COEUR d'ALENE — In the 1990s, St. Luke's Episcopal Church parishioner Lisa Nunlist envisioned two stained glass windows in the doors between the narthex and the nave, welcoming all who entered the church. Her intention was to honor her mother, Laurelie Nunlist, and life-long parishioner, Margaret Shepperd. 

Lisa's long-awaited image came to fruition when workers installed the windows and the church on Wallace Avenue held a dedication ceremony March 1. 

“I was over the moon — extremely pleased with the dedication,” Nunlist said. “Between Debra Lane’s preliminary sketches and refinements, and consultation of a master-stained glass team at Spokane Glass, and the carpenters and workers of St. Luke’s, my vision is now a beautiful reality.” 

St. Luke’s has been a cornerstone in Coeur d’Alene for over 130 years, Nunlist said.

“Much of its beauty is in its simple, elegant, museum-quality Povey Brothers stained-glass windows. They have drenched sun-lit color upon generations of worshipers since 1892,” she said.

Every last detail that went into the design of the new windows was closely scrutinized, she added.

“Every piece of glass — the color and shape — was selected to complement St. Luke’s existing windows,” she said.

Nunlist also shared that Povey Brothers Studio produced stained glass windows in Portland from the late 1800s to the early 1920s. 

“They were known as the 'Tiffany of the Northwest,' producing the highest quality-stained glass windows during the time of Western growth,” she said. “They specialized in ecclesiastical and government installations, using transparent glass to accommodate overcast days.”

The addition of the windows and new entryway doors was the first upgrade to the building in decades. 

“This is the oldest continuous use church in town in terms of original space,” said St. Luke’s Reverend and Rector David Gortner. “The new doors and stained-glass windows are the biggest change to the church since 1964.”