When the Knights of the Southern Cross took on the restoration of the statue of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux at St Therese’s, Kennington, they soon realised the task would be more than just a paint job. It became a labour of love rekindling old connections and honouring a legacy, writes Kevin Lane.

When the Knights of the Southern Cross took on the restoration of the statue of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux at St Therese’s, Kennington, they soon realised the task would be more than just a paint job. It became a labour of love rekindling old connections and honouring a legacy, writes Kevin Lane. 

By Kevin Lane

The statue of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux at St Therese’s Church in Kennington was urgently in need of some tender loving care, having been subjected to the elements for a number of years.

Members of the Knights of the Southern Cross Bendigo Branch undertook the task of bringing the statue back to its required appearance. Eddie Davies and Kevin Egan, both members of the Knights, who had previously worked on restoring the Grotto of the Crucifixion at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, set about removing a lot of shrubbery surrounding the statue, revealing the statue’s intended prominence by the entrance to the Church.

Eddie and Kevin scraped and sanded back the peeling paint in preparation for major restoration of the paintwork. The issue now arose as to how best to complete the task, given its height and the delicate work required.

As it happened, Kevin Stevenson, a member of the Knights of the Southern Cross for 59 years, a long-term and active St Therese’s parishioner, and a painter by trade, had passed away in November 2024. Serendipitously, the Knights contacted Kevin’s son, Glenn Stevenson, seeking permission to form a Guard of Honour at his father’s funeral at St Therese’s Church. They learned that Glenn had taken over his father’s painting business and was fully aware of his father’s long-term involvement within the Knights and St Therese’s Parish.

In February, the Knights approached Glenn to see if he would paint the statue, as the job required a specialist who would know what products to use. The Knights offered to pay for the paint.

Glenn generously agreed to paint the statue at no cost to the Knights in memory of his father’s involvement with the Knights and his family’s close connection with St Therese’s Parish.

Glenn completed the task in March 2025, with the thanks of Fr Jake Mudge, Parish Priest of St Therese’s, all members of the Knights of the Southern Cross Bendigo Branch and the parishioners of St Therese’s.

On 17 May it will be 100 years since St Thérèse of Lisieux was canonised by Pope Pius XI at St Peter's Basilica, so the restoration of her image at St Therese’s Kennington is timely indeed.

Image above:
[L-R] Kevin Lane; Petra Teggelove, Principal of St Therese’s School; Glenn Stevenson; Kevin Egan and Fr Jake Mudge, Parish Priest.