Saint Matthew in the Rose Window of the Children's Chapel of Loreto College - Sturt Street, Ballarat

            Loreto College Ballarat, a Catholic school for girls was established in 1875 by Mother Gonzaga Barry (1834 – 1915) a member of the order of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose members are commonly known as the Sisters of Loreto; a courageous woman with a truly visionary approach that saw her create educational opportunities for girls never before considered in the society of that day.  The Loreto Sisters arrived in Australia in response to a request by the Bishop of Ballarat, Bishop O'Connell. The group of ten sisters from Ireland, led by Mother Gonzaga Barry, set up a convent in Ballarat, Victoria and their first girls school, known as Mary's Mount, which today is known as Loreto College.

The Loreto Chapel, or Children’s Chapel as it is known, was built between 1898 and 1902.  The architect was William Tappin and the builder George Lorimer.  It is built in an English Gothic style with French influences.  The stone from which it is constructed is Barrabool Hills sandstone taken from a quarry near Geelong.  It also features white stone detailing from Oamaru in New Zealand.  Building was interrupted through lack of funds, but the project was finally completed with a large bequest from the German Countess Elizabeth Wolff-Metternich, who had arrived at Ballarat unannounced in 1898, was captivated by the post Gold Rush city and decided to teach German to the Loreto students.  A direct descendent of St Elizabeth of Hungary, Countess Elizabeth later found that she loved the peace and simplicity of the Mary's Mount cloister, and informed Mother Gonzaga that she wished to be accepted as a novice.   The Mother Superior urged the young woman to return to Germany to discuss her future with her family prior to making a decision.   Sadly, Countess Elizabeth was never to return to Ballarat: tragedy struck the RMS India, in the Straits of Messina en route Europe, when Countess Elizabeth died suddenly in April 1899, possibly from cholera, as she was nursing sick passengers on board the ship during its journey.   When her will was read, it was found that Countess Elizabeth had left a generous 16,000 pounds to the astonished Mother Gonzaga to `be used as she thought fit'.  Funds were once again available to finish the Children's Chapel, but there was to be another, seemingly impenetrable, obstacle:  Germany had instituted a law forbidding money to be sent out of the country, so the funds remained frozen in Germany indefinitely.  However, Countess Elizabeth's relatives contacted their distant relative, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany (eldest grandson of England's Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) to petition that the funds be released for the Australian convent.  It was only through the direct intervention of the Kaiser that the law was waived in this particular case.  The Children’s Chapel was officially opened in December 1902. 

The inside of the Children’s Chapel is decorated in soft pastel colours with artwork and statuary donated to the Sisters of Loreto by families in Ballarat and back in Ireland.  The Rose Window over the Organ Gallery depicts Saint Cecilia the patron saint of music, surrounded by symbols of the four Evangelists, Matthew Mark Luke and John.  The windows over the alter depict the instruments of the Passion of Christ.  The marble alter features the Nativity scene as was requested by the girls attending Loreto at the time.

Taken in: Australia / Victoria / Ballarat / Alfredton (show map)

Taken on: May 13, 2012

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Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/11.0, 1/400 sec, 11.6mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	11.6mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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