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 published: 2006-05-17

Moved by the Spirit

The Holy Spirit Symbol for the Scottish Shrine

 

El Espiritu Santo quiere volar

The Holy Spirit prepares to fly

Der Heilige Geist versucht zu fliegen…

 

Maquetas

Plastercine models to work out the shape

Verschiedene Modelle

 
 

La cocina, un taller ahora

The kitchen doubles as wood work shop

Die Küche wird zur Schreinerei

 
 

El trabajo sigue

Taking shape

Das Symbol  nimmt Gestalt an

Fotos: Savage © 2006

 

 

 

SCOTLAND, Fr. Michael Savage. During the October day of last year Fr Michael who had been asked to design the symbol for the Scottish Schoenstatt shrine confessed that the project scared him. For Fr Kentenich the Holy Spirit was the dynamic force that kept Schoenstatt together alive and active as the work of Mary at the service of the Church. If the Spirit was not present in the movement, he would prefer that it folded rather than be kept limping along as a structure held only in place by empty traditions and human laws.

It is a challenge then to try and create something that in some way encapsulates this dynamic force of the Third person of the Blessed Trinity. Having read something about iconography and been shown how the icon is created, a path way could be seen. For the icon painter there is a very tight relationship between the painted image and scripture. So close is the relationship that iconographers will talk about writing an icon. It is important that when we gaze on an icon the Word of God is called to mind. In true icons nothing must appear that does not have a theological link with the words of scripture or the life of the saint it is seeking to portray. Over and above that the icon writer prays throughout the whole process of creating the icon asking for guidance and for the inspiration of the saint he is depicting. The icon is meant be to be a window on the divine.

Lifting itself up from the earth

While our Holy Spirit symbol is not strictly a classical icon the process was still at the centre of its creation. Many drawings of doves were made, and several plastercine models were sculpted trying to give some idea of what the finished image would be like. The central thought was the Dove just as it begins to heave itself into the air. The wings are spread to their fullest extent, the feathers are fanned out to catch the wind and muscles are tense in this great act of lifting itself up from the earth.

Along with the drawing there was the need to find the correct wood. Someone suggested lime wood a local hard wood which while soft enough to carve easily has a tight grain like oak. A local timber yard near Strathpfeffer in the north of Scotland had exactly what I needed and the workman wielding a chain saw sliced a section of wood according to my needs.

The design also requires a back plate to support the carved dove. Discussions with the the members of the Schoenstatt families requested that there should be a celtic design reflecting the Scottish culture. Studying different designs I came across the circles and spirals that had a repeated triple coil which in my mind tied in with the Holy Trinity. Working out a design I took it to a local silver smith in Tain who under took to engrave a brass plate with the celtic spirals and coils. To date this is how far we have reached and the Novena preparation is still to follow before it takes it's place over the sanctuary.

From: www.schoenstatt.co.uk

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