Mosaic rededication at Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Ipoh

Nov 13, 2015

IPOH (Herald Malaysia): For decades, the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Church did not realize they were custodians of one of Bro Joseph McNally fsc’s masterpieces: a mosaic mural of the Last Supper.

Bro McNally was a LaSalle Brother, the founder of LASALLE College of Arts, Singapore and a renowned Irish artist.

Fr Emile Marie Henri Sausseau MEP built the parish in 1905. The current brick church, with its gothic architecture,had replaced the original wooden building which was blessed on September 8, 1959 by three bishops. They were His Excellency Rt. Rev. Msgr. Michael Olcomendy, the Archbishop of Singapore, His Excellency Rt. Rev. Msgr Francis Chan, the Bishop of Penang and His Excellency Rt. Rev. Msgr. Dominic Vendargon, the Bishop of Kuala Lumpur.

Fr Xavier Anthony Dass, who built the new church, left on June 19, 1961 before he could complete the additional work. However, he had briefed his assistant, Fr Lionel Stanislaus Norris, on what extras needed to be done. Fr Norris, together with Fr Lucien Catel M.E.P., called for La Salle Brother, John Joseph McNally, who was a renowned artist and sculptor. In 1960, accompanied by Bro Vincent Joseph Corkery, the Sub Director at St Michael’s Institution (SMI) Ipoh, Bro McNally visited the church in Jalan Silibin. SMI is also the guardian and custodian to other Bro McNally works. Among the famous ones are the Paterfamilas and Falcon & Falconer, made from metal bumpers taken from abandoned vehicles. Bro McNally designed the mural of the Last Supper, to give emphasis to the altar and to hide the exit to the sacristy. The mural, consisting of various types of stone and glass tesserae,  was made in Italy under his supervision and completed in 1961 at a cost of $10,000.00, a princely sum at that time. The mosaic mural was consecrated on Feb 13, 1963 by Bishop Francis Chan and witnessed by over 1,000 parishioners.

In 2010, during the tenure of Fr Bernard Paul and Fr Stanley Antoni, it was found that many mosaic pieces had fallen off and some cracks had appeared. Commander Ian Anderson, RN (Rtd), the Director of Ipoh World Sdn. Bhd. was consulted.  He advised on the need for an expert to restore the mural. However, no suitable experts could be found in Malaysia.

In 2015, the mural was restored to its former glory by Elenora Koh Bee Liang and her team from Artglass Singapore for free, as a token of appreciation for the work of Bro McNally.

The Last Supper mosaic mural was rededicated on October 11, 2015, officiated by Yang Berbahagia Rev

Dato’ Bro. Vincent Joseph Corkery fsc, D.P.M.P. who is now the Executive Director of La Salle Centre and Brother Director of St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh. A plaque was unveiled to commemorate the event, with im portant information on the masterpiece. Dato’ Bro. Vincent in his speech said, “This now gives Lourdes Ipoh the great honour of being the custodian of one of Br Joseph’s most famous masterpieces, the one and only copy in the world. Hence the care being taken for its maintenance by the parish”.

He added, “Bro Joseph rarely explained his intentions, allowing us the freedom to decide on its significance. And so, for many years, we saw it as portraying the Last Supper. We now see it as a unique portrayal of the Apostles concelebrating the Eucharist with the Risen Christ.

“This has special meaning for our Liturgy, as we gather for Mass as God’s priestly people, joining the Risen Christ and his Apostles in our celebration. This masterpiece blends well in the Eucharistic Celebration. Judas’ vacant chair symbolises betrayal, a warning to be united as a community, following the great command of Jesus to love one another as He loves us. We can choose either to be like Judas or to be a righteous person, joining the banquet of the Lord in Heaven.”