The cover was embroidered in 1997 by a Carmelite nun at the Carmelite Priory at Quidenham, Norfolk.
Symbolism in the images include:
Bamboo, shown growing from the barbed wire of the camps, symbolises gracefulness, constancy, yielding but enduring strength and longevity.
Sparrows, are often depicted with bamboo to signify friendship
Butterfly, standing for the soul and immortality
Flowers, orchids signify harmony, refinement, love and beauty; chrysanthemums longevity and happiness, while red and white together signify death.
Dove, bearing an olive branch symbolises peace
Barbed wire, here shown cut to denote freedom
Carved by Gerald Adams, a parishioner, it has the legend “There is a time for everything and a time for every purpose; a time for war, a time for peace” carved around the edge. With bamboo and barbed wire in the background, the church’s dedication to FEPOWs is recalled.
