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Plate 2:

Anne & Jimmy Jordan

Role of Religion:

I was brought up in a strong catholic family. Religion pervaded our life and inflicted on us a sense of guilt. Many of the questions concerning our creation were constantly asked and one felt at one with Thomas More and Aquinas. There are myths and legends in our religion that don’t rest easy. I was and am confused by the ambiguity and double meaning of the faith. It asks the person for a “blind” belief in the undefinable. The face of Jesus Christ recognises the role of Christ in our life. The poverty that we experienced as children of a single mother left us with a deep appreciation for the charities like St Vincent de Paul. Later on in life I was able to return the charity by becoming involved in the organisation. The generosity of spirit and the compassion shown by the volunteers was something that I never forgot.

The poem itself is a dedication and a tribute to a Melbourne priest called Fr John Lavery. He had been the parish priest at Glendale in the Newcastle area for a good number of years. As parish priest he organised a local artist to put on canvas the images or visions that one of his parishioners was having. The final product was a large canvas painting of the crucified Lord on the cross. Fr John was an inspiration and a great source of holiness.