Read March Catholic East Anglia Online
February 17, 2026
Fr Alvan Ibeh: Forgiving Yourself This Lent
February 19, 2026
The Diocesan Archives of the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia have recently received a remarkable and evocative object: a model ship named La Buena Esperanza, Spanish for “The Good Hope”.
The model was donated by a parishioner who attended St John the Baptist from childhood through to the end of the last century. It was crafted in the early 1930s by his uncle, Edmund Hall, at the request of the Bishop of Northampton. For many years, the ship hung in one of the church’s side chapels near the main altar, clearly visible to generations of worshippers.
It is thought that the model was intended as a visual metaphor for the voyage of human life, a Christian soul journeying in hope, guided by faith, through calm seas and storm alike. Suspended within the sacred space of the chapel, the ship would have been a quiet but constant reminder of pilgrimage, perseverance and trust in God’s providence.
Beyond these details, however, little else is known.
When exactly was the model installed? How long did it remain in place? When and why was it taken down? Are there photographs that show it in situ, or memories of its presence among former parishioners?
The Archives would be delighted to learn more and, if possible, to complete the story of this beautiful artefact. Objects such as this often carry rich personal and parish histories that are not recorded in official documents but live on in photographs, recollections and family stories.
If you have any information about La Buena Esperanza, or images that show the model during its years at St John the Baptist, please consider sharing them with us.
Michael & Gill Hill
Archivists, Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia
archive@rcdea.org.uk
The Good Hope model displayed in a side chapel of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Norwich.
