“The Incredulity of Saint Thomas and the Bishop Saint Magnus”, Cima da Conegliano, 1504-1505, Gallerie dell’ Accademia, Venice.
This commission came from a guild of builders. The association of St Thomas with builders derives from the account of his missionary activity in India given in the Golden Legend and elsewhere. St Thomas is on the left, and the Bishop, St Magnus, the 7th century Bishop of nearby Oderzo, is on the right. This bishop was also associated with building and was the patron saint of the guild. This altarpiece was for the Venetian Church of Santa Maria Formosa, said to be the first of the city’s churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The story was that in the 7th Century, Bishop Magnus had a vision of a very beautiful Virgin Mary (hence “formosa” meaning most beautiful ), who told him to build her a church in a location, which would be shown by a white cloud. And so he did. The Church of Santa Maria Formosa had been rebuilt in 1492 by the eminent architect, Mauro Codussi, and the architectural frame under which the three figures stand echoes his style of architecture. The strong light that cuts through from the left emphasises this solid three dimensional architectural frame, as do the shadows cast by the three figures. We see Thomas as the Apostle who doubted and who was last to believe in the resurrection. But, in this image it is Christ who guides his hand to the wound. In our embrace of the faith of the Apostles ,Christ’s hand is also at work . St Thomas pray for us!
The Catholic Chaplaincy serves the students and staff of the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University.
The Catholic Chaplaincy is also a parish of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh (the Parish of St Albert the Great) and all Catholic students and staff are automatically members of this parish.
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