Tiffany stained glass inspires at Vicksburg church

Many houses of worship have beautiful stained glass windows that serve as a source of peace and comfort to attendees and a visual reminder of the Christ and his teachings. What makes a visit to Vicksburg's Church of the Holy Trinity unique is that of the 14 stained glass windows that line the left and right sides of the sanctuary, six are authentic Tiffany originals that date back to the late 19th century.

“For parishioners, the stained glass is incredible. It is awe-inspiring and it is arresting,” said the Rev. Beth Palmer, rector at Holy Trinity since June 2012. “I know for a fact that the play of sunlight on the windows mesmerizes worshipers. The altar stands in the east, and here at Holy Trinity the windows behind the altar are literally to the geographic east. And there’s nothing to obscure them from the outside. 

“So during morning worship, particularly with (the recent) time change, the sun starts to peek through those windows and continues to rise and it’s almost like a movie. Yes it’s a stationary window, but the change of light from the outside just grabs people's attention and imagination. Of course the figures are religious and biblical, particularly the window directly behind the altar, which is Jesus.”

Though Holy Trinity was established in 1869, the building wasn’t completed until around 1880. That era coincided with a period of great creativity and accomplishment for Louis Tiffany, the renowned glass artist from New York and son of Tiffany & Co founder Charles Tiffany. Louis Tiffany's clients included Mark Twain, and he decorated the White House for President Chester Arthur in 1882.

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“As of 1915, from a publication from Louis Tiffany that year, there were 10 Tiffany windows in Mississippi,” said Holy Trinity docent David Rorick. “Six at Holy Trinity, two at Trinity Episcopal Church in Natchez, one at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Columbus, and one at the University of Mississippi (at Ventress Hall). I have heard of an eleventh window but can’t document it.

“When the church was built, the original windows were clear. The stained glass windows were paid for in large part by contributions from Civil War veterans around the country, dedicated to the soldiers who died in battle during the Siege of Vicksburg. These windows are among the first post-Civil War memorials to promote unity and healing, as they contain panels dedicated to both the Confederate and Union forces.”

One such donation was made in honor of the Collier family of Vicksburg, whose Warren County roots go back over 150 years.

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“My great-grandfather was John Marshall Collier,” said Yvonne Collier Gwin, a New Orleans resident. “He was a member of Company A of the 21st Mississippi Regiment and fought with distinction at Gettysburg and many other engagements in the Civil War. At the end of the war he returned to Vicksburg and married Sally Newman and had four children. One of their sons, Sanford Newman Collier, was my grandfather. 

“One of their sons was James William Collier, chairman of the House (of Representatives) Ways and Means Committee and the first quarterback of the Ole Miss football team. One of their daughters was Mary de Chesney Collier, who died at age 12 — the Collier window in Holy Trinity is named in her honor. The Colliers were founding members of the church, and I’ve visited many times and have always admired the window and the hope it inspires.”

The sanctuary's other eight stained glass windows, though not Tiffany originals, are also of high quality. Among them are four from Jacoby Art Glass Company in St. Louis and two from Emil Frei & Associates Stained Glass, also of the St. Louis area.

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“Tiffany would use opalescent glass, which to me looks like watercolors,” Palmer said. “He felt that not only should the color be part of the design, but the texture as well. Tiffany actually added texture to the glass: Where we have a singular figure in a robe, the robe has wrinkles as if a real person were in it.   

“There’s always a force of light in the Tiffany windows. We have one in particular that’s titled ‘The Good Shepherd.’ There are three figures and a lantern in that window. No matter what time of day or what the ambient light is, it looks like that lantern is lit. There’s no fire in there, but Tiffany was such a genius at being able to capture light.”

The timeless treasures will be enjoyed indefinitely by those who visit Holy Trinity. Palmer appreciates the stained glass just as much as the parishioners and doesn’t mind a little teasing now and then — she knows a few eyes are likely to wander while she’s in the pulpit.

“People occasionally say, ‘Did you preach a sermon today? I was looking at the windows.’”