A piece of stained glass, made about 40 years ago for Edmonton’s Knox-Metropolitan United Church has found a new home in a hospital now that the church has shut down.
The cathedral glass was recently donated to the Grey Nuns Community Hospital where it is now on display for patients and their families to admire.
On Wednesday, the artwork was unveiled at its new home where it also received a blessing.
The artwork depicts a mother holding her child, and people working with the hospital said it’s a perfect fit for the facility.
“That image of love, that image of care, the mother embracing the child, the cross in the background – that fits with our heritage and provides such a warm welcome,” Ralph Magnus, spiritual care manager at Covenant Health, said.
The artist who created the work said it aims to capture the idea of love.
“I just kind of felt it was important to embody the idea of love and I like the idea of a mother and child together and as you can see, it’s a very contemporary kind of piece, even for the late ’70s,” Brenda Malkinson said.
“I’ve been delighted by the response,” Magnus said. “Even in preparation, everyone who saw pictures of the window was quite thrilled that we were going to receive the window.”
The artwork was originally donated to the church in honour of Margaret McFie Watson. Watson’s granddaughter, Catherine Watson, decided to work with the vice-chair of the church’s congregation to find a new home for it when the church shut down last year and the hospital idea was born.
Catherine said the idea appealed to her because her mother had spent time in the hospital’s palliative care unit and received excellent care.
“It’s memories of my grandmother Margaret and my grandfather and of course my dad who is 102 and is still living of course and his sister who passed away at 103,” Catherine said of the piece. “So very much longevity, and hopefully if I live that long, I’ll be able to come into that hospital many more times and enjoy it.”