Christ Church is blessed to have beautiful stained glass designed and executed by the famed Willet Studios in the south facade of the Fort Lauderdale Sanctuary.

E. Crosby Willet, grandson of the founders of Willet Studio, oversaw the design, fabrication and installation of the Christ Church windows in 1974. He created many windows in the United States, including those in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco. 

The Willet design is distinct from earlier leaded glass windows. The pieces of faceted or chipped glass, usually an inch thick, are bound together with an epoxy (a cement-like substance) that allows the spaces between the glass to vary if desired. 

THE WAY OF SALVATION

The south facade is broken into a diamond shaped grid. Each diamond highlights a key part of our Christian faith. The theme of these collected windows is The Way of Salvation. There are three sections of the facade: Old Testament, New Testament, and Historical and Symbolic. In addition, there are triptychs on the east and west sides of the sanctuary. 

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. – Matthew 10:1-4

THE CHANCEL SYMBOLS

The symbols in the front of the sanctuary represent the 12 disciples. Each of the circular symbols is made of Italian glass mosaics.

To learn more

For descriptions and additional information about the stained glass and glass mosaics, click here for a guide researched and written by Melissa Dore.