Patchwork Tapestry

One of the little treasures that will be on show during the 120th year anniversary of St Brigid’s Parish is the patchwork tapestry in St Brigid’s Church; this tapestry has hung on the back wall of St Brigid’s Church now for fifty-one years and has now been listed in Bridgetown-Greenbushes Art Trail Booklet.

Father Noel Fitzsimmons was the driving force behind the patchwork tapestry, his vision was it would be seven metres long and 1.5metres high, the concept arising from a tapestry he delighted in when visiting a small church in England.

Father Noel had the paper patterns of the design which was to be used, and he had various bolts of different cloth and the idea to make the tapestry in sections, he was only lacking the knowledge and knowhow to complete his idea.

He asked Pamela Pratico to bring his idea to fruition by sewing, patchworking, appliqueing and quilting the sections into the tapestry.

In 1973 Tony and Pam Pratico were newlyweds living in a caravan in Wokalup. Tony was then working for the Department of Agricultural. Pam took on the task of completing each section and then stitching the tapestry together.

Father Noel would visit Pam once a week to see how the tapestry was progressing. Because of the small size of the caravan Pam and Tony were living in, he thought she would have more space in the convent and suggested the tapestry could be moved there to be completed.

Pam surprised everyone by completing the task in the caravan in three months.

The completed tapestry, a rolled buddle of material was then placed on the floor of the ground floor passageway of the convent, the only place big enough to roll the tapestry out.

How to hang the tapestry was a dilemma and the next task. Pam, Sister Rose, the cook at the Convent and former parishioner and Myrtle Rose sewed loops along the top edge of the tapestry so it could be hung on a timber curtain rail on the back wall of the church.

The tapestry tells the story of the Bible, starting in the Garden of Eden and finishing with the Book of Revelations in the New Testament.

The tapestry hangs in the open and has certainly stood the test of time over the last fifty-one years remaining a colourful welcoming sight for all those who enter the church.

Pam Pratico was certainly someone special. Tony tells us, “Family to Pam was always front and centre, she endeavoured to always involve her family in the farm, work and play and whatever else she was currently working towards.

“I met Pam at a country dance in the Newlands Hall in 1972, and whenever we could we always attend dances. We both sponsored the Yornup Hall dances, and before Pam passed, she asked me to ‘keep the dance going’”.

The tapestry which hangs in St Brigid’s church is a display of what can be achieved by a strong-minded person with a vision, Father Noel, along with the talents and the hard work of Sister Rose, Myrtle Rose and Pam Pratico, gifting to all of us one of those treasures we have within our community.

As an adjunct to the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Heritage Festival 2024, St Brigid’s Parish Council will be offering historical tours of the Convent with morning tea, scones, jam and cream all included at $10 per person. The tour will take place on 12th and 20th April 2024 from 10:00am to 2:00 pm. There will be four tours on each day of one hour duration.

Fundraising from this event will go towards new doors for St Brigid’s Church Hall, which has three entrances.

Because there were no written records on the tapestry, if you have any knowledge of those who worked on the tapestry apart from those noted please contact Rosemary Wells via email on wellsfam@wn.com.au