The saints dance above and we dance below...
|
The Dancing Saints icon is a monumental, surprising and powerful statement of faith for the ages, created by artist Mark Dukes with the people of St. Gregory’s. Completed in 2009, it wraps around the entire church rotunda, showing ninety larger-than life saints, four animals, stars, moons, suns and a twelve-foot tall dancing Christ.
The saints—ranging from traditional figures like King David, Teresa of Avila and Frances of Assisi to unorthodox and non-Christian people like Malcolm X and Anne Frank —represent musicians, artists, mathematicians, martyrs, scholars, mystics, lovers, prophets and sinners from all times, from many faiths and backgrounds. As the congregation dances around the altar, the saints dance above, proclaiming a sweeping, universal vision of God shining through human life. Read Rick Fabian's essay describing our approach to the saints. You can also download individual images of the saints. |
Story of a Saint Series
|
Beginning the summer of 2020, Saint Gregory of Nyssa is running a weekly Zoom series focusing on one of our Dancing Saints. Visit the Story of a Saint Video Archive to see all our recordings and to learn more about this program, or check out the first recording to the right.
If you wish to stream audio of our Story presenters, check out our Story of a Saint Audio Archive. |
|
Find out more about the saints
Click the image at the right to scroll through the names and biographies of the saints.
Our broad idea of sainthood comes from both the Bible and Gregory of Nyssa’s writings. The Hebrew concept of holiness originally had no moral content, but simply meant having God’s stamp on you; being marked and set apart as God’s own. Francis and three other saints portrayed with animals— Seraphim, Godiva, and Sadi—remind us that God’s work of creation extends to all creatures, and that some have known God in companionship with animals or through imaginative and compassionate reflection on the stories of animals. When known, a saint’s feast day appears after each biography. An alphabetical list of the saints can be found here. |
|
