ST. MARY MAGDALENE'S CHURCH AND ITS CONTENTS

In 1966 the Liturgical Commission in Rome, presided over by Cardinal Lercaro, enunciated the principle that we should be brave enough not to permit into our churches objects of cult unless they were capable of being signed by individual craftsmen; this principle we have followed in furnishing our church. Indeed many of the furnishings were made by members of the parish.

THE CHURCH

The Altar was made by Maxwell Allan to a design of the architect Mr J McRoberts and is of green Westmorland slate on a plinth of Scottish granite. Its shape is that of many of the most primitive altars of the 4th and succeeding centuries in Rome and elsewhere. These consisted, very often, of a slab of marble on top of a piece of a pillar from a pagan temple. Thus even the unholy works of paganism were made to serve the one true God.
This altar is the gift of an Edinburgh lady who would be embarrassed at being named. It weighs two and a half tons.

The Altar Furnishings
The WROUGHT IRON CANDLESTICKS here and elsewhere in the building were designed and made by Alexander MacKenzie of Magdalene. The IRON LECTERN and CANDLE SCONCE in the baptistry were similarly designed and made by Patrick Hoy of Magdalene.
The CREDENCE TABLES here and in the weekday chapel and THE WOODEN LECTERNS were made and presented to the parish by the boys of St. Anthony's school.
THE CARPET for the sanctuary was made to the design of the parish coat of arms by Matthew Lynch (junior) of the Jewel. THE WEEKDAY CHAPEL CARPET was similarly made by Thomas Murphy of Bingham.
THE CUSHIONS for the Mass book, the priest's chair and the altar servers were designed and made by Miss G. Forsyth of Portobello. They also carry the parish coat of arms.

The PRIEST'S CHAIR is the gift of Mrs Hawryluk of Magdalene.

THE ALTAR LINEN for both the church and the chapel was made and presented by a family in the parish.

THE ALTAR PIECE This Pentocrator, or Christ in Majesty, was designed by Felix McCullough in mosaic and fibreglass on a green fibreglass cross devised by John Damer and Frank Dempsey of St. Andrew's School, Edinburgh.

The choice of this theme, which is to dominate the whole church, was dictated by the earliest practice of Christiandom, and is found in the most ancient churches of the Mediterranean area. It emphasises the fact that Christ is victor, and reigns triumphant in heaven as head of His new creation, the Church which is His Body. It underlines that His passage from death to life...The Pascal Mystery..is to be re-enacted in His member, i.e. in us.