The Stations of the Cross
St Mary’s Catholic Church, known affectionately as The Hidden Gem is a place of quiet and prayer for all who take refuge from the activity of the city. The traditional white marble pillars and altar are in contrast to the strong, bright colours of fourteen large contemporary painting that depict the Stations of the Cross, painted by Norman Adams in 1994, they expose the raw emotion and agonising pain and suffering experienced by Jesus Christ on his final journey to the cross of Calvary. Each station acts as a meditation, an invitation to prayer to journey with Jesus in our own lives and to recognise his presence with us through our own joys and sufferings. The paintings move through the story of betrayal towards death, but end in hope; a garden of flowers representing the garden tomb and the promise of the resurrection that is to follow.
Norman Adams was a leading British, religious painter of the 20th Century. Born in 1927 to working class parents in Walthamstow, Adams attended Harrow School of Art until 1947 and the Royal College of Art from 1948 to 1951. Throughout his career he held a variety of prestigious academic posts. He was Head of Painting at Manchester College of Art from 1958-1970 and held the professorship of painting at Newcastle University from 1981-1986. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1972 and was Keeper of the Royal Academy from 1986 until his retirement. He died on 9th March 2005
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