St. Francis Anglican Church Photo Tour

St. Francis Photo Tour

Our church has four buildings joined together on a pretty plot at 3838 Walnut Hill Lane in Dallas, Texas. We are next door to Fire-Rescue Station 35, a well-known neighborhood landmark. Most of the church was built by the parishoners with loving care.

We use traditional terms to describe the parts of the church. The entrance area is the narthex (Greek for the place where the unbaptized had to wait during communion). The seating area for the congregation is the nave (from the Latin word for ship). When you look up from the nave, the ceiling resembles the hull of a ship, too. The area around the altar is the sanctuary, from the Latin for holy place. The decorated wall behind the altar is the reredos (a combination of Middle English and Latin words meaning behind or back). The cross on the reredos is a crucifix because it includes the figure of Jesus crucified on it (from the Latin for the crucified one).

	The altar is the focus that grabs your attention when you enter the nave. Disregarding the magnetic compass, we refer to it as "Liturgical East". Some have misunderstood our use of the crucifix, thinking that we worship it as an idol. It is not worshipped, but revered as a reminder of the greatest act of love ever seen.
	The Dove Window above the altar symbolizes the Holy Spirit coming down from Heaven to comfort us. It ties in with the ship theme by reminding us of the dove that comforted Noah in the ark when he was looking for dry land.
	This is our baptismal font. The tour will be expanded soon.

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