Dozens turn out for St. Dominic’s annual stained glass window tours

By Christina Gray

All eyes were steered toward the heavens on June 21 when St. Dominic Parish in San Francisco hosted its 30th annual “Twilight Tour.” The docent-led tour of the church’s stained-glass windows is traditionally held at the end of the longest day of the year.

“The light at that time of day really brings out the details and colors of each window,” said Elizabeth Skelton, longtime parishioner and senior docent, who helped organize the tour which she said was attended by dozens of parishioners and art history buffs after the 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass.

Over different time periods in its more than 150 year history, St. Dominic’s multitude of glorious stained-glass windows were commissioned by the church and crafted by some of the world’s most renowned church glasswork artisans.  It’s not difficult to appreciate the windows for their beauty alone, but few are able to appreciate the craftsmanship or stories of faith and Dominican tradition expressed in these works without the guidance of a trained docent.

Skelton, a visual artist and former art teacher at Immaculate Conception Academy and All Saints School, leads docent tours and is training a new generation of docents to make sure the rich legacy of the church’s architecture, art and woodwork is not overlooked.

“One of the areas for which I have been most involved as a docent for many years is in leading tours of our parish’s world-renowned windows, carved confessional and side altars,” she said.  The Twilight Tour focuses exclusively on the windows at the front, back and sides of the church.

A substantial focus of the tour was the windows at the entrance to the church and over the altar. The massive Christ in Glory window at the entrance was designed by famed French glassworker Max Ingrand. Known for his use of bold, luminous colors, Ingrand played a key role in redesigning stained-glass windows in post-World War II Europe.

“The Christ in Glory window is one of the signature features of St. Dominic’s,” said Dominican Father Michael Hurley, longtime pastor of St. Dominic’s. “Its beauty and attention to detail is astonishing.”

The center of the window depicts Christ as king, surrounded by symbols of the four Gospels. Directly below Him are three of the four Dominican popes (Pope Innocent V, Pope St. Pius V and Pope Benedict IX). Kneeling below the popes is St. Dominic. Surrounding Christ on either side are other Dominican saints, including Sts. Thomas Aquinas, Martin de Porres, Catherine of Siena and Rose of Lima, among others. Also included are four banners – for the universal Church, the Western Dominican province, the Order of Preachers and St. Dominic’s Parish.

The Sacraments windows encircling the sanctuary were designed by Charles Connick of Boston and installed in 1926. The center window over the altar and tabernacle depicts the Crucifixion, with 12 sheep representing the 12 apostles drinking from a chalice at the foot of the cross in the vivid colors that characterize a Connick work. The first window to the left of the Crucifixion is the Matrimony window, followed by Holy Orders, the Holy Eucharist, Confirmation and Baptism. On the right side of the Crucifixion window are the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick.

St. Dominic’s Church is an architectural work of art hearkening back to the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, according to Skelton. Stained glass windows placed high on the walls directed the faithful’s attention heavenward. Because many people at that time were illiterate, the windows were catechetical in nature, giving churchgoers the ability to visualize the saints, the tenets of their faith and its salvific history.

St. Dominic’s Parish trains docents to serve on this tour each year, as well as other special events. Call the parish at (415) 567-7824 to learn more about the docent program.