Jessica gratefully received a divine endorsement in the form of an open-ended commission from St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church shortly after her graduation from the Royal School of Needlework. Old St. Mary’s, as she is now famously known, is the third-oldest Roman Catholic parish in Detroit, Michigan (It’s full name is Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception.) For many years, Trip Advisor has reported that Old St. Mary’s is consistently voted one of the top ten ‘architectural gems’ in Detroit and is a stop on many tours of Detroit.
Old St. Mary’s parish, founded in 1834, acquired the land on which to build its church in 1841 from Antoine Beaubien and his wife Monica, two of Detroit’s most renowned French settlers for sum of one dollar. That first church was quickly outgrown as more European immigrants flowed into the area. The current structure was built on the same site in 1885. It combines facets of Pisan Romanesque and Venetian Renaissance to create a unique and beautiful structure. The twin towers of the west façade frame a large rose window. The spacious, elegant interior is emphasized by elaborate appointments in fine materials: solid, polished granite columns of irreplaceable quality and scale, beautiful paintings depicting the seven Sacraments and the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary, richly painted vaulted ceilings, carved wood high altar trimmed in gilt from the original church, walls adorned with soft colors, delicate tracery on its stained-glass windows and statuary more than a century old. http://oldstmarysdetroit.com/panotour/
After the turn of the nineteenth century, Old St. Mary’s became known as the “Church of the Grottos,” as three anterooms adjacent to the main interior were converted into ‘grottos’ enacting various religious scenes.
Once Jessica entered Old St. Mary’s, she immediately recognized through her own innate artistic sensibilities, honed by years of travel and study, the history, delicacy and gravity related to the tasks at hand. Historic textiles, based on the colors embodied in the liturgical calendar that required proper repair and preservation techniques included silk vestments, brocade altar cloths, and a richly embroidered ‘baldacchino’ (canopy used in Eucharistic processions to create sacred space) inspired Jessica to bring care, confidence and her Grandmother’s clear-eyed wisdom to this amazing commission.
“She is just a treasure for our parish community,” said Father Wayne Epperley, pastor of Old St Mary’s, when remarking on Jessica’s restorations and new creations for the church. “So many of the old vestments and other linens and such were literally just falling into pieces,” continued Father Epperley, who added, “without her skills and keen eye, these items could have been lost to history. Instead, they are accurately and beautifully restored to their former glory.”
Specifically, Jessica has restored irreplaceable appliques on fine silk chasubles, copes and stoles for the priests, and frontal altar cloths, high altar cloths, linens and tabernacle door curtains for use in the Sanctuary. She also created a new frontal for the main altar with matching tabernacle covers for use through the Easter season using golden Crucifixion Brocade with a white dove applique, symbol of the Holy Spirit, to honor the Spiritan Fathers who have served Old St Mary’s since 1893. For the Christmas season, Jessica created a new frontal for the historic high altar, using classic Coronation Brocade with an applique of the letter “M” with Crown and Cross’ as reflected in an architectural detail of a ceiling vault above a stained-glass window in the Sanctuary of the church, hand embroidered in gold on a blue velvet field.
Jessica has also created hand-made christening bibs as gifts for the babies baptized at Old St. Mary’s. Also, she is working to restore historic silk banners for mounting and framing for preservation.
It is with these talents and skills that Jessica sincerely hopes to continue and share the fine traditions of needlework for the old, young and young at heart. The Old St. Mary’s projects, as well as dozens of other remarkable works, stand as testament to the love and joy of this art form that Jessica hopes to share with you.
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White Lake, Michigan