The Transept Doors of the St. Michael’s
Cathedral Restoration Project
by Farhad Nargol-O'Neill, sculptor
The Ontario born and raised sculptor,
Farhad Nargol-ONeill, has been commissioned to create two Marian double doors,
carved in bas-relief and cast in bronze, as part of the restoration of St.
Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. Nargol-O’Neill was born in Unionville, Ontario,
grew up in the York Catholic school system, studied music at York University,
and ran a successful sculpting studio in Belfast, Ireland for ten years before
returning to Canada. His work has been shown in exhibitions around the world;
his commissions can be found in private, public and diplomatic collections.
Since 2014 he has been creating twenty bronze Rosary-themed panels for two monumental
transept doors, “The Joyful and Glorious Mysteries” and “The Sorrowful and
Luminous Mysteries.”
The Episcopal Church’s funeral liturgy wants to locate the funeral in the context of Easter, of the Paschal Mystery. While much can and has been made of that link, there is another, equally as important link that is made in the liturgy, that is the link between the baptism of a Christian and their funeral. This is based on the claim that the body of the departed has worth because of baptism. This presentation will argue that the way to address this situation is to highlight the liturgical link between baptism, the Paschal Mystery, and the funeral and to view them as a liturgical triplet.
