Staff
Team Leader
Jim Lambert
Parish Hall Building Manager
Tim Kolynych
Grounds Manager
Helen Lightcap
The Church and Related Buildings
Redeemer has a church building, and parish hall. All of them are adjacent to each other. The church itself is a stone Gothic structure having a cruciform shape. There is a small chapel in the undercroft of the church.
The building occurred in stages. The first part of the present church building was dedicated in 1929. It was then remodeled in 1948. The present chancel, apse, undercroft, and crossing were added in 1958.
The parish house seems like a single unit to those who use it now, but it too was built in stages. The first floor was built in 1953 but was not given its current second floor until 1968. It contains a large assembly area, a lounge, a kitchen, and a stage.
The nave, undercroft including the church office and library, and the parish hall were air-conditioned in 2001.
Altar
The altar and spectacular reredos dominate the interior of the church. These were originally constructed for the Church of St. James in Philadelphia. When St. James fell victim to urban mobility, they were disassembled and stored. In 1958, Redeemer purchased them for a total cost, including restoration, of $10,000.
The central feature of the reredos is the Florentine cross with the symbolic Paschal Lamb on the crossbar and the Latin words for faith, hope, and love. It is flanked on the Gospel side by St. Mary, and on the Epistle side, by St. John the Apostle.
The figures on the Epistle side, Moses, David, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, represent the prophets before Christ.
The figures on the Gospel side emphasize our traditional ties with the Church of England. They are St. John the Baptist, St. Patrick, St. Edward the Confessor (patron of England), and St. Columba (patron of Scotland).
The reredos also includes symbols of Christ’s passion; vines with grapes, and angels. Almost hidden in the design of the arch at each main niche are gargoyles, which are traditional ornaments of gothic architecture, symbolizing the superstitions and human nature of the craftsmen.
Windows
The stained glass windows were conceived by Fr. Mason and executed in the 1960’s by the talented craftsmen of Willet Studios.
The windows enhance the beauty of the church, but they also serve to remind worshipers about the basics of their faith.
The windows in the north transept focus on people and incidents in the Hebrew scriptures such as Daniel in the lions’ den, Job, Noah, and others.
The windows in the south transept focus on the New Testament, including the transfiguration, the last supper, the resurrection, and the ascension.
The west window at the rear of the church displays the church triumphant; the final day wherein the physical church of this life joins the spiritual church of the communion of saints under the sovereignty of Christ the King.
The windows in the nave and chancel cloisters depict, in historical sequence, saints, sovereigns, and laypeople, mostly from the Anglican calendar. Each is shown with appropriate symbols, such as Peter with his key. Included in this group is the Rev. Howard Laycock, the first member of Redeemer to be ordained to the priesthood, who died in an airplane crash while serving as a young missionary to the Eskimos at Point Hope, Alaska.
Other Structures
Chapel
Originally called the Lady Chapel, due to the epigraph of Mary's own words "My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord" above the altar, flanked by an image our Our Lady and St. Francis of Assisi, the chapel is sometimes now called the Children’s Chapel because it contains stained glass windows and other decorations that emphasize children. The three central windows link the present day to the affectionate ministry of Jesus with children in his own lifetime. Other windows depict Biblical scenes such as Hannah bringing her son Samuel to Eli. The remaining windows depict contemporary scenes such as Boy and Girl Scouts, a campfire, and baseball. This project was completed under the leadership of Fr. Stube.
The Chapel is currently used as a quiet place for prayer, observance of Holy Days, and the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament for private devotion.
You can find the chapel on the lower level, through the office door, underneath the overpass.
Memorial Prayer Garden
The garden is a living memorial outdoors on the Springfield Road side of the church building. There is a bench on the flagstone patio, surrounded by shrubs and flowers. Here one can sit quietly, pray, and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in the midst of a bustling world.
Parish Hall
Educational Space Classrooms and assembly space are used during the week by an Alcoholics Anonymous group, To Live Again (a social club for senior widows and widowers), the AARP for its free income tax consulting service, and other community groups.
Columbarium
A columbarium was installed at the west end of the nave in 2000 as a memorial gift, adding capacity to the outdoor columbarium. There is also a second outdoor columbarium by the lower parking lot. Most Redeemer members choose cremation and burial at the church.