There was so much stuff in the presbytery shed back in the day,  that we had to wade our way through to get to anything.  

During the 2014 search for Christmas decorations, this very sad looking votive candle stand came into view.   When found, it was old and run down.  It had probably been removed some years prior, when the parish had temporarily replaced wax candles with electric ones because of worries about the fire risk.  However, that didn’t last long – parishioners had mixed reactions, with many expressing that it didn’t feel the same, that pushing a button wasn’t the same as lighting a candle.  After much discussion, the candles were restored, but one old votive stand was apparently left ‘buried’ in the shed.

 It was rescued in early January 2015, with Father’s approval, to bring it back to life.  It was taken to a steel fabricator and painting business who do very large jobs and it caused quite a stir.   The reaction from these strong no-nonsense men surprised us. “What is this?” they asked, fascinated, but also perplexed about this tiny votive candle stand.   Of course, we enlightened them about how people lit candles and prayed as a sign of devotion to a particular saint or for a specific intention. That it is also for us a reminder of the presence of Christ in our midst. The men fixed it, and it’s been providing a home for the candles at the Mary McKillop chapel for 11 years now.   

 This story just goes to show that even a piece of unwanted ‘junk’ hidden in a shed, might still have the potential to be a work of evangelisation.  Who knows what ordinary curiosity might lead to.

 You can read more about votive candle tradition here:  https://catholiceducation.org/en/culture/shedding-light-on-the-use-of-votive-candles.html