St Patrick’s Primary School Lochinvar recently rejoiced in the installation of two beautiful stained glass windows in its impressive history display area, adjacent to the school’s entrance.
The windows, which have a long and interesting history, were gifted to the school by the Sisters of St Joseph in recognition of its 140 year history as our first Josephite school in the Diocese.
Fr Julian Tenison Woods wrote in 1881, “Music, paintings, sculptures, architecture are handmaids of devotion”. Each window features a cross and an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, reflecting the devotional life of the times. Brilliant red, gold, green and blue hues are especially striking when the western sun streams through and paints all surrounding areas in vibrant colour.
When St Joseph’s Chapel at Lochinvar was opened in June 1923 the windows were designed and installed by Mr Alfred Handel, a well-known and respected stained glass artist and craftsman from Sydney. The Congregation’s archives record that the ‘windows of stained glass with steel frames’ were funded by generous donors.
In later years, from 1935 onwards, the original windows were gradually replaced with stained glass windows depicting patron saints, designed by Mr Handel and often donated by families of deceased Sisters.
When the Congregation built an aged care facility, Tenison Apartments, in Swansea in the 1990s, two of the original chapel windows – those now at St Patrick’s school – found a home in the chapel there.
When that facility closed recently, the windows moved for a third time, returning to Lochinvar.
Mr Dennis Nolan, Assistant Principal and Ms Cassie Dennis, Acting Religious Education Coordinator were largely responsible for the installation of the windows.
In addition to the plaque explaining gift of the windows, there is a second plaque dedicating the windows to memory of Sr Ruth Long rsj and Sr Carmel Hanson rsj, two former Congregational Leaders, both of whom died in January, 2025, within three days of each other.
The Long family were among the parishioners who welcomed the Sisters to Lochinvar in September 1883, and throughout her long life Sr Ruth maintained a great interest in and support for the school.
Sr Carmel was Principal of the school in 1978-1982, and as Congregational Leader, had opened the school’s MacKillop Park last year.
The principal and staff of St Patrick’s are committed to fostering the Josephite charism that permeates the school community. The windows will serve as a reminder to all of the school’s foundation and its witness to serve God’s people in the spirit of St Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods.
Sr Maureen Salmon
