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Members of St Mary’s and the wider community have dug deep, allowing work to begin on bringing the piece of artwork to life.
Father Tom Boyle launched the fundraising campaign back in December and says he has been delighted by the reaction.
He told the Telegraph: “It has been amazing. We have had a very positive response from parishioners and wider community.
“It has all been raised through people making donations. Lots of them have been taking the opportunity to make a donation in return for having their own or a relative’s initials inscribed on a pane of the glass. I am very pleased.”
When the appeal was launched Father Boyle had told the Tele he had always wanted to do something about the imagery of Mary in the church, on Patrick Street, and identified a large space in the arch over the main doors that could be used.
He contacted local artist Alec Galloway, a stained glass expert, who will now begin work on the project in the summer.
Father Boyle said: “All Catholic churches dedicated as St Mary’s have one of her titles as a dedication.
“Ours is the Assumption and so it seems a fitting topic for Alec’s work as an artist.”
Father Boyle announced the good news about the fundraising total to the congregation on Easter Sunday and has thanked everyone who supported the project.
He said: “It is going to be very striking, especially when people are leaving the church.
“In the past artists beautified the church to get the church’s message across, at a time when people couldn’t read and learned the gospels and the life of the saints through stained glass and images.
“Although everyone is literate now the church is still a place to enjoy art and to appreciate images that beautify the church in modern times.”
It’s expected that the work on the stained glass should be completed by August next year.
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