The Kneeling Rail That Tells a Story

There’s much to love inside the Manakin Episcopal Church in Powhatan, Virginia, from the stately organ pipes in the back of the sanctuary to the beautiful stained glass window up front. But my favorite feature, by far, is the kneeling rail at the altar. That’s because it’s upholstered with a wonderful tapestry mural that depicts the history of the church.

Though the current building was erected in 1954, the congregation was founded in 1701 by Huguenots who came to America in search of religious freedom. The tapestry that lines the kneeling benches tells their story in pictures.  When Leslie Gould and I were in Virginia researching our Cousins of the Dove series, we happened upon this little gem by accident—and we were both thoroughly enchanted.

In a way, the mural could depict the stories in our own series as well, starting with My Sister's Prayer as Berta and Celeste Talbot sail to the New World…

…and face the challenge of starting over in the Colony of Virginia along the James River.

They and their brother Emmanuel, who later follows, would have worshipped in the octagonal log structure shown in the next panel. It features the Manakintown congregation’s first church, built in 1701.

Though I’m playing with history here, I like to imagine that the following panel brings us to the next book in the series, My Daughter's Legacy. To my mind, it could easily depict the home of Talbot descendants in the Civil War era, working side by side out in the fields themselves because they refused to own slaves.

The final panel, which shows the church as it is today, brings us to the modern part of the story, where four young Talbot descendants work together to solve a mystery that traces back to their childhood.  Every time Maddee and Nicole go to church with their beloved Nana, this is where they’re going. J

See the small structure to the far right? Here's a photo of Leslie and me standing inside that very structure on the grounds of the church:

         

My apologies to the creators of the tapestry, who had no idea that their artwork would end up correlating with a modern-day series of novels. But when reality becomes art becomes fiction, that's when the imagination soars!

You can learn more about the church at their website, which is where I found this lovely quote: 

While only a few of the original families are still represented on the church rolls, the strong sense of a community sharing its faith in God and its love for one another is as much a part of Manakin Church today as it was when it was founded over 300 years ago. A unique blend of past and present, the church looks forward to the future with the same strength and conviction its Huguenot founders displayed.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Huguenots

The Huguenots were French citizens who followed the teachings of John Calvin during the Protestant Reformation. Ultimately, however, they were forced to convert to the state religion or face punishment, imprisonment, or even death. In response, as many as 400,000 Huguenots fled France, never to return. A hardworking and intelligent people, the Huguenots have left a tremendous legacy around the world. Here are five things you may not know about the Huguenots.

1. The word "Huguenot" was originally an insult. French Protestants preferred to call themselves l'église réformée, or the Reformed Church. Though the word "Huguenot" started out as derogatory, it eventually became identified with enduring honor and courage in the face of persecution. Once it lost its stigma, the label was adopted by the Huguenots themselves.

2. The massive exodus of the Huguenots from France caused a serious "brain drain" for the country. A large majority of French Huguenots were entrepreneurs, artisans, officials, teachers, etc., and the loss of so much skill and expertise had a huge, negative impact on the French economy.

3. Perhaps because of their own history of persecution, many French Huguenots helped to hide Jews during World War II. In the plateau region village of Le Chambon Sur Lignon, for example, religious leaders openly preached against Nazism and ethnic discrimination and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help place Jews—and especially Jewish children—in the homes of local Huguenots. Learn more about this fascinating part of history in the book Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France (The Resistance Trilogy Book 2).

4. There is an active modern-day Huguenot church in Charleston, SC. The French Huguenot Church of Charleston, SC, even holds a special service in French each spring, to celebrate the Edict of Nantes, and one in the fall, to recognize the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Services are open to the public.

5. You can experience Huguenot history, frozen in time, in New Paltz, NY. Historic Huguenot Street is a 10-acre National Historic Landmark District that includes a Visitor Center, Seven historic stone houses, a reconstructed 1717 Huguenot church, exhibit and program spaces, archaeological sites, and a burial ground. They also maintain archives and a research library.

Be sure to check out my “Who Are the Huguenots?” Pinterest board for more information on this fascinating people group. And don't miss the Cousins of the Dove trilogy, including:
My Brother's Crown (Cousins of the Dove)
My Sister's Prayer (Cousins of the Dove)
My Daughter's Legacy (Cousins of the Dove) (coming July 2017!)