“Stations of the Cross”

When visiting Norfolk Island, you may be interested in viewing some interesting artwork, which is at the St Philip Howard’s Catholic Church. The paintings are known as the “Stations of the Cross” painted by Julia Bridget Lynch, who was a nun from Wellington New Zealand, also called Sister Mary Lawrence.

I have taken photos of the wonderful religious artwork in St Philip Howard’s Catholic Church, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Norfolk Island, which I will share with the Norfolk Online News readers. I have also learnt that our Aunty also knew (Julia B Lynch) Sister Mary Lawrence, the Nun from Wellington New Zealand.

As this weekend is Easter, I thought it would be interesting to research extra information about Sister Mary Lawrence (Julia B Lynch) as well as information about the famous artwork “Stations of the Cross.”

(Julia B Lynch) Sister Mary Lawrence

Julia Bridget Lynch (1896-1975) was born in Tokomaru, New Zealand, and trained as an artist at the Slade School in London for two years. She was one of New

Zealand’s most celebrated and prolific portrait painters. Known as Sister Mary Lawrence, she was with the Sisters of Mercy, for 51 years and was attached to St Mary’s College in Wellington, where she taught art.

She did a great deal of religious paintings including the “Stations of the Cross” for the Church in Norfolk Island. Her work also hangs in New Zealand convents and schools. She was a Kelliher Art competition winner in 1975 for her portrait of a “Polish Dancer” and exhibited frequently. Her artwork took many forms from paintings, landscape, abstracts, and among her many religious endeavours was the Māori Madonna she designed and draw.

Famous portraits she painted include the late Norman Kirk, Prime Minister of NZ, Jean Batten, the famous aviator, with whom she formed a lifelong friendship, Brian Lochorem the All-Black Captain and so many more. Some of her paintings and portraits were hung in the Paris Salon, in Britain, Rome and the US.

Julia B Lynch also entered portraits in the “Australian Archibald Portrait” competitions four times, including two entries in 1927.

As for Sister M Lawrence herself, she was a devout religious. She entered the Mercy Congregation at St Mary’s Wellington, New Zealand in 1924. She suffered a long illness prior to her death but was a most uncomplaining sufferer. She remained at St Mary’s in Wellington until her death on 14 August 1975.

St Philip’s Howard Catholic Church, Norfolk Island

The Norfolk Island Catholic Church is on Queen Elizabeth Drive, and the link below has interesting history of the Catholic Church and historical information relating to Norfolk Island. The link also has church service times and contact information.

MASS TIMES

Sundays, 9.00am: Mass, or if no priest is on the Island, a Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion (Preceded by the Holy Rosary at 8.30am)

Contact details:

For general enquiries people can email directly to Norfolk Island at stphiliphowardchurchnorfolk@gmail.com

https://stmaryscathedral.org.au/st-philip-howards-catholic-church-norfolk-island/

Norfolk Island lies 1,670 kilometres East-North-East of Sydney, Australia. It was named by Captain Cook in 1774 in honour of Mary Howard, Duchess of Norfolk.

The first Catholic presence on the Island dates to 1788 when a British penal colony was established there in conjunction with the convict settlement of Sydney. There were even two Catholic priests, Fr Peter O’Neill and Fr James Harold, among the Irish political prisoners sent to the Island after the 1798 rebellion.

In 1834, Fr William Bernard Ullathorne travelled from St Mary’s in Sydney to Norfolk Island to minister to some condemned criminals before their execution and wrote eloquently of the Island’s great natural beauty. For a time, there was a permanent Catholic Chaplain to the Prison until it closed in 1856.

It was not until 1957 that another permanent priest arrived, and Mass was celebrated in the home of the Martin family, who since the 1930’s had occasionally hosted visiting priests.

The Catholic Parish was established, with the simple timber Sacred Heart Church blessed opened in 1959 by Cardinal Gilroy.

The church was re-named in honour of St Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, one of the English Martyrs (d.1595), after he was canonised in 1970. St Philip was the son of the 4th Duke of Norfolk, of the same Howard family in whose honour Norfolk Island was named.

Although there has not been a resident Parish Priest on the Island since 1987, the parish is administered from St Mary’s Cathedral. Priests from the cathedral and elsewhere visit the Island several times during the year, leaving enough of the Blessed Sacrament for the parishioners to gather each Sunday morning in St Philip Howard’s Church, even when there is no Mass for prayers and Holy Communion. They love to welcome tourists and visitors!

“Stations of the Cross”

The links below are details of the “Stations of the Cross”, referring to Jesus on the cross and the religious events of Easter.

What are the 14 traditional Stations of the Cross? - Catholic Review

Permanently affixed, the 14 stations adorn parishes around the world. They are visible reminders of the last hours of Christ on earth, but, moreover, the Way of the Cross is symbolic of our lifelong journey filled with difficulties and marked with personal crosses.

First Station: Jesus is condemned to death (Mk 15:6-15).

Second Station: Jesus carries his cross (Jn 19:15-17).

Third Station: Jesus falls the first time.

Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother.

Fifth Station: Simon the Cyrene is made to bear the cross (Mk 15:21).

Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time.

Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (Lk 23:27-31).

Ninth Station: Jesus falls a third time.

Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments (Mt 27:35, Lk 23:34).

Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross (Lk 23:33-43).

Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross (Lk 23:44-46).

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross (Jn 19: 38).

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/the-stations-of-the-cross-can-we-learn-from-them.html

The “Stations of the Cross” refer to a series of depictions of the events of the Passion of Christ and the prayers and rituals associated with these. There are truths to be gleaned from this practice for any believer, reminding us of Jesus’ death and sacrifice to save us from sin and redeem us.

1. Christ is condemned to death.

2. The cross is laid upon Him.

3. Jesus falls.

4. Christ meets His mother, Mary.

5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross.

6. Veronica wipes Christ’s face.

7. Jesus falls a second time.

8. The women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus.

9. Jesus falls a third time.

10. Christ is stripped of His garments.

11. Christ is crucified.

12. Jesus dies on the cross.

13. His body is taken down from the cross.

14. He is laid in the tomb.

As objects, the stations may be made of sculpted or carved stone, wood, or metal, or they may be paintings or engravings. Usually, these are arranged around a church or cathedral, but sometimes they’re arranged along roads leading to a church or shrine.

The above links have assisted with my research, and I found it very interesting learning about Sister M Lawrence, (Julia B Lynch). Plus reading about her artwork and the details of the “Stations of the Cross”. It is wonderful that Norfolk Island has this collection of her artwork. I search my photographs I took in April 2014 and found the 14 images of the “Stations of the Cross”.

While looking for an image of Sister Mary Lawrence I found a link to an art exhibition in Wellington, New Zealand, which will be held this year. It would be wonderful to see this any of the readers are visiting Wellington.

Exhibition at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata.

June to September 2025. The Gallery is on a nationwide callout for portraits of students painted by the renowned artist Sr Lawrence (Julia B) Lynch (1896–1975) for inclusion in this upcoming exhibition.

The information about the Norfolk Island Catholic Church was interesting, dating back to the Norfolk Island convict history, plus the links to St Philip was the son of the 4th Duke of Norfolk, of the same Howard family in whose honour Norfolk Island was named by Captain James Cook in 1774.

Attached are a collection of the photos I have collaged together of the “Stations of the Cross” and of the St Phillip’s Howard Catholic Church

Betty Matthews

18 April 2025