A SPECIALLY commissioned icon of Our Lady Of Perpetual Help has been unveiled by Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor at St Colmcille's Church in Holywood.
The event on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception marked the climax of the parish's six-day Advent mission.
The icon which forms the centrepiece of a designated sacred space for prayer and devotion was created by Philip Brennan. It is surrounded by a new mosaic by Holywood artist Helen McLean. Calligrapher Seamus O Labhradha completed the sacred space with devotional prayers on each side of the icon.
Bishop Treanor said: "The icon lights and illuminates the beauty of the Christian faith, east and west. The symbolism of the artwork references the great eastern traditions - Orthodox, Coptic and others - while the influences of the great western traditions are reflected in the handcraft of the artists.
"The language of prayer from the eastern tradition is fulsome, honey-like, mellifluous in its celebration of the joy of the Gospel.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the work of our artists and to thank them for the role they play in our faith and spiritual life. Through their artistic skills, they have beautified this church. This space has come about through the vision of the parish priest, Fr Stephen McBrearty. He saw an opportunity to create a space for artistic creativity, inspired by the Word of God.
"On this day, three things come together here: A space for God in Mary's womb - a quiet, still place for contemplation; the role of popular devotion in the face of over-intellectualism; Holywood as a beacon for the way in which, over the centuries, the Christian world has promoted the life of artists. We see here the importance of popular devotion in revealing the mystery of God's dynamic relationship with humanity."
