TWO LISTED churches in the Selby district are preparing for major refurbishment.

St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, in Leeds Road, just off Gowthorpe, has applied to Selby District Council for the installation of a new stained glass window in its nave.

A description of the new window by artist Helen Whittaker, said a number of elements of the Bible would be included in the design.

Helen said: “The proposed window depicts the Crucifixion, set against a diamond quarrie ground, with Christ on the cross as the focal point, his blessed mother Mary to the left, St John to the right, and Mary Magdalene kneeling at Christ’s feet.

“From the wood of the crown a red rose tree, ‘the living rose’, in full flower grows out into the side lights and up into the travery, symbolising both Christ’s martyrdom and the purity of the Virgin, who is called the ‘rose without thorns’, since she was free from original sin.”

The three panelled window will also include the sun and moon, in reference to the New and Old Testaments, and memorial inscriptions dedicated to Martin Ginty, with the date May 2, 1957, and Ellen Ginty, January 18, 1967.

Meanwhile, St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Station Road, Carlton, near Goole, has also applied for redecoration of the building, which dates back to the 1840s.

The Historic Churches Committee of the Diocese Of Leeds has applied for permission to repaint the interior of the Gothic church, retaining the current colours where possible, and replacing paint which had become blistered or flaked as a result of a previous heating system. The application also recommends undertaking some precautionary work to the stone gutters of the external walls.