The South Wales Argus - June 1916
ST. JOHN'S MISSION HOME.
Memorial of a Life-Work.
WINDOWS DEDICATED
When Sister Selina and Sister Elise Jane (recalled by the Clewer Community to end their days at the Mother House) gave up their life's work at Newport, it was decided that as a memorial a stained glass window should be placed in the Church of St. John the Baptist. That window was dedicated on Friday evening — the Vigil of St. John the Baptist's Nativity - at a special service at which the Rev. J E Dawson, rector of Chislehurst and Canon of Rochester, formerly Vicar of St. Saviour's, Roath, and closely associated with the Sisters as their chaplain, was the preacher.
The Sisters' Work
Sister Selina, sister of the Rev. Father Congreve, of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, and aunt of General Congreve V.C., founded St. John's Mission Home in March, 1877. It was started at a house in Dorset Place, Stow hill; as the work grew it was removed to Victoria-place; in 1881 a move was made to Severn Terrace; and in 1908 the magnificent home in Oakfield Road, built at a cost of £14,000 was opened. Sister Selina was the founder and inspiration of the work, and Sister Elise Jane was her right hand. Ultimately, when ill-health made the burden of office too great for Sister Selina, Sister Elise Jane succeeded her as Sister Superior. St. John's Mission House and Children's Home is the true memorial of their joint labours; the window is equally a joint memorial.
The Window
The window is placed in the north aisle, and is an excellent specimen of English ecclesiastical stained glass rich in colour with a soft radiance, beautiful in design, reverent in treatment. It is the work of Messrs. Kempe and Co., Nottingham Place, London. The picture is intended to symbolise and commemorate the care of childhood - the great work of the Sisters' life. The centre light is occupied with the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Child, and the outer lights by the adoring shepherds. Above them is the choir of adoring angels. Below are three medallions of special significance. The first is 'The Presentation in the Temple', which is intended to commemorate 'the many children presented by, the Sisters to God through Holy Baptism'. The second is 'The Home at Nazareth', which commemorates the Christian home provided for the children. The third is 'The Flight into Egypt', which commemorates tire removal of so many children from the dangers of evil surroundings. It is a very beautiful window, very appropriate in treatment, and in harmony with the rest of the stained glass in the church.
The Dedication Service
The window was dedicated in a brief special service by the Rev. J. Frank Summers, vicar, before the commencement of evensong, and in the course of his sermon (which dealt with the capacity to say 'No', the power of self discipline, the exercise of self-denial, especially as exemplified in the lives of St. John the Baptist and his mother), Canon Dawson said:
"Many of you know well that I can claim a very long and a very intimate connection with the Mission of St. John the Baptist at Newport, I have been allowed very often to occupy the pulpit. But my closest connection was with the Sisters, whose chaplain I was for close on 20 years. During those years I came to the Mission House every fortnight. You have erected a window to the glory of God, and in honour of and in gratitude for the work of two Sisters who through all those years bore the chief burden of the work, one of whom might truly be termed the foundress at any rate of the Home and the School. I am not going to speak to you of either of sisters personally - the task would be too difficult and too personal to myself This much I may be allowed to say of them: they are women of marked individuality in some ways a beautiful contrast, and so a perfect complement the one with the other, yet alike in remarkable gifts, in power of influences, in organisation, and of rule. These are which are capable of great misuse, and history records how often women who possessed them have misused them. But in the lives of our dear sisters we know what, a power for they could become. And the secret in their case surely was they had the joy and thestrength of self-surrender and self-devotion-of saying "No" to self. They had accepted the yoke of discipline, of obedience, of giving up, of going without; and then, with their own wills surrendered, their own pleasures mortified, their own characters strengthened and sanctified, they devoted their lives to the work of helping, teaching, training, others especially the young. Well may you honour their names, well may you treasure the memory of their work, well may you resolve that that work shall not have been done, and that example shall not have been shown to you in vain".