The figure of Our Lord on the large crucifix at St Paul’s has not always looked as it does today. Originally, the figure was painted flesh-coloured. Following the changes of Vatican II, the sanctuary at St Paul’s was remodelled and, as part of those changes, the body of Our Lord was painted bronze.
Some years later, Fr Corran decided that the bronze finish did not seem quite right to him. He wanted the figure repainted in a more life-like colour, with a natural appearance that would better portray the humanity of Christ.
Getting the figure down from the cross, however, proved to be something of an adventure. Fr Corran enlisted the help of the Bonavita family, who could always be relied on to help out with any ‘fix-it’ jobs in the church, and explained his plan.
Two ladders were brought in: one aluminium and the other an old, rather rickety wooden ladder. Tony and his son Mark each climbed one of the ladders to tackle the job. They discovered that the figure was bolted onto the cross. Tony carefully detached it, while Mark prepared to hand the figure down to Fr Corran, who in turn passed Him to Rosana. As she carefully held the figure in her arms, she had one of those surreal moments that you simply cannot plan for: “Oh my goodness. I am hugging Jesus!”
Meanwhile, Tony brought the cross down. Tony and Fr Corran then carefully wrapped the figure and took it away in a trailer, to be repainted. A couple of days later it was returned to St Paul’s in its new, more life-like colour, and Our Lord was carefully restored onto the cross.
The following day, Fr Corran mentioned to Rosana that he had noticed something that bothered him. There was a visible join line where the arms met the body of the figure. So, rather than leave it that way, he had secured the arms more firmly with glue and worked to obscure the join lines.
It was certainly an unusual project but the result was a beautifully restored crucifix – one that parishioners find their eyes are drawn to as they enter the church.
For Rosana there was probably one moment of the project she was most unlikely to forget: being entrusted with holding the figure of Our Lord safely in her arms.
