising

purity and the Lamb of God.

If you would like to see this faded and fragile painting in its delicate beauty, then why not come along

to St Peters on Saturday 13th May from 2 to 5 p.m. when we shall be serving traditional English cream

teas on lace cloths and bone china?

Prayers were said for the Italian artist who painted this window with such sensitivity and reverence,

and although it has no monetary value it is a real treasure for St Peters.

Ave Maria!

Carol Raby