The Old Church

The Old Church.
 
Immediately after the fire in the chapel-school, new arrangements had to be made for masses and church services. Fortunately, a few years earlier the first part of the building eventually to be known as "The Old Church" had been erected as a school annexe.
This structure was now pressed into service as a temporary church, although it continued to be used as a classroom during weekdays. Soon after, the section that formed the sanctuary and sacristy was added on, shortly to be followed by the part that became well-known as 'The Annexe'. These three sections formed the L-shaped building which in later years, after the present church was built, was referred to as 'The Old Church' and sometimes as 'The Tin Church' owing to the extensive use of corrugated iron for its walls. For over thirty-five years The Old Church had a special place in the hearts of parishioners. Its interior magnificence belied its outer appearance.
 
The most eye-catching feature of the sanctuary was a huge oil painting of the Crucifixion by an Italian artist, Domenico Renghini of Rome. Father Charleson had commissioned the artist for this work on a visit to Rome around 1923. The painting took up most of the wall behind the altar. It showed Our Lady on one side of the Cross and St John on the other. Clasping the foot of the Cross is St Mary Magdalene, with flowing golden hair. On the other side from her kneels another figure, possibly Mary, wife of Clopas, in profound grief. A Roman soldier on one side looks up in alarm, as do others further back in the scene. A great darkness is enveloping the scene. The towers of Jerusalem loom in the background. The bill of 5000 lire for the painting was settled in January 1924 and a specially made frame costing £49.10/- (forty nine pounds ten shillings) was ordered from J B Bennett & Sons Ltd., Fine Art Dealers of Glasgow.
 
On the Gospel side of the altar a large white statue of St Michael the Archangel stood on a white marble column with his long hand-held lance piercing a dragon's head. On another white column on the Epistle side stood an equally large white statue of St Gabriel bearing the lily of the Annunciation. Six white square columns, their capitols decorated with golden palm leaves with an ornate cross above, supported the high altar itself. Again on the Epistle side were three sedilia (priest's seats) and a vaulted credence (side table for bread and wine). At the rear of the altar was a single gradine (ledge) bearing six candlesticks in the form of fluted Corinthian columns. A transept opened out on the southern side of the sanctuary and above part of it was a gallery closed in by screen work for the organ and choir. Standing on a pillar in this transept was a statue of St. Joseph holding the Divine Child. The window beside it depicted the Holy Family in St. Joseph's workshop.
 
The pillars, on which hung the gates of the altar rails, supported two very old Flemish Renaissance candlesticks of an idiosyncratic design. Father Charleson had found these in Belgium. The pulpit was donated by the women of the parish. Above it was painted the Dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. A window on the nave's north side bore a stained glass picture of Angels playing musical instruments. On the lower part were scenes of the Taking Down from the Cross and the Embalmment. There were three stained glass windows on the south side of the nave. The first depicted scenes of Christ teaching from Peter's boat, the Sower, the disciples at Emmaus, Christ among the doctors and, in the lower part, Saints Peter, Andrew, James and Paul. The second window bore a representation of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The third one bore scenes depicting Our Lady visiting St Elizabeth, Christ blessing little children, Christ at Emmaus and Mary Magdalene greeting Him in the garden.
 
On a console on the south wall of the nave was a statue of St Anthony. In his right hand he carries the loaf of charity while his right arm supports the Christ Child. The Stations of the Cross hung from the walls on both sides of the length of the nave. Their frames and decorative work were of local workmanship. They had been presented by the following parishioners: Mrs John Doherty, Mrs Griffen, Miss R and Miss N McComiskey, Ms Rynn, Mrs Higney, Mrs Hughes, Mrs Haggerty, Mrs M Docherty and 'the women of Smithston.'
The Lady Chapel was on the north side of the nave. It's Roman Renaissance style altar had a venerable history, being amongst the oldest altars in the Archdiocese. The Franciscan Nuns of Charlotte Street Convent had originally used it from the time of their arrival in Glasgow about 1814. Later it had passed to the College of the Marist Brothers at Partickhill. Father Charleson had tracked this altar down to a carpenter's shop on the South Side of Glasgow where it was being used as a bench. It was readily given to him on his request.
The Tabernacle too, had a touching history. It had been used at the old Partickhill Seminary. When this was being converted for use as a College for men teachers, the Tabernacle was cast aside with litter. A washerwoman found it and installed it in her home as a little altar. Again, it was Father Charleson whose detective work led him to her and he blessed her for donating it to Croy Church.
 
Above the Lady Altar was an oval picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Divine Child in her arms. (This was a copy of Raphael's Madonna del Granduca). On a pillar on the Epistle side stood a wooden statue of Our Lady, charred and blackened, a precious survivor of the 1921 fire.
On the east side of the Lady Chapel, above the Confessional, was a picture of Our Lord leading his apostles through a harvest field - "Lo I am with you all the days." Just past the confessional another window depicted scenes of Christ finding the lost sheep, the symbolic Lamb of God, Christ blessing little children and the father welcoming his prodigal son. Another window just outside the sanctuary showed Our Lady (inside an oval shape), St Barbara with her tower, St Agnes with the Lamb and St Catherine with the wheel of torture. Underneath these was a representation of the Annunciation and one of the Magi offering their gifts.
 
The Baptistery was in the northwest corner, shut off by iron railings bearing a two-leaved gate. In an angle of the wall was an aumbry or enclosed alcove for the elements for baptisms such as holy oils. The door of the aumbry bore a picture of Christ's baptism by St John and above this appeared the letters S.O. and S.C. The baptismal font was octagonal with a lockable wooden cover. It stood in the centre, one step high, with a platform on the west side so that the priest faced east towards the altar when baptising. A window the north wall carried pictures of passion flowers with St Joseph bearing the lily of purity in the upper centre and opposite him the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Divine Child. The lower part of the window depicted the Presentation in the Temple and the Flight into Egypt.
On each of the eight sides, painted by Morton of Kilsyth were:
1) the words "Suffer little children to come unto Me,"
2) a trefoil ornament
3) the Lamb of God with symbols of the four Evangelists
4) the serpent on Moses' rod
5) the words "For such is the Kingdom of Heaven"
6) a second trefoil ornament
7) a pelican pierced in the breast to give nourishment to her young
8) another representation of the serpent on Moses' rod.
 
Just before Father Charleson left the Parish in 1929, a fine mosaic was inlaid on the transept floor by Mrs Heslin, in memory of her husband Bernard. This mosaic and the Italian painting of the Crucifixion were the two most valuable art-pieces in the Church, according to Father Charleson. Their son, solicitor Bernard Heslin, presented the mosaic to Nunraw Abbey when the Old Church was demolished.