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Norris most likely followed the Benedictine Rule chapter fifty-seven verses seven to nine, “the evil of avarice must have no part in establishing prices, which should, therefore, always be a little lower than people outside the monastery are able to set, so in all things God may be glorified”.[i] The stained glass at Lillington was clearly created without any expectation for financial reward. Therefore, it is highly likely that Norris complied with this since the stained glass at Our Lady’s Church only cost £2,000 (6%) out of a total cost of £31,680. This would appear to solely cover the costs of materials, excluding expenses of labour and craftmanship of the incredibly generous, benevolent and hardworking monks. Out of religious fervour, they truly embellished the Church for the glory and honour of God.
The Church itself was half financed by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham. Our Lady’s Church contributed the other half. Money was raised by regular donations from generous patrons in the parish. The local community was expanding and, so too was the growth of young families. Our Lady’s was almost exclusively composed of this young demographic.[ii] The fundraising period was undoubtedly a difficult time for the parishioners and the parish priest Father Thornton. In this post-war period, he had a commemorative concrete memorial engraving commissioned for the Lady Chapel.
[i] Philip Lawrence, OSB, “Chapter 57: The Artisans of the Monastery,” Monastery of Christ in the Desert (2020) para. 1, accessed Feb 24, 2020, https://christdesert.org/prayer/rule-of-st-benedict/chapter-57-the-artisans-of-the-monastery/.
[ii] Lillington Church, The Church of Our Lady, Lillington, Leamington Spa: A Magazine to
mark the Opening of the New Church (Leamington: Courier Press, 1963), 13.
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