Three weeks ago, during St. John's celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation, we christened (blessed and named) St. John's great bronze tower bell with the name "Gabriel." Yesterday afternoon, the restoration of Gabriel in honor of Hester Kimpel  was completed in anticipation of his first peal during the Easter Vigil's Great Noise.  As the final step of the restoration, Fr. Derek poured the christening water on Gabriel that the people of St. John's set apart and blessed during our Annunciation worship.  Beginning with Easter Sunday, each of our worship celebrations will begin with the pealing of Michael.  Special prayers of dedication for this renovation will occur at a time to be announced during Eastertide.

St. John's Tiffany Altar Window was installed in 1907.  Thanks to a gift in honor of the Bailey and Kauffman families, this focal point of our worship space has been thoroughly cleaned, restored, and illuminated.  Just wait until you see this window the way Tiffany envisioned it--in all its illumined splendor--as our shouts and noisemakers proclaim that Christ has risen!  Special prayers of dedication for this renovation will occur during a time to be announced during Eastertide.

A festival set of cloth-of-gold vestments for the Presider, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Lectern, and Pulpit--created by Philadelphia liturgical artist Davis d'Ambly and given in memory of parishioner Fred Alexander--will be used for the first time as we celebrate the Easter Vigil Eucharist.  Cloth-of-gold is made of silk threads that are wrapped in strips of gold filé.  Clothing "interwoven with gold' is mentioned in Psalm 45.  The Ancient Greek reference to the Golden Fleece is seen by some as a reference to gold cloth.  For centuries, beginning with the Byzantine Empire, it has been used for the finest liturgical vestments that celebrate feast days of Jesus.  For cloth-of-gold's ability to reflect light reminds us that the "light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5).  Special prayers of dedication for these vestments will occur during the 8am Eucharist on May 18.