YEAR OF MERCY SPECIAL FEATURE: Whitford parishioner tells of his experience of Holy Door in Amsterdam

27 Jul 2016

By The Record

The Holy Door at the Basilica Sancti Nicolai in Amsterdam. Photo: Supplied

By Caroline Smith

Moving overseas can provide a great opportunity to explore new sights in different countries, and this was certainly the case for accountant, Mark Currell – who discovered among the intricate features of a Basilica in Amsterdam, a Holy Door similar to the one at his former parish in Whitford.

Mr Currell relocated from Australia to Saudi Arabia last year with his wife, Ann-Marie, and daughters, Hannah, Sarah and Rebecca, and, during the Easter holidays in March this year, they decided to visit Europe, taking a break in Holland’s capital city.

While they were there, the family were entranced by the architecture and artwork they saw in the Basilica Sancti Nicolai, where a Holy Door had also been opened.

“Prior to going into the Basilica, there was the advertisement for the Holy Door at the Basilica for the Jubilee Year of Mercy,” Mr Currell said.

“I took an interest in this as I recalled Father Joseph Tran telling us that the Whitford parish was only one in a handful of locations in Perth that have one of the Holy Doors for the Perth Archdiocese.

“It was a surreal experience to have stumbled across another Holy Door during this Jubilee Year of Mercy – the Holy Door having had the same symbolism as the one at Our Lady of the Mission at Whitford parish enabled me to directly relate and feel a part of home in Perth.”

Along with the Holy Door, Mr Currell took photographs of several carvings, statues, murals and other artworks inside the Basilica, a neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance building which dates from 1887 and is Amsterdam’s main Catholic Church.

“The history inside was breathtaking; the intricate details on the carvings and sculptures within the church were amazing,” he said.

“Pictures don’t do it justice.”

Mr Currell initially moved to Dhahran, on Saudi Arabia’s eastern seaboard, in July to work with oil company Saudi Aramco, with the whole family moving in December.

He added that, despite some initial culture shock, the family had settled in well,

“We have been fortunate to have enrolled the children into Dhahran British Grammar School which is a culturally diverse school with many different nationalities being present at the school,” he said.

“The kids had settled in, with many teachers saying to us that it’s almost like they have been here for years rather than months.

“Of course, we certainly miss our home environment, with friends and family readily available, supportive school community spirit, and a wonderful parish community led by the amazing Fr Joe and Fr Renald.”

He added that the family had decided to visit Europe while eldest daughter, Hannah, was away on a school trip, a time which also coincided with Easter.

“During the northern hemisphere Spring break, our eldest daughter, Hannah, was able to secure a place on a school trip to Nepal which involved, amongst other things, volunteering at a Nepalese school that was somewhat damaged during the earthquakes,” he said.

“Whilst in Amsterdam, we stayed in an apartment close to the centre of Amsterdam on the canals.  We were able to experience many lovely things and happened to stumble across the Basilica in Amsterdam.”

 

Some artwork at the Basilica in Amsterdam. Photo: Supplied

 

The altar at the Basilica Sancti Nicolai. Photo: Supplied