‘And the Holy Spirit descended like a dove.’ Even though doves are usually portrayed as white, still these wonderful swirling birds have a ‘mission’ so-to-speak, and are on their way to carry that out as the Spirit of God comes to dwell among us.

Made of wax-printed cotton, imported from Holland, the Cope is banded and lined in indigo cotton.  A matching stole was created shortly after.      1972

This was the first vestment designed and made by Judith (Fisher) McManis. It is still in regular use.

Doves are, after all, signs of the presence of the Divine, among the indicators telling us that God is present now and has always been so from earliest times. One of the most important occasions for using Festive White is that of All Saints. Many never approach that important date without thinking about the

lives of all the saints that have gone before, but also about the saints that surround us every day and the saints yet unborn - all part of the great, unbroken chain we acknowledge and celebrate on that Feast Day.

Silk is perhaps the most luscious fabric from which vestments and other church appoint-ments are made. Its texture and amazing strength make it a pleasure to work with as well as to look at in light ranging from candlelight to blazing sun.  The doves in this design seem to pass in and out of ‘recognizable’ - just as our sense of God’s presence is stronger at some times than others.  When all the dove images are visible, as when the frontal, chasuble and dalmatics are all in simultaneous use, their ‘movement’ is remarkable and almost alive. Du-pioni silks used throughout with small silver accents sewn over the seams. Lined in pale gold satin.  2004-05