EXHIBITION CELEBRATING ISLAND’S SAINTS SUPPORTED BY MANX LOTTERY TRUST

The Friends of Jurby Church is looking back on one of its most poignant and explorative exhibitions to date which, due to popular demand, was extended for an additional month.

The ‘Saints of Mann’ exhibition, which ran from May to October in Jurby Church, was a celebration of the Island’s saints who gave their names to parishes, churches, schools, wells and monuments. Material collated from the Isle of Man’s parishes included heritage photos, sketches, maps and books.

As part of the exhibition, Dr Graham Jones, author of ‘Saints in the Landscape’ and the leading British authority on the subject, visited Jurby Church to give a fascinating talk on ‘A Manx Saintscape’.

Manx Lottery Trust was pleased to support the exhibition and awarded a grant to The Friends of Jurby Church to help fund the various displays and materials. The remaining funding was used towards the production of a book, Jurby and the Vikings, which was based on a previous exhibition.

The money raised from the exhibition and book sales will be used to maintain the church building to ensure its sustainability for the future. The Friends have already raised funds to install central heating and a composting toilet at the church.

Sandra Kerrison, from The Friends of Jurby Church, said: ‘We can’t thank the Manx Lottery Trust enough for its support of our latest and most well-attended exhibition. We were delighted to have so many off-Island and local visitors come and learn about our parishes and the saints of our Isle. 

‘To have such great feedback and for the exhibition to be extended upon request is wonderful, and just shows the wide interest in our Island’s heritage and history.’

Chairman of the Manx Lottery Trust, Sarah Kelly, added,‘Saints of Mann was a wonderful exhibition packed full of interesting stories and we were pleased to support it. The Friends of Jurby Church is a devoted group of individuals and we applaud their hard work and commitment.’