Stained Glass Windows of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

Thoughts by Three of our Members

Our transforming of thoughts and images has created some stained glass artwork that touches all of our heats at St. Andrew’s. These pieces were borne from our hearts and lives, creating a visual tribute to all the wonders God has given us bountifully. It has truly been a metamorphosis, from the very beginning, when we were wistfully thinking of someday having stained glass windows made for our church.

We had finally finished our new part of the church but, because we weren’t actually using the new part as a sanctuary, we needed to think of a way that we could use future windows in the current sanctuary, until the time that we can transfer them over to the new facility. We kept all this in mind, as some of the memorial funds were building up, due to fits given in memory of long-time member of our small church, who always wished to see colored glass windows adorn our church.

One day, after church services, when all were gathered for our customary After-meal, we, as a group, brainstormed on paper or what was close at hand (napkins, even), on drawings and images, or writing words, depicting of what St. Andrew’s, and Petersburg meant to us. We had much input, and with words of encouragement from Mother Dawn, Kelly Peterson went home and crated a rough draft. She crated two potential windows that were 2’x6’. There were the mountains that surround and protect, water where so much of God’s bounty lays. There’s the boat, with the mast so closely resembling the cross. Wild flowers that (even the lowliest of them) possess such grate beauty (Skunk Cabbage). She found a way to put eh very visual religious artifacts in, such as bread and chalice, bible., candle that lights the way, and the St. Andrew’s crest.

Once the rough draft was completed and revisited by our group, it was sonnet on to a fine glass craftsman named Chuck Larsson, in Wrangell. Chuck was commissioned to build the windows, and came back with even more refinement. He was getting ready to start our project, when he once again was in a battle for his life, with cancer. He didn’t have the energy to work on this fairly large project, so he asked if it was okay to pass it on to another fine glass craftsman, or woman rather, by name of Debi McMahon, who happened to live in Petersburg. We’d negotiated a price with Chuck, and Debi took on the project for the same price. (By and by, Chuck succumbed to cancer, but was able to give our project his creative touch as well, and we thank him for his expertise.)

Debi created two extremely intricate stained glass works, far more involved than ever imagined. Through the course of the making of the windows, it came to light that more and different flowers of significance were needed to complete the one window. One flower necessary was the Shooting Star, in memory of Anne Bailey, the elder deceased Episcopalian. Daisies were an all-time favorite of Jessica Peterson, a 14-year-old how died during the making of these windows. Forget-Me-Nots were symbolic for both. To help things along, Kelly Peterson (a church member) helped Debi copper-foil all the smaller glass pieces, and made it possible to have all the more pieces, thus creating a very intricate work of art. These windows touch us with a wondrous awe and are seated in the walls on either side of our altar area. The walls are angled out, and there is slighting from behind, which is the effect we tried to crates all along. These windows mean so much to all of us, it is as if they are a living part of us. It is amazing how these tow extremely fine pieces of stained glass art came about, through the hearts of all our St. Andrew’s members!

The windows at St. Andrew’s open up a world that adds a deeper meaning to our service—when we hear the meditations each week we can gaze upon the windows and the beauty of our world comes to us. We see the inner symbols of the Church—the St. Andrew’s crest, the Bible open, the candle with its welcoming light, the Holy bread and wine—these symbols that I saw as a child here in this room. They held such a fascination and place of awe when I saw them during the service.

Then we see the symbols of our outside world. The mountains we see—the Devil’s Thumb in all its beauty—the Tlingit people say that long ago they used to tie their skiffs to it—the Petersburg Mountain to the left, with the United States map on the face of it (as we were told in grade school). The eye follows down through shades of blues and greens—the ever alive shades of our rain forest—down to the sea—the water in all its many moods—brings things and people to our island and away from it—holding a way of life for us that our people have known for many centuries. Fishing boats—the soul learns a lot from this lifestyle—thankfulness, respect, courage, comradeship, humbleness, love of hearth and home—and under the sea we’ve come to know and love the creatures. The ancient halibut, the crab, the shrimp, the Red Snapper and the salmon—these animals that give their lives so we may keep going. They feed our bodies, they keep our families going, and they keep our town going—Thank you, sea creatures.

And last but not least, the flowers of our land—the skunk cabbage (bog lantern, the shooting star, forget-me-no, the daisies).

Express the love of the congregation for surrounding nature, the light of God, the Bible, the chalice, the Episcopal shield with St. Andrew’s cross

In memory of Ann Bailey and Jessica Peterson. Shooting stars were Ann’s favorite; daisies were Jessica’s favorite.

Petersburg Mountain image evolved from Ruth Sandvik’s request that there be snow patches on the second mountain to balance the rendition of Devil’s Thumb.