Impressive stained glass window relocates in Paraparaumu

CRAFTSMANSHIP: Part of a historic stained glass window which features in the Our Lady of Kapiti Parish School hall.

A large-scale historic stained glass window from the St Patrick's Church, Hinemoa St, now takes pride of place in the new Our Lady of Kapiti Parish School hall, Paraparaumu.

The window, in 24 segments, which was created by the world-renowned Harry Clarke Studios, in Dublin, Ireland, was carefully documented before it was delicately removed from its old aluminium framing, in the church, and then installed in its new framing in the hall.

"One of the segments took about an hour and a half to take out of the old aluminium frame because it was so tight," said Olaf Wehr-Candler, from Pukerua Bay, who has been instrumental in the window's relocation and reinstallation.

The window, about 1.6m wide and about 7.5m high, was so large that the bottom quarter had to be installed on one side of the hall, and the other three quarters on the other side.

The window will be protected by toughened glass and has aluminium wire mesh on the sides to stop the window from getting too hot.

Mr Wehr-Candler said the window was a very impressive piece because of its size.

"It's also a historic window because it would have been one of the last big windows to be made at Harry Clarke Studios, I suspect in the 1960s, before they closed down."

And it was an example where overseas work didn't always get the presentation of New Zealand flora and fauna right, he said.

The window depicts scenes from a number of legends surrounding St Patrick as well as incorporating some New Zealand images including iwi, flora and fauna.

A website www.harryclarke.net said Harry Clarke, who lived from 1889 to 1931, was "undoubtedly Ireland's greatest stained glass artist".

St Patrick's School and church have been sold and Our Lady of Kapiti Parish have been creating a new school, Our Lady of Kapiti Parish School, in Milne Drive.

The finishing touches are being applied to the school, which will be open for the new school year, and then planning will get underway to create a new church next to the school.

Our Lady of Kapiti Parish School principal Martin Elms said the purpose of relocating the window was to preserve it for the future as well as "enable it to be readily available for the school, parish, and wider community to enjoy and learn from for many years to come".