History in Centenary's windows

Barbara Rose Rust grew up gazing at the stained glass windows of Centenary Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

When the church celebrated its centennial last year, federal court judge Steve Limbaugh, a fellow member of the church, wrote about the history of Centenary, documenting the church building from its inception in 1906.

Rust was then inspired to research the history of the windows and put it in writing.

"I was thinking in terms of eight to 10 pages, stapled in the middle," she said. "I found out this was a lot bigger job than I thought it was going to be."

"The Art of Centenary" was published in late November by Concord Press in Cape Girardeau. The 61-page book is a compilation of details about the windows along with Rust's memories of growing up in the church.

During her research, Rust discovered that two of the windows are reproduced in a similar way from 19th century artists she calls "the lesser of the lesser known." Her research revealed that Bernhard Plockhorst painted the original oil of "Resurrection," the window on the north, and Heinrich Hoffmann painted "Jesus in the Temple," the south window, which she calls the "confirmation window." Through some searching and luck, she found where the original Hoffmann painting is, although the whereabouts of the Plockhorst oil remains a mystery.

"I was told I'd never find where the original is hanging," Rust said.

According to her research, the two men were contemporary artists and may have known each other. Both painted religious work when it was not in vogue. Both artists' work was used in Bibles during the 1890s in black and white lithographs.

Rust discovered that John D. Rockefeller appreciated Hoffmann's work because he had donated three of Hoffmann's original paintings to the Riverside Church in New York City in the 1930s.

"I started looking on the Internet and came up with the Riverside Church, where I found not only our stained-glass window but a window in New McKendree in Jackson," Rust said.

New McKendree's stained glass window is called "Jesus in Gethsemane."

While beautiful and surely priceless now, stained-glass windows had a different function in the medieval church, Rust said. Since most people could not read or write, pictures in the windows of European churches served to teach the peasants about their faith. They also gave color to the peasants, whose lives tended to be drab.

"In many countries, often the only person who could read was the priest," said the Rev. Jeff Long, senior pastor of Centenary. "Stained-glass windows told the story of our faith. They served a worthwhile purpose, and that gives us a connection to the time when they were absolutely necessary."

The symbols found on Centenary's windows are symbols that are constant throughout all Christianity, Rust said. In her book, she explains the meaning of the grapevine, ivy, rose and thorns, doves and other symbols found on the windows.

"All Christian symbols had meaning because at one time Christians were not the most popular people and had to hide their religion," she said. "They developed symbols to let people know who they are."

Rust's book describes how stained glass windows are made, and how the art form has changed over the years. It also tells how stained glass once went out of fashion in favor of more austere churches. In her book Rust also explains the various aspects of the artwork, and the historical and cultural reasons behind stained glass.

She also tells of her own involvement by adding a stained-glass window to the two existing ones. In 1974 when the church was being remodeled, she discovered a blank window previously hidden behind the choir loft and organ pipes. Through her efforts and the help of others in the community, Centenary was able to add a "Nativity" window to complement the "confirmation" and "Resurrection" windows.

She also tells how Centenary has been such a large part of her life as young Barbara Rose, growing up in the church, meeting Harry Rust in Sunday school, and being a mother and grandmother in the church.

Rust originally had 250 copies made and gave some to church members who wanted them. If there is a demand, the book can be reprinted. The book can also be found in the Methodist Archives in Jefferson City, Mo.

Anyone in the community who wants a copy of "The Art of Centenary" can purchase one through the church.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160