Aloysius McVeigh

Sister Aloysius McVeigh, R.S.M., (April 10, 1923 – December 25, 2008) was an artist, iconographer and teacher. She was from Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Bridie entered the Sisters of Mercy convent in Derry in 1940, taking the religious name Aloysius in 1943. She taught art in several schools in the city. She was most noted for the 20 years she taught at St Mary's College, Derry. Initially this was an art teacher and then subsequently as principal. After studying painting and obtaining a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1980 from the Yale School of Art, Yale University, she returned to Belfast, where she taught art at St Mary's University College.^[1]

Sr. Aloysius was a founding member of the Association of Irish Iconographers. She stated that her iconography is an act of prayer.^[2]^[3] She is buried at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church alongside family members in Dungiven.

There is an Annual Sister Aloysius Religious Art competition in her honour. It is open to young people who are studying Art and Design at GCSE and A Level in schools in the Roman Catholic Derry Diocese.^[4]

There is a tribute to Sr. Aloysius McVeigh in the Winding Roe magazine Edition 8, 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Works in public places

Trinity, Thornhill Parish Chapel, Culmore Road, Derry, Northern Ireland 1988
Our Lady of the Sign (Stained Glass Window) Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Northern Ireland 1988
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Castlefin Church, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland 1989
St Patrick, Parish Church, Greencastle, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland 1989
Mother of Perpetual Succour, Parish Church, Clogher, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland 1989
Stations of the Cross, Rosslea Parish Church, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland 1990
Mother of Perpetual Succour, Castlederg Church, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland 1990
Mother of Perpetual Succour, Basilica in Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland 1991
Crucifixion Cross, Poor Clare Monastery, Clifden Street, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland 1992
Annunciation, Psychiatric Hospital, Limerick City, Ireland 1993
Our Lady of Mercy, Mercy International Centre, 64 Lr. Baggot St., Dublin 2, Ireland 1993
Christ, Source of Life, Pantocrator. Coolaney Parish Church, Coolaney, County Sligo, Ireland 1993
Queen of All Saints, All Saints Parish Church, Newtowncunningham, County Donegal, Ireland 1995
Pantocrator, St, Catherine's Nursing Home, Culmore Road, Derry, Northern Ireland 1995
Mother of Perpetual Succour, Church of the Irish Martyrs, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland 1996
Baptism of Our Lord, Strabane Parish Church, Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland 1996
St Brendan, the Navigator, Church of Our Lady & St Brendan, Ireland 1996
St Kevin, Glendalough Parish Church, Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland 1998^[5]
St Coca, Parish Church of St Coca, Kilcock, County Kildare, Ireland 1999
Lorcan O Toole, Glendalough Parish Church, Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland 1999^[6]
St Gabriel, Linsfort Retreat House, Linsfort, County Donegal, Ireland 2001
Nativity, Church of the Nativity, Poleglass, Belfast, 2001^[7]
St Brigid, St Brigid's Parish Church, Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland 2001^[8]
St Michael, All Saints Parish Church, Newtowncunningham, County Donegal, Ireland 2004
St Michael, Linsfort Retreat House, Linsfort, County Donegal, Ireland 2005
The Mercy Window, The Playhouse, 5-7 Artillery St, Derry, Northern Ireland. Unveiled posthumously, 2009^[9]

St John Payne, St John Payne Parish Church, Greenstead, Colchester, England.

References

^ "Sad Passing of Sister Aloysius". The Derry Journal. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^ "Teacher and Iconographer who married Love of Art and God". The Irish Times. 7 February 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^ "Sister Aloysius". BBC Radio Foyle. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^ "The Sister Aloysius Memorial Prize for Religious Art 2018". Diocese of Derry. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
^ "The icon of St. Kevin (Caoimhin)". Glendalough Hermitage Centre. 20 December 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
^ "The icon of St. Laurence O'Toole". Glendalough Hermitage Centre. 20 December 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
^ "The Icon of the Nativity". The Association of Iconophragers of Ireland – Cumann Sanháil na hÉireann. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
^ "The icon of St. Brigid". Brigidine Sisters. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
^ "Sister Aloysius McVeigh- A Retrospective exhibition". Mercy International Association. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

[1] "Sad Passing of Sister Aloysius". The Derry Journal. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.

[2] "Teacher and Iconographer who married Love of Art and God". The Irish Times. 7 February 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2019.

[3] "Sister Aloysius". BBC Radio Foyle. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2019.

[4] "The Sister Aloysius Memorial Prize for Religious Art 2018". Diocese of Derry. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2019.

[5] "The icon of St. Kevin (Caoimhin)". Glendalough Hermitage Centre. 20 December 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

[6] "The icon of St. Laurence O'Toole". Glendalough Hermitage Centre. 20 December 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

[7] "The Icon of the Nativity". The Association of Iconophragers of Ireland – Cumann Sanháil na hÉireann. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2021.

[8] "The icon of St. Brigid". Brigidine Sisters. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

[9] "Sister Aloysius McVeigh- A Retrospective exhibition". Mercy International Association. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

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