St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia held a recital and choral evensong for the feast of St. Luke.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Oct. 14, the church said the event was held on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 3:15 p.m.

According to the church’s post, the organ recital was held by Frederick Teardo, director of music and music by John Cook, Louis Vierne, Dudley Buck, and Max Reger.

The church, meanwhile, said at 4 p.m. the choral evensong was held by the Reverend Elizabeth, and music by Eleanor Daley, Richard Ayleward, Bryan Kelly, and Philip Moore.

It added that a reception also followed in J. Coleman Budd Hall.

Additional information can be found on St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s Facebook post.

Church’s Roots

The parish was reinstated as St. Stephen's in 1870, according to the church's website. The church said the vestry agreed to Dr. John Milton Johnson's move on January 8, 1872, "that the existing name of our parish is changed to that formerly established— St. Luke's."

Dr. Johnson served as senior warden for the restored parish after being confirmed in the 1864 St. Luke's, according to the church.

At the intersection of Spring and Walton Streets in 1875, a second church structure was constructed, the church said.

The church said due to subsequent financial difficulties, Bishop Beckwith accepted St. Luke's offer to serve as his cathedral church in 1880 because he believed it would strengthen the parish.

At the intersection of Pryor and Houston Streets, a brand-new cathedral structure was constructed, the church said.

The church said it was granted official parish status once again in 1894.

In this time of persistent financial difficulties, the clergy and vestry's steadfast leadership stood out, according to the church.

Stained Glass Windows

The stained glass windows took 60 years to install and were created from a master plan, the church said.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church said they are the creations of three stained glass companies: Willet Stained Glass Co. of Philadelphia; Heaton, Butler, and Bayne Co. of England; and Franz Mayer and Co. of Germany, famed for their red and deep purple colors.

From Christ's birth through his ascension, the windows depict key moments in his life, according to the church.

The church said each larger aisle window below it tells a story from the Old Testament that is related to the event in Christ's life that is depicted above it.

When the current structure was constructed, the Ascension Window close to the pulpit was relocated from the third church location, the church said.

A smaller window known as Chorus of Cherubim was also relocated and it is currently found in the Bell Tower hallway, it added.

The "Christ as the Good Shepherd" mural above the altar was painted by renowned muralist Edwin Howland Blashfield and put in place in 1913, the church said.

It said Helen Turman, who was referred to Blashfield and flew to New York to speak with him, was the first to make an effort to fill the empty space above the altar.

The mural is still regarded as significant as a superb piece of art and a representation of the visual arts in early 20th-century Atlanta, according to the church.