Victor Harbor and Goolwa Catholic windows

	Left: Jan Milton (glass artist) paints the Trinity icon and figures on the beach. Below: Grandpa cutting glass. Right: Mark Leaney and Lynette Lockwood at work

	Above left and above centre: Glass pieces cut and arranged. Above right: Glass pieces fixed together with lead. Left and below: Joints soldered. Right: Windows are fitted.
The Windows are about life. They are about our relationship with Jesus and the Holy Trinity as expressed in our everyday circumstances. They are a celebration of the Eucharist. They are about respect for Jesus’ sacrifice, respect for each other and respect for God’s creation in every living thing.		We hope the colour of these windows excites the soul and inspires in us the desire to look for a bright future as we each endeavour to develop our relationship with Jesus, the Trinity, each other and our environment. Mark Leaney

• The windows are based upon a survey of the parish community about their thoughts and wishes. So the Trinity (represented in the left hand medallion by the Trinity Icon of Andrei Rublev) and the Eucharist (depicted in the right hand medallion), people (community), water, Crucifix, wattle, sea and Fleur-de-Lys are all present.

• The design draws upon our connection to the first peoples of this land. This was a specific request from the Victor Harbor Catholic community. We consulted elders of the Ramindjeri Ngarrindjeri people about their symbols and their meaning and so we have such features such as the whale and bream, the Bluff and pelican. We also wanted to make a connection to our parish community in Goolwa. The ripples in the water reflect the ripples that are a feature of the art work in St John’s Church.

• Another major theme of both windows is the Environment. Everything within the window concept highlights God’s creation, from people within the landscape to the smallest and indeed even the unseen creatures.

• An important consideration from the outset of the project was how to connect the new with the old. The new windows flank St Joan of Arc’s traditional stained glass windows of 1920. Thus the landscape of the new windows flows from one side to the other. They are neither a backdrop for St Joan nor do they exclude her. With respect to the traditional canopy approach within the St Joan’s window, a structured canopy of wattle surrounds the crucifix of our Lord Jesus in the new. There is also a red heart within the centre of the crosses.

• There is meaning in everything about these windows. “Thukeri” as the bony bream is called by the first peoples is all about a lesson for us, as humans, not to be greedy, to share. There are bees and ants etched into the wattle leaves that signify that the smallest of creatures are so, so important within the structure of the whole world. For all of these we must praise God and be exceptionally grateful, no matter what our circumstances or from where we come.

• The supreme sacrifice that Jesus made upon the Cross was, is, about redemption for all peoples (Vision and Mission statement). The people depicted within the shorescape of Encounter Bay and the Bluff represent all peoples. If you look closely, the colours of their clothes closely match the colours of the Trinity Icon in the first medallion!

• And don’t forget that the disciples were often upon the shores of Galilee being invited to eat with Jesus. The people in the window are also a family (actually, a young family within our community). So the windows are also saying that we should all be more of a family as Christians and what a better way than to spend some time and share some food! The Bread and Wine of the Blessed Eucharist is our spiritual food as represented in the righthand medallion.

• Finally we have the Fleur-de-Lys, the historical connection to St Joan of Arc who went before us and gave witness to the love of the Father, Son and Spirit.