Easter in Narnia

The Rector of Christ Church here in Bray, Co. Wicklow where I live is apparently as big a CS Lewis fan as I am. With the help of Signal Arts Gallery (which my sister Pat is involved with) and members of his parish, he transformed his church into a living story tale of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. An admission fee was charged which went to various charities and over 4,000 people visited. Best of all, he left the story tale intact for Easter service so off I went with a little gang to enjoy it all over again. Very fitting, of course, since the resurrection of Aslan is at the heart of the story. You can see from the pics that follow some of the scenes in the church. (The outside stone lions and eagles are a regular part of the church.) We went through fur coats into a snowy forest with a tall lantern lighted and then Mr Tumnus's cave with a lovely tea laid out, the arrival of spring (at front of church) and Aslan on the stone altar. Other scenes not depicted here included the witch's sleigh, Beavers' dam, Aslan's pavilion, the four thrones and so on. At the end of the Easter service - which included a poem by Sedulius Scottus and a reading from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (this is a church I will return to!) - there was smoke, a big bang, the altar flipped over and the Lion disappeared, and suddenly there was a great crack in the stone. Magic. (Photo credit: Tara Whelan)