Our first commission at St. John the Apostle was to continue the windows on the South aisle depicting the Luminous Mysteries. It was decided to use tinted glass and a variety of depth of colour for the background to the figures, in this way the outside could be partially seen, symbolically allowing the church to be part of the wider world. Soon after the completion of these windows, we were asked to depict the life of St. John the Apostle within the eight windows on the North aisle.

Then in 2010, one of our most challenging and rewarding projects to date was to create the nearly 300 square ft East window depicting the Resurrection. This window focuses on St. John’s gospel and the description of the actions of St. John, St. Peter and St. Mary Magdalen. The Risen Christ is depicted in the upper section of the window and is given focal prominence by calculated use of line and colour to bathe the figure in the light that flows from the base to the top of the window, indicating Christ’s descent to the dead and ascension to heaven as described in the Apostles’ Creed. The lower section of the window cannot be viewed from the main body of the church due to the balcony railing and the seating in that area, but is visible from the outside.  The angels are not within the tomb but used to guide the eye of the viewer up to the figure of Christ and around the window, while the symmetry of the figure aids the visual balance. By treating the areas as a whole, enhanced by the divisions rather than defined by them, by guiding the eye to specific focal points in a smooth visual path, we achieve a window with impact designed to provide a new dimension each time it is viewed.

“Gilroy Stained Glass assisted us with a large scale project which involved replacing most of the church windows. From the design phase through to installation, the Gilroys were excellent to work with. They made a great effort to be sensitive to the parish’s wishes; they were creative with their designs and attentive to details; they communicated regularly throughout the development phase; the workmanship of the completed windows and installation was superb.” ~ The Most Reverend Mark Hagemoen, Bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith. Former Pastor at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, Vancouver.