61. SOUTH TRANSEPT WINDOW AND PANELS

The South window has representations of the parents of Mary (Anne and Joachim), St Joseph (her carpenter husband), and St Theresa – the name saint of the window donor. The painted panel below the window has requests to pray for the souls of deceased parishioners.     PLAN

62. TRANSEPT FIGURES

The statue of St Patrick at left reminds us of the Irish who came to Sheffield in poverty after the potato famine. An unnamed saint holding a crucifix stands at right.

63. WEST WINDOW OF SOUTH TRANSEPT

This Hallum window is on the West wall of the South transept. It shows Mary, pictured as Queen of Heaven and holding the Infant Jesus, surrounded by worshipping angels and admirers. These include two priests Ven Robert Ludlam and Ven Nicholas Garlick, captured in 1588 at Padley Hall outside Grindleford and hung, drawn and quartered for their faith twelve days later in Derby.    

64. TRANSEPT ANGEL

At the foot of the stairs to the Lady Chapel stands this large alabastar Guardian Angel. This was given by the Bernasconi family. The statue is by far the largest of over 200 angels to be found in the decoration of St Marie’s.

65. UP TO LADY CHAPEL

Stairs lead up to the Lady Chapel above and behind St Joseph’s Chapel. This also serves as the Memorial Chapel to Polish Officers who gave their lives in the navy, RAF and underground army in the Second World War. The Chapel was added to St Marie’s in 1878. Some details of the Lady Chapel are given on the information board.

66. STAIRCASE WINDOWS

As we ascend the stairs to the Lady Chapel we come to two windows, placed together at an angle. The higher window, at left, depicts the Annunication – the angel Gabriel bringing ‘good news’ to Mary. The lower window comprises a single lancet depicting a saintly scribe – perhaps St Luke, or St John? The window has a number of shields with the monogram ‘SI’.    

67. OUR LADY

Arriving at the Lady Chapel, we find ourselves in a small tiled rectangular area, with several steps leading up to an octangular apse. Set in the apse is a marble statue of Our Lady of Mercy. The statue was sculpted in Rome, and the altar is solid Sicillian marble.

68. LADY CHAPEL WALL DECORATION

There is decorative blind arcading round the base of the apse walls: the top of this decoration is shown here.

69. LADY CHAPEL DOME

Looking upwards we can admire the beautiful coloured stellar vaulting. The central gold boss is a crowned ‘MR’ (Mary Regina); the other bosses are of floral design.

70. CHAPEL CLERESTORY WINDOWS

Light enters the Chapel through three high clerestory windows. The two outer windows depict angels making music and, at centre, Mary is being crowned in Heaven by Christ the King.

71. CHAPEL FLOOR TILING

The floor of the lower chapel is covered with detailed tiling, in part a memorial to William Felix Austin Munster (1849 – 1877), who was an Irish Liberal Party politician.

72. BLACK MADONNA AND CHILD

On the South wall is an icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, and below this, a Polish war memorial. The Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, is a revered icon of the Virgin Mary housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland.

73. ST JOSEPH CHAPEL

We descend the stairs and enter our final chapel – the St Joseph Chapel – also known as the Norfolk Chapel. The main landowners in Sheffield were the Dukes of Norfolk, and the family were very strong Catholics and benefactors of the Cathedral.

74. ST WINIFRED ICON

Just inside the Chapel door is an icon of St Winifred (St Winefride). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh Christian woman, around whom many historical legends have formed. A healing spring at the traditional site of her decapitation and restoration is now a shrine and pilgrimage site called St Winefride's Well in Holywell, Flintshire, Wales and known as the Lourdes of Wales.

75. SOUTHWEST CHAPEL

This image of St Winifred is found in the Southwest corner of the St Josph Chapel. Winifred was the daughter of a chieftan who became a nun. Is that a miniature cross she holds in her left hand? In her right hand she carries a martyr’s palm.

76. ST JOSEPH CHAPEL NORTHERN TILING

St Joseph’s Chapel is separated from the chancel by stone arcading with a metal grille between the arches. These tiles on the low North wall recall the Sisters of Notre Dame who taught in Sheffield for many decades. The floor has a strip depicting two small children.

77. STRIP OF FLOOR TILES

These tiles picture two young children. The text refers to: + John Joseph Firth, departed in baptismal innocence in 1883. + Mary Ceceli Firth, his sister departed also in baptismal innocence in 1880. + Wilfred Edward and Cuthbert Joseph Ashley departed in baptismal innocence in 1881 and 1882.

78. CHAPEL WINDOWS

There are two windows side by side with yet another angel standing between! The central panel of the left window shows Jesus as the Sacred Heart. On the right the panel depicts the Virgin Mary.

79. CHAPEL ALTAR

St Joseph’s Chapel is dominated by the massive reredos of St Joseph on his death bed with Jesus indicating his place in heaven.

80. SOUTH WALL OF CHAPEL

The painted tiles on the South wall depict from left, the six saints: Catherine, Barbara, Dorothy, Agnes, Clare and Margaret. There are also three statues, again from left: St Rosa of Lima, St Therese of Lisieux, and in the corner, St Hilda of Whitby. There are a lot of ladies in St Joseph’s Chapel! This completes our tour of St Marie’s Cathedral.