The Apse of a Church traditionally represents the bosom  of the Father from which all things come  and to which all things return. Therefore, it is appropriate that the image of Christ in Glory be placed there. Christ is the one who comes from the Father and having blessed the world with every spiritual blessing, returns to the Father .  Next to Christ will be placed the Mother of God who gave birth to Christ, and John the Baptist who witnessed to Him and made Him known. St Patrick, the Martyr Oliver Plunkett and Blessed Columba Marmion will be placed next to John the Baptist. On the other side, next to the Mother of God there will be images of Saints Columbanus and Bridget.

On the left hand side of the Arch, we will place an angel in an attitude of ‘deisis’ and behind him the branches of an oak tree. The tree will call to mind the oak of  St Bridget and the Old Testament Oak of  Mamre.

On the right arch, another Irish symbol, the well of St Patrick will be depicted. This bottomless well will call to mind the open door leading from purgatory to heaven. Traditionally iconography linked in a theological unity the opening of the heavenly gate, the open side of  the crucified Christ and the Gate of Jerusalem. Just as purgatory brings purification through suffering, so the well may be seen in a similar way as an abyss which does not end in nothingness but reaches the fountain which is not only the source of the pure waters coming from the breast of the Lord but also the passage to eternal life, to the communion of the love of God.  In this context we could place a reference to the Ragheed Ganni, a past student of the College who suffered martyrdom in Iraq in 2007.     

In the centre of the Chapel, on the right wall it would be appropriate to place a mountain scene with a symbolic bell which scatters the serpents and the impure which in turn could be imposed on a representation of Christ liberating the man possessed by an impure spirit. 

On the windows, we could place artistic inscriptions of phrases from scripture inspired by the mosaic and poetic phrases from the Irish tradition which show how the Word was inculturated in the history of Ireland.  

The mosaic will emphasise aspects of sacramental theology and ecclesiology which inspire the faithful.  The Eucharist disrupts history opening the space and the mentality of the seven days on the eight day. The eight day is released from the logic of time and enters eternity.  The Eucharist is an universal synthesis in which a face to face encounter takes place between the Church glorified in Christ and the pilgrim Church in history.  By placing the saints in the apse, the synthesis between the Irish Church glorified in Christ and the Irish still walking in history with the Church is becomes evident during the celebration of the liturgy.

As the Eucharist makes the paschal mystery explicit and the Eucharistic bread makes Calvary present, so also the symbol of the well represents the open door through the side of Christ.  The people gathered in assembly find strength and is spiritually reinforced and instructed by the tradition already understood in a spiritual fashion by their own Church.  This tradition is connected to and grows from the Word of God and together with the Word. Not only that.  This word had found expression in  images from its own tradition which can promote the desire to seek what is good and to renounce evil so as to adhere more fully to that good which is the Face of  Christ, the love of God the Father.