At St. Catherine’s the first gateway beckons the wider world into a new experience of God’s grace. It calls us together to become a community gathered and empowered by God.     
Approaching the church, the Native American tapestry[1] (visible from outside), which draws upon the woodland tribal experience, depicts the wisdom of the elders.  This is a wisdom given to the native peoples and according to their beliefs a gift for all humanity.  A gift given to teach us how to live in balanced harmony with the powers governing our earth mother.  Placed in the first gateway, this traditional blanket art reminds us that we as a church are a communion of world traditions.  United in Christ, the world is invited to share in a universal wisdom offering the hope of a “new heavens and a new earth”.
 


 Lucia “the heralding angel”[2] is a bronze sculpture calling us to worship with the sound of the shofar, the rams horn used by ancient Israel.  Adjacent to Lucia is a round circular gathering area embedded in the ground called the “Place of the Sacred Fire.”  The community gathers here at the Easter Vigil to renounce evil, bless the fire, and light the great Paschal Candle.  The flame of the Paschal Candle reminds us of the pillar of fire that led Israel out of slavery.
 


In the shadow of the cross, the doors of the gateway, branded with the alpha and omega[3], proclaim that Christ is the beginning and end of our sacred journey. 
Abraham and Sarah, the founders of our faith life, stand on either side of the gateway doors to welcome both the faithful and the prodigal into a rich spiritual family.  In the words of the artist,[4]  “The images are large and created in sepia tones on antique clear glass which give the impression of a family’s living memories.”   The act of coming together, united to our memories, brings to life our ancestors who welcome us with joy for “God is not a God of the dead but of the living.” 

In the stained glass windows Sarah is depicted holding bread which becomes a central image in our faith journey.  She prepared bread for the angels when she was told of the promise of a son even in her old age.  Abraham offered the bread to the priest Melchizedek as a tithe to God which prefigured our gifts at the Eucharist.  Most importantly for us, bread becomes flesh and is offered to us as our eternal spiritual food.  Filled with these images, we realize we are being gathered together as one family around the Lord’s Table to share in the Bread of Life.  In this act we too give birth to the hope of a new future.
 
After passing through these gateway doors we enter the Narthex.  In this space we join together; sharing greetings and grace as we gather to celebrate and grow as the Body of Christ.    As part of this gathering, we remember the poverty of our world.  The icons[5] of St. Vincent DePaul, Blessed Frederick Ozanam, and Blessed Rosalie Rendu call us to forget not the least of God’s children.  The grouping of five icons of St. Catherine of Siena helps us reflect on the life of our patroness.  Each icon depicts a particular dimension of her vocation.  Artist Donna Rathert wrote the icons to image Catherine as Doctor of the Church, visionary mystic, ecclesial woman, promoter of peace and example of compassion.