Evening star., 1936-02-01
CATHEDRAL WORK
RICH IN ARTISTRY.
Ter Sanctus Reredos Takes
Harmonious Form Above
Jerusalem Altar.
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

looming above the Jerusalem altar in
the great choir of Washington Ca
thedral. was disclosed, though not yet
finished, at the memorial service
held for King George v, Tuesday
morning.
Built by the Hlgartner Co. of Balti-
more after designs prepared by the
architects Frohman, Robb and Lit
tie, the entire structure is being
carved by Angelo Lualdi of Boston. a
sculptor of genius equal to the task.
In color soft, yet rich cream Caen
stone chosen by Philip Frohman to
harmonic with the slightly colder
gray limestone walls Of the sanctuary,
the reredos is in effect screen or
background for the holy table around
which the whole cathedral fabric Is
in process of development. The word
itself is traced through Old French
"areredos" to the Latin phrase lad
retro dos" signifying "at the back Of"
For Washington Cathedral, Right
Rev. James E. Freeman, bishop of
Washington, and Very Rev. G. c. F.
Bratenahl, dean in charge of icono-
graphic matters, decided that the
reredos should be symbol of worship
and praise. The theme is the thrice
holy" hymn of the Communion Service
"a song of victory in which the glori-
Gus hosts of Heaven unite with men
on earth in celebrating triumphant
salvation It illustrates the words of
Isaiah: "The Lord sitting upon a
throne. high and lifted up, and his
train filled the temple. About it
stood the seraphim It = and one cried
unto another, and said, holy, holy.
holy. is the Lord"
Epic of Human Love.
The composition may be described
as beginning with small figures of the
first parents of the human race, Adam
and Eve, over the north door of the
screen and a similar figure of Noah
over the south door. Step by step,
character by character, the reredoS
then tells the story of human love and
service for God terminating in a
large central panel showing Christ in
majesty
Altogether, there are five sections
the center portion, two wings on
either side and two fanking wings
which carry the reredoS to the side
walls of the apse. In the arched
recess of the south extremity Is the
credence table, in that of the north
the Glastonbury cathedra or bishops
chair.
, In canopied inches to both south
and north are figures representing
"the unnumbered and unknown who
have been possessed of the spirit of
God" They portray the sentiments:
II was an hungered and We gave Me
meat" Il was stranger and ye took
Me in." Il was sick and We visited
Me" Il was thirsty and We gave Me
drink" Naked and We clothed Me"
and Il was in prison and ye came
unto Me"
Next are two inches for figures of
angels and archangels on either side.
The apostles. st. Peter and st. Paul.
from whom the Cathedral takes its
name are introduced to the north and
the south of the central bas-relief
panel of Christ.
Prophets, Apostles and Mary.
Directly over the altar in a row of
small inches are the prophets Of the
Old Testament: Joshua. Samuel,
Isaiah, jeremiah, Ezekiel. Daniel,
Micah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
and John the Baptist. while above
these figures are the apostles, Mary.
the mother of Jesus, and others who
were nearest to our Lord in His
earthly ministry"
Christ himself is the subject Of the
rectangular entablature, toward which
all other portions of the reredos nat
urally lead. He is presented in an
oval of rays Ct light, with the inscrip-
ton from the gospel of st. John: I'm
the beginning was the Word. and the
Word was with God. and the Word
was God. All things we're made
by HIM; and without Him was not
anything made that was made.
dwelt among U.S."
The entablature corners are devot-
ed to the four living creatures of the
Revelation: THE first like a lion, the
second like calf. the third has a face
as of man and the fourth like fly
ing eagle, and they rest not day and
night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord
God Almighty, which was, and is, and
Is to come"
In the north wing are carved SEMI
pctagona! canopied inches for figures
of Mary, Martha and Lazarus OF Beth
any, who ministered unto the Lord"
and st. Mark, st. Luke and Timothy,
'whose words preach Christ in every
tongue unto the nations"
| The south wing In like manner
shows: Moses, David and Elijah above
and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob below.
I Numerous Other Characters.
Characters presented in the thanking
wings include: st. Stephen Of Jerusa-
lem, first Christian martyr; st. Alban,
first known of British martyrs; Bishop
Harrington of Uganda, martyr in
Africa; st. James, first Bishop of
Jerusalem; Stephen Langton, Arch
bishop Of Canterbury, remembered for |
his part in the story of the Magma |
Charta; Right Rev. Henry Yates Sat-
terlee, first Bishop of Washington.
organizer of the diocese and sponsor
Of the Cathedral Foundation; st. |
Athanasius, father of the Eastern
Church; st. Hilda. abbess of Whitby
In England; Bishop Lightfoot, mod
ern expounder of Christian philoso-
phy: st. COLUMBIA of Iona, Irish apoS-
tie to the North Britons and Scots; st. |
Boniface, apostle to the Germans, and
John Coleridge Patteson, martyr
bishop to the South Sea Islanders.
In smaller inches, rising tier upon
tier. are statues of men and women |
who, through successive centuries, wit
messed to Christian idealism in their |
works and deeds: Cornelius, the Ro-
man centurion; Polycarp of Smyrna;