WHEN the Pope was looking for a gift for the Archbishop of Canterbury he turned to a company near Rugby.
Furniture makers NEJ Stevenson, based at Church Lawford, was contacted by the Galileo Foundation, on behalf of Pope Francis, to design and create a crozier – an intricately-carved hooked staff and emblematic Christian symbol – as a gift for Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
The crozier was presented by the Pope to Archbishop Welby, a former vicar at Southam’s St James Chuch in Southam, in an official visit to the historic church, San Gregorio al Celio in Rome.
The event marked an Anglican and Catholic tradition dating back 50 years, which started when Pope Paul VI met with the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey, in 1966 and gave him the episcopal ring he had worn as Archbishop of Milan.
Neil Stevenson, managing director of the design company, said: “We are honoured to have been commissioned to create a gift of such religious significance and to be a part of this important tradition.
“We took great care and time in the design stage for this crozier, ensuring it closely resembles the symbolic St Gregory staff. This has been an extremely interesting and unusual project to work on and we do hope the Archbishop of Canterbury enjoys the piece.”
The crozier itself is made using polished oak and brass fittings and also includes an inscription of the meeting venue and the date.
It is not the first time NEJ Stevenson has received important ecclesiastical commissions.
It has previously made a triptych, and restored pews and panelling, at the Chapel Royal at St James Palace, the private chapel at Buckingham Palace, and also made six bespoke pieces of furniture for the Apostolic Nunciature in Wimbledon, which were used by Pope Benedict XVI on his visit in 2010.
