The St John 's Seminary Rood Screen is available as it has to be removed from the Seminary Chapel. The artist was Faith Tolkein (daughter- in- law of JRR Tolkein). Enquiries should be emailed to Canon Luke Smith lukesmith@rcaos.org.uk
Detailed information about the St John's Seminary Rood Screen:
The artist’s inspiration for the sculpture came from the ancient mosaic in San Clemente - Rome which shows God’s creatures drinking from the streams of living water issuing from the foot of the Cross. Similarly here, the sculpture celebrates Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross as the fountain of new and eternal life. In essence the sculpture is a visual meditation on the Mass Preface for the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
For raised up high on the Cross, he gave himself up for us with a wonderful love and poured out blood and water from his pierced side, the wellspring of the Church’s Sacraments, so that, won over to the open heart of the Saviour, all might draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Faith Tolkein (daughter- in- law of JRR Tolkein) was commissioned to undertake the work in September 1989. The work was completed the following year and cast in resin bronze by Alec Ryman’s Sculpture Castings at Frieth. The sculpture was erected in the chapel on 29 August 1990. Rt Rev Howard Tripp, Auxiliary Bishop in Southwark (an alumnus of St John’s) blessed the sculpture during Mass on September 13 1990, the eve of the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross.