Stained Glass Window
The feature window in the St Peter’s Hall was designed by a group consisting of members of St Peter’s Church and the wider community. It reflects many different aspects of life in Hillfields in 2001 with icons depicting the:
Canal
Coventry City FC
Hillfields flats
Representations of the immediate surroundings (the tower of the old church, the Glastonbury Thorn in the churchyard planted in memory of Paul Stacy, the listed cottages in Charles Street).
Religious imagery pervades the window, illustrating the importance of faith to local people. The crescent moon, Star of David and the blue and gold of the ribbons (which also recall the ribbon-making heritage of Hillfields) represent the Islamic, Jewish and Sikh traditions respectively.
The positioning and size of the cross reflect the centrality of the Christian tradition at St Peter’s, which is both parish church and community centre.
The phoenix is a multi-layered symbol evoking local associations with Coventry University and Coventry Cathedral as well as the story of the re-birth of St. Peter’s in 2001. The juxtaposition of cross and phoenix speaks powerfully of resurrection. The beams of sunlight which irradiate the whole window are reminders of God’s love for this diverse and colourful community.
The window is an example of Stained Glass Overlay by Elegance in Glass Ltd. of Markfield, Leicestershire.