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About St. Bartholomew's

Snippets of interesting information about St. Bartholomew's, our history, and the treasures to be found both inside and outside the church buildings.

St. Bartholomew's (or simply "St. Bart's") is an Episcopal Church in the Diocese of California (DioCal). Together with 5 other local Episcopal parishes, we are part of the Southern Alameda Deanery.

History

The Episcopal mission in Livermore consecrated St. Bartholomew's church on May 31st 1953. The first church building on Enos Way, which is now our Parish Hall, was dedicated the following year. The current sanctuary was dedicated on Sept 10th 1967 by the then Bishop of California, the Rt. Rev. Kilmer Myers.

The church is built entirely of wood and has a circular design. The round church architecture is distinctive in Livermore. Inside the church, natural light streams onto the altar from a cupola with clear glass windows. A mosaic cross formed by brass pipes of uneven lengths is suspended from the baldacchino or circular canopy. The wooden elongated strips that brighten the gold sheen of the cross, were planed manually by the carpenters who built the original structure.

The altar of repose features a Donald Homan sculpture that symbolizes the breaking of bread to be shared at Communion.

Among the many notable luminaries at St. Bartholomew's, Shirley Frese Woods is remembered for her depth of scholarship. She was a teacher of English and Latin and later Humanities and Philosophy. She became one of the first woman deacons in the Episcopal Church. In 1977, she became the first female Episcopal priest in the Diocese of California. Her legacy of "A Scholarly Library of Greek and Hebrew Studies" is available for reference in the Rector's office.

Way of the Cross

The Way of the Cross is a devotional adapted from a custom practiced by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem. For the worshipper who walks the way of the Cross it offers access through the visible to the invisible mysteries of the faith. One is drawn close to the heart of God and contemplates the unique way in which He has chosen to love us.

St. Bartholomew's is graced by a ten station Way of the Cross in the form of a set of wooden sculptures. The ten stations depict events of Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection that are directly recorded in the Gospels. The wooden carvings are the work of Livermore sculptor, Donald Homan. He drew inspiration from the meditations that accompany the prayers at each station. He placed them in the Nave in 1987 as his gift to the congregation.

This unique collection of sculptures is greatly valued by the parishioners not only as a reminder of historical moments but as a constant reminder of God's love.

Seasonal Banners

The inside walls of the church are decorated by a series of banners made by members of the congregation. These banners represent the various liturgical seasons. During each season, the appropriate banner is displayed on high behind the altar for everybody to see. At the end of each season, the banner representing that season is removed and hung on the wall of the church, being replaced by the banner representing the new season.

To view the banners, check out our photograph album.

Church Banner

The banner carried by our acolytes is rich in symbolism. It was designed and hand crafted in 1997 by Kip West (assisted by Kay Aring and Cynthia Bird). Kip chose a sturdy red felt fabric as a contrast to the burnished gold brocade trims. She added beads and appliques to form the symbols that connect our church to the serene Livermore Valley.

The spinning atom reminds us of the acclaimed Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories. The prancing horse brings memories of the once spacious ranches that spread across the valley, historic horse trails and our annual rodeo. The trailing grapes in light green and purple evoke the sights and smells of ripening grapes from the surrounding vineyards, famous for their white and red wines.

The oval frame held by the Cross are symbols of our faith. The oval reminds us of the whole community of God that we strive for, in union and harmony with each other and the Cross reminds us, as it did the early Christians, that we are Christ’s own forever.