Golden1 sent these shots that really take me back. This is San Leone, who is paraded around Kalamunda by the Italian catholic community in a ceremony that goes way back to – well, Italy. In the 1970′s he was imported (assumedly at massive cost), and installed in the tiny chapel at Mary’s Mount Primary School, much to the horror of non Italian types. (He did rather tend to dominate proceedings). Unfortunately the Italian craftsmen had not been appraised of the subtlety of Aussie hand gestures, and the sad eyed saint originally appeared to be giving an insouciant two fingered salute to the congregation. The whole thing had to be crated back to the motherland to have the digits “remastered” to what you can see now. San Leone can now be seen in the main catholic church in kalamunda, or once a year touring the streets. More power to him I say. At least it is some attempt to make Kalamunda interesting. Go for it man! I do think your original hand was superior though.
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Awww, what a shame there’s no photo of the original gesture…
I did the last couple of years of high school in Kalamunda – that thing was ugly.
Good pick.
After 5 years bumming around Italy I’m still appalled at the sheer grotesqueness of so much of the roman church’s religious paraphernalia. Stand alone examples like this really emphasise the tattiness of it all.
It’s like he has just indicated to the drummer ‘Hit it!’
The gold shoes are a nice touch, – There’s no place like heaven, there’s no place like heaven.
Rolly, I like the saints who got good tabloid deaths, pincushioned with arrows etc. They look good in those Italian Churches.
You are so right meccano – I bet he has a Tony Bennett sort of voice. He looks as if he is about to launch into “Mac the Knife”
LA, what about all those images of failed open heart surgery?
It looks so easy when Jesus does open heart surgery on himself Rolly.
Meccano. With the original hand it was more like “Meh, Fuck yourselves, – Or not. I could care less.
whatever he is thinking he is not happy, I don’t remember him looking so forlorn. Maybe no-one has kissed his ring in a while.
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that statue is actually in the holy family parish church in kalamunda
Don’t I say that?