austraLasia #2316


As a final Advent act, check your crypt - you just never know!

MELBOURNE: 22nd December 2008 -- Advent has been an exciting time this year at St John the Baptist's parish church Clifton Hill, a parish under the care of the Salesians. Apart from being well-named for Advent, a series of three lectures on Mark's Gospel, held on consecutive Thursdays, has now concluded. The series, given by world expert in the field, Fr Frank Moloney sdb, was offered for the adults in the parish to deepen their understanding of the faith, thus forming part of a wider series of evenings over the past two years. Some of the sessions have been held as part of the parish's Journey of Faith program to journey with adults who are seeking to become Catholics.
    But the Advent series, well attended not only by Catholics, but also by other faiths including Anglican clergy and one Anglican bishop, had another purpose, as it turned out!
    Funds raised by the series are going towards the restoration of a painting that was discovered in the crypt of the church. The crypt held dozens of items of brass ware that had been thrown down there higgeldy-piggeldy. At the back of all that brass ware, the painting was discovered.  It appears to have been in the crypt for a century or more. Although slightly damaged, conservators who were called to check out the painting's origins and authenticity, agree that not only is it restorable, but may be amongst the most valuable of objects of its kind to be found in recent times! It is a painting of the Adoration of the Magi by an unknown Italian artist from 1750.
    Once restored the painting will be placed in a position of prominence in the church, where it first arrived, it now seems, as a gift from Archbishop Goold (whose lifespan was approximately that of Don Bosco's: he was born 1812 and died 1886, having been Archbishop of Melbourne from 1847 until his death). Parishioners are keen that the gift be honoured still, after all these years.
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 AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there.  Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org

Title: australasia 2316
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces AUL Clifton Hill painting
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2316