The sceptre was removed because it was undersized, and also broken

The first statue of Our Lady of Lourdes The statue at the grotto of Lourdes is the work of sculptor Joseph-Hughes Fabisch. He was renowned as a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, and became its director in 1874. The statue is his most famous work. It was commissioned by the Lacour sisters who wanted a statue faithful to Bernadette's description. A small plaster statue had been placed in the grotto which seemed inadequate for the growing numbers of the faithful t

Our lady of Lourdes restored for the shrine of St. Walburg's shrine church in Preston Artists throughout the ages have striven to depict the beauty of the Blessed Virgin. Historically she is often portrayed with a delicate chin, large eyes and small mouth. In iconography Her large eyes suggest contemplation of God, and the small mouth, the few words Mary spoke. Heaven itself has helped us to know the face of Mary; she has appeared in apparitions throughout the world, but mos

A forlorn shrine is brought back to life! Fr. Byrne's outdoor statue of Our Lady was on the cusp of being unsalvageable. She was much-weathered, having lost her nose along with several rosary beads. Parishioners attempts at re-painting her had also not been favourable. The statue had been at the parish many years before he arrived. Having inherited it, he wanted to preserve it for the parish if possible; and sent the statue to us with the understanding it may be beyond saving

And Prayer for the conversion of England. In 1381, England was troubled by the peasants revolt against their landlords. The 14 year old...

This lovely Pieta, originally by Meyers of Munich, had last been polychromed in the 1930's (The decorative artist had dated his work to tell us so!) Now 70 years later, it was due a complete makeover. The colours of the figure had oxidised, and the base was broken in several places. The halos had also tarnished and needed attention - the decorative detail on Mary's cloak was generally faded. Repairing the hand of Jesus 1. Here is a hairline split in the index finger. Seems li

Replacement hand made for statue of Our Lady Mother When Fr. Simon brought this statue to us for repair, it came with lots of "extras"... "Extra" layers of paint, "extra" dust, and "extra" beads. The beads were mostly fragments of costume jewellery; the centre of the crown was filled with an abundance of silver "pearls" nesting in its centre. One bead was decorated with the word "Mother" which was touching to find. The hand which held a sceptre was missing. Queen of Heaven

Explaining the image of Our Lady of Walsingham In the year 2015, at the request of the Carmelite sisters of Prenton; I Created this 24 inch figure of Our Lady of Walsingham. The figure itself was made from a variety of lightweight components for ease of carrying in the annual procession. ​​The statue now resides at the Monastery of the Ascension, Birkenhead. SYMBOLISM OF THE IMAGE The throne displays seven rings on the two upright pillars. These pillars represent the church