default

The Vestibule
Inside the vestibule of the church there are many columns and arches, richly decorated with a variety or crosses and trinity images..

On the left side is the Reconciliation Room that has heavy bronze gates marked with a dove and the monogram of the Lord. Twenty-four feet above the floor, the domed ceiling is decorated with a mosaic in the form of a sunburst. At the bases of the quadrants are the Lamb of God, several fishes representing the Kingdom, a peacock representing the resurrection, and an eagle representing St. John.

Inside the Church The width of the nave from column to column is 42 feet; the height of the nave, from floor to ceiling is 56 feet; and the length of the nave is in excess of twice its width. The walls are sandstone, and all of the marble is imported from Italy.

There are 12 marble columns, one for each of the apostles. On the capitals of each column are the ancient symbols of Christ: a lion, an eagle, a heron, and a dolphin. These capitals were carved after the pillars were in place. These are the largest single piece pillars ever imported from Italy to the United States.

The floor is Travertine Stone, a limestone from Italy noted for its longwearing quality. It is the same stone that was used in the Coliseum in Rome, in St. Peter’s in the Vatican, and in Rockefeller Center in New York. In the Rockefeller building, it decorates the walls; in St. William we walk on it.

Stained glass windows line both sides of the church and bathe the aisles in the warmth of blue and red colors, expertly designed with countless symbols of the Christian mysteries. The windows on the north side carry the words of the Apostles’ Creed, while those on the south side bear excerpts from the opening chapter in John’s Gospel. All made of American materials by American craftsmen, these windows were added about 10 years after the dedication of the church, replacing the plain glass that had been originally used.

In the front of the nave, on the left, is the Marian Altar. High above, you can see two beautiful nave windows. The first, called the St. William window and placed in 1952, shows St. William pointing to an abbey in Mary’s honor, and below him a young man pointing to a representation of St. William Church. The second is the Our Lady of Lourdes centenary window put in place at the close of 1956.

On the other side of the nave in the front is the St. Joseph Altar. Here are also two windows. The first depicts St. Pius X who granted children the permission to receive Holy Communion. The other shows St. Ann and Mary. Here the sacramental oils are also displayed prominently because of their importance in the sacramental life of the church.

The Sanctuary
High above the altar is a fresco of Christ on the Throne. Jesus is surrounded by the choir of angels and, below them, the 12 apostles. In the triangle representing the Trinity is the Hebrew name “Yahweh.” The fresco, a painting done in still-wet plaster, was damaged once by fire and redone in the late 1940’s.

Above the arch is the Annunciation, in which Gabriel announces to Mary that she is to be the Mother of God.

The baldachino (the dome over the altar) has an emblem of a pelican. According to legend, a pelican pricks its own breast to feed its young, making it an appropriate symbol for Christ feeding His people. In the ceiling of the baldachino is the blue sky and silver stars radiating from the center, all made from tiny colored pieces of marble.

Hanging from above the sanctuary is a huge cross, called the rood. It is cared of wood and finished in gold and polychrome. The pattern is English, although the work is Italian. The front of the rood has a figure of our Lord crowned in glory. On the four end panels are symbols of the evangelists. On the back of the rood is a wood carved image of the Sorrowful Mother.

The Transepts
To the right and left of the sanctuary are the transepts. The windows in the transepts carry in Latin the words of the Church’s great hymn of Thanksgiving, the “Te Deum.” The south transept contains relics and a carved oak reliquary, meticulously carved by Mr. Anthony Linneman, a St. William parishioner. The north transept is used by the choir.

The Sacristies
On the left is the priest’s sacristy. Here stained glass windows memorialize the ancient antiphons sung by the Church during Advent, plus an antiphon in honor of Our Lady. These windows were placed in the summer of 1947. The walls of the sacristy are decorated with coat of arms and other church symbols.

On the right is the work sacristy. There are stained glass windows here also, one of which has an image of St. William Church. There are also two copies of paintings by Murillo; one shows Our Lady appearing to St. Joseph of Calasanza in Spain, founder of an order dedicated to the education of children. The other shows St. Thomas Villanova giving alms to the poor. Both paintings have frames of gilded plaster on wood in a well-known Early American pattern.