General Background
Representational Christian art belongs almost solely to the Catholic Church and reminds us that this is how people in the Middle Ages used to learn their Catechism, because many could not read (they were too poor and the printing press had not been invented.)
Mary is called “a rose without thorns” because of the absence of original sin in her, and her identification with the rose is represented throughout our church (which is dedicated to her), in the very name “Holy Rosary,” in the overall decor that uses Tudor roses and rose-colored shades of paint, and in specific pieces of art work.
The 20 large stained glass windows on the side walls tell the story of Jesus’ life, from conception to death, and through resurrection, as portrayed in each Mystery of the Rosary. Beginning at the right (south) front wall of the church, the 5 “Joyful Mysteries” are seen in order as we move toward the back of the church, 1 per set of windows; whereas the 5 “Sorrowful Mysteries” and 5 “Glorious Mysteries” are seen in order on the opposite wall as we move toward the front of the church, 2 per set of windows. Each window has certain characteristic art work: “green men” in the corners with gold faces and foliage coming out of the mouth, ears, and nostrils (one way the Church in the Middle Ages reconciled nature worship); medieval symbols for lead and glass in the borders; and some have the initials of priests. Above each Mystery is a small square window representing invocations from the “Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary” or, above the Sorrowful Mysteries, the symbols of the Passion, pertaining to that Mystery. This overall presentation of the 4 panes in each set of windows in the sanctuary makes a large cross by the wood that separates each (5 crosses on each side of the church, for a total of 10), recalling each decade of the Rosary.
In looking at the various forms of art in our church, we are reminded that the Rosary is associated with Mary, who gave it to St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order (which this parish represents). Much of the art work portrays a Rosary, a rose, a lily, an 8-point star (appeared on Dominic’s forehead when he was baptized), or a dalmatian dog, all of which are symbols attributed to one or both of them.
The Joyful Mysteries
The “Annunciation” is always depicted in an enclosed garden or in Mary’s house, in the spring, both representing Mary’s virginity. The Archangel Gabriel is always on the left and holds either a scepter or, as here, a white lily, a symbol of purity and immortality. The dalmatian, representing St. Dominic (1170-1221) and the Order of Preachers which he founded, is in each of the Joyful and Glorious Mystery windows and grows as Jesus matures. The frog conveys the repulsive aspect of sin because of his continuous croaking and the fact that a rain of frogs was one of the plagues of Egypt. The invocations above are “Queen of angels” and “Ark of the covenant.”
In the “Visitation,” Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth (who is pregnant with John the Baptist) after the Annunciation. Mary is always young, and usually on the left wearing a blue cloak. Her halo is often more elaborate. The puppy is with her. The invocations are “Mother of divine grace” and “Gate of heaven.”
The key figures in the “Nativity” are always Mary, Joseph, and the newly arrived baby Jesus. Notice in all depictions of Jesus, He has a cruciform halo (white with a distinctive red cross in it), signifying redemption through the cross. The setting is a stable with an ox and ass present. Here, we also have a shepherd and one of his sheep, as well as the puppy. The invocations are “Tower of David” and “Queen of virgins.”
In the “Presentation,” Jesus is presented to the high priests by His mother 33 days after His birth in accordance with the law of Moses. Mary sacrifices 2 doves, symbols of purity, to satisfy the Jewish tradition of newly delivered women. Notice the puppy has his eyes on the doves, and a rat (symbol of evil) is hiding nearby. Simeon is holding Jesus, and the prophetess Anna, who was Mary’s teacher at the temple, is also present. The invocations are “Queen of martyrs” and “Mother of the Church.”
In the “Finding in the Temple,” Jesus was 12 years old when His family took Him to Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Passover. Jesus got separated from His parents for 3 days and they (standing in the background) find Him in learned discourse with the priests. Even the puppy is listening to Jesus. The invocations are “Seat of Wisdom” and “House of gold.”
The Sorrowful Mysteries
The sorrow and somberness of Christ’s Passion is clearly felt in these windows. Notice His cloak is red, except when He is being crowned, then it is royal purple (Mk. 15). Also, the dog is absent, though his paw prints are seen in the “Agony in the Garden” and “Scourging at the Pillar.”
The angel’s presence in the “Agony in the Garden” refers to Luke’s account that “there appeared an angel unto Him from Heaven, strengthening Him.” The frog is again present. The Passion symbol above is the chalice, for the spilling of Christ’s blood.
The “Scourging at the Pillar” is very obvious in representation: we see the pillar and Christ being whipped by a Roman soldier. The Passion symbols are a broken pillar and various scourging instruments.
Christ is seated holding a bulrush in the “Crowning with Thorns.” This plant grows near water and symbolizes the faithful who abide by the teaching of the Church, the source of living waters. A man is placing a thorny crown upon Christ’s head while a raven (an omen that something terrible is about to happen), is perched above Him. The Passion symbol is a crown of thorns, with a fleur de lis (symbol of the royal family of France – King Louis IX of France build St. Chapel to house the relics of the Passion, especially the Crown of Thorns).
In the “Carrying of the Cross,” Christ carries His cross. On a red banner, we see the initials “SPQR,” a Latin acronym for “Senate and People of Rome.” The Passion symbol is the anchor, the symbol of hope and coat of arms for the Holy Cross Congregation, whose motto is “Hail O Cross, Our Only Hope.”
In the “Crucifixion,” Christ’s mother and John are at the foot of the cross. The cross reminds us of the tree of which Adam ate and how sin entered the world, while the skull and bones represent Adam’s bones, so that by Christ’s sacrifice mankind was redeemed from Adam’s sin. The sun and moon represent universal sorrow over Christ’s death. Notice this window, where the cross holds Christ is paired with the next window, where Christ holds the cross. This transition from the Sorrowful to the Glorious Mysteries makes a beautiful central focal point on this wall. The Passion symbols are the ladder, sponge, lance, nails, and dice.
The Glorious Mysteries
In the “Resurrection,” we see Mary Magdalene (because she was the first to proclaim that Christ was risen) with her long, uncovered hair and wearing a red garment (identifying her past) with a white cloak. She is kneeling before the resurrected Christ, who is always wearing a white garment and surrounded by the light of supreme divine power. He is holding a cruciform banner symbolizing His victory over death won by His martyrdom. The Dominican shield signifies that Mary Magdalene is a patroness of the Order (O.P. is a translation of the Latin meaning “Order of Preachers”). The dalmatian is present in all of these depictions. The invocation is “Mother of our Savior.”
The “Ascension” shows Christ wearing a red cloak over His white garment. An angel is at His feet holding back the dalmatian, looking up toward Christ as He ascends to heaven. The invocation is “Morning Star.”
The “Descent of the Holy Spirit” shows the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove) coming down from heaven with tongues of fire to indicate the Pentecost and the empowering of the Church to preach the gospel of Jesus. Mary is sitting with the dog and 11 apostles (Judas had not yet been replaced). Some of the faces are those of Dominicans who were responsible for establishing the Western Province and Holy Rosary. The invocation is “Queen of apostles.”
In the “Assumption of Our Lady,” the legend is that the apostles came back and wanted to see the Blessed Mother once again, so they opened her coffin and found it filled with flowers (roses here, because Portland is the “City of Roses”). The dalmatian and the state bird of Oregon (Western meadowlark) are present. The invocation is “Queen of peace.”
Mary is on her heavenly throne surrounded by angels and being presented her crown in the “Coronation of Our Lady.” The dalmatian is lying next to her. This window was donated by Mr. John Brennan and the face of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the face of his deceased wife, including the veil, taken from her wedding photo, circa 1929. Below her, we see some Portland sites: the twin glass spires of the Convention Center, Mt. Hood, and the rooftop of Holy Rosary Church. The invocation is “Queen of the most holy Rosary.”
The Altar, Triptych, Statuary & More
The altar and the red sanctuary lamp came from St. Dominic’s in San Francisco, which was built in the 1880’s and destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The tabernacle was installed after the renovation of 1994 and is unique in that it is 2-tiered, with the lower tier containing the ciboria and the upper tier containing the monstrance, with a consecrated Host, which is exposed for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
On the set of windows (triptych) behind the altar, God the Father is at the top with an equilateral triangle for a halo (representing that each person of the Trinity is equal), the Holy Spirit is the dove below Him, and Christ the Son is on the cross suspended over the altar. The cross is made of old growth Douglas Fir (the Oregon state tree) and was donated to the church. Two major saints, 1 male and 1 female, are represented in the side glass panels. St. Dominic is recognizable by his attributes: the dalmatian (this time with a torch, referring to an apparition of St. Dominic’s mother that he would “set the world afire”), Rosary, and 8-point star. St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) has a doctoral biretta at her feet and wears the veil of the laity.
There is a medium-sized window at each corner of the church: the north front window has a coat of arms with a papal tiara and keys for Leo XIII, who was Pope when the church was built in 1894; the north back window has the coat of arms for John Paul II, our present Holy Father; the south front window has the coat of arms for the Dominican Order with a cross, a star, and its motto “laudare, benedicere, praedicare” (to praise, to bless, to preach) encircling them; and the coat of arms of the Western Dominican Province with its motto “God Will Provide” is in the south back window.
On the west wall over the choir loft are 4 large windows, each with a saint who has a special connection with the Rosary. To the far left (south) side of the organ is St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), a great theologian of the Dominican Order and doctor of the Church, holding his book the Summa Theologiae, and a quill in his hand, while the Holy Spirit inspires him what to write. An angel holds his chastity belt because when his brothers tried to dissuade him from entering the Order, they locked St. Thomas in the family prison and brought in a prostitute to tempt him. St. Thomas resisted, chased her out of the room and fell to his knees in prayer. The angels came down from heaven and tied a rope around his waist so he would always be chaste. The ox refers to the name his classmates gave him (“Dumb Ox”) because he would never respond in class, but his teacher, St. Albert the Great, said that someday “his roar will be heard throughout the world.” The small window above has the monstrance with the sacrament because St. Thomas wrote so much about the Blessed Sacrament. Pope St. Pius V (1504-1572) is in the next window. He was a Dominican, and after he became Pope he continued to wear the white Dominican habit, a tradition that is still present today. You also see the papal tiara and cross, the coat of arms of Queen Elizabeth I (whom the Pope excommunicated) and the court jester (Pope Pius did away with the “frivolity”) on the mace. The crucifix with the “moving” feet is there because the Pope used to kiss the feet of Jesus on the cross when he prayed. When some of the Pope’s enemies tried to assassinate him by placing poison on the feet, the feet of Jesus would miraculously move so as not to poison the Pope. Above is the Battle of Lepanto where the Christians overcame the Ottoman Turks (October 7, 1571), the day commemorated as the Feast of Holy Rosary. The Pope attributed this victory to the praying of the Rosary. St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716) is to the right of the organ (which is adorned in 24 karat gold). He was a diocesan priest but also a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He was a carver, so you see the symbols of carving and the walking stick with the image of Mary he carved on top, and he was a preacher, so you see a pulpit. He is wearing a simple cassock with the sash and rabat, the two white tabs, which is the symbol of the French clergy. The representation of Calvary above reminds us of the many outdoor Calvaries he built. On the far right is St. Alan de la Roche (1428-1479). You see a printing press because of the things he published, and a lectern where he wrote. The scroll represents a listing of people who belong to the Rosary Confraternity, which he founded. Above is the Blessed Mother, who appeared to him in a vision.
The clear beveled glass in the inner entrance doors has the 8-point star of St. Dominic, and the glass in the Rosary Shrine (south center wall) has “AM” for “Ave Maria” engraved in them. In the Rosary Shrine, Mary is seated with her infant Son and give the Rosary to St. Dominic, while the dog (with torch) observes. A rosary encircles the chandelier above, and our church is marked on the globe at her feet.
The two statues in the front of the church show, on the right, St. Joseph holding his infant Son, and on the left, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. By the main entrance are statues of St. Jude and Our Lady of Fatima, with “The Pieta” in the back north corner, which serves as a quasi-mortuary chapel where coffins are placed while in the church. St. Martin de Porres (1519-1639), dedicated to the service of the poor, is in the niche near the bronze slots in the north wall for the “Dominican Student Fund” and “Donations for the Poor.”
The bas reliefs over the statues on either side of the altar are: on the left, Our Lady giving St. Dominic the Rosary with St. Catherine of Siena present, and on the right, the death of St. Joseph (“Patron of Good Death”) with Jesus, Mary, and the angels present. The Stations of the Cross are also bas reliefs, 7 on each side.
The Baptism of St. Dominic is portrayed in the wall mural by the baptismal font. His godmother is holding him, and his mother, father, and 2 brothers are present. The ceramic basin of the font has a black and white 8-point star that is also portrayed in the metal cover to the basin and the star on top. The wooden edge of the font reads “Ego te baptizio in nomine Patris, et Filii et Spiritus Sancti” (I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit), and is done in marquetry. The 12 sconce crosses around the sanctuary represent the apostles as well as the gates of Jerusalem and are lit on special days such as January 28th, the dedication day of our church. The crossed keys over the confessionals indicate Christ’s words to St. Peter “...and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven...” when He gave St. Peter the keys to heaven.
Outside, over the main entrance, the Blessed Mother in heaven shows St. Dominic her great love for the Order when she opens her mantle to reveal all the Dominicans inside. Over the side entrance, the bronze bas relief represents Sts. Dominic and Francis (1181-1226) meeting in Rome. The dog (with torch) is standing where the 1993 fire began at Holy Rosary with the date above it.