Paintings
The main alter paintings created and donated to the Sister’s of Saint Ann’s Academy by Mother Helen de le Croix from the mother house in Lachine. The centre painting is of St. Anne and Joachim and Mary. A short story to explain the symbolism in the painting is that St. Anne and Joachim were getting quite old and did not have a child yet, so Joachim went on a meditation journey to the desert. Anne went to meet Joachim at the gates of Jerusalem after he came back from his journey and then they shared a kiss. Virgin Mother Mary was born of Immaculate Conception through this kiss. The lilies
Lilies in this painting are thought to be symbolic of Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
Although St. Anne is usually shown in painting and sculptures
St Ann statue teaching her daughter Mary with a scroll, bible or open book, she is not the patron Saint of teaching she is the patron Saint of: women in labour, childless women, older mothers and domestic goddesses/housewives. The basket
Basket in the painting is a symbol of house hold goods and domesticity, another symbol associated with St. Anne. This basket is unique in that Women of the Victorian era likely identified with this symbol and found it nurturing to have in their cathedral painted by another woman they looked up to.
In the painting to the right of Sister Mary Helen de la Croix centre piece is a painting of God, Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mother Mary. While reading, Mary hears someone behind her and notices an angel floating in on a cloud with wings holding lilies. Angel Gabrielle communicates to Mary that she has found favour with God. He is giving this message by pointing upwards to God and looking to her. At God’s heart level is the Holy Spirit and its rays come shining down around Mary. Many interpretation of this story include Mary being impregnated with the word of God through her ear so artists will sometimes stop the rays around her ear like in this one. The lilies in Gabrielle’s hands are again symbolic of this Immaculate Conception.
In other versions of this painting, Mary usually looks surprised and startled when Angel Gabrielle comes along. In this painting Mary’s position and gesture completes the Trinity of 3 main figures, she is also humble and at the stage of the story where she is accepting of the situation. Having a sister paint Mary in this humbling stage is significant to how sisters are accepting of their destiny. Mary is symbolic of the sisters and their dear attachment and similarity to her at that point when they accept their fate as a bride of Christ.
One last depiction of how lilies represent purity in when they appear in Joseph’s staff. When Mary was at the age she should be married so she had a number of suitors. It was foretold that a man with flowers in the staff is to be Mary’s betroved and pure of heart. Joseph appeared with a flowered staff and was chosen. The statue to the right of the alter painting depict this Joseph
Joseph with Lillies at this moment.
And finally to the right is a replica of the painting Christ in Temple Christ was 12 years old at this time. Mary and Joseph had gone to another town and lost him. They couldn’t find him anywhere so the finally went into pray and found Jesus among all the learned men of that time and they are awestruck by his insight all of them were stupefied. This painting may be symbolic of how the sisters honoured the divine presence of Christ and the innocent wisdom of a child.