The stained glass windows were designed by Dutch artist Leo Reighs. It is the first window of its kind in California. The subject of the window is taken from the Book of Revelation. To explain the iconography in his design Reighs used several passages from this text.

Looking at the windows, the background or border area is designed with green glass. The artist explains that since the entire picture is made of glass, it is literally and figuratively refers to Rev. 4:6 which states: “The floor around the throne was like a sea of glass, crystal clear.”

In the center panel of the window sits “One like the Son of Man wearing an ankle-length robe, with a sash of gold about his breast” (Rev. 1:13). Jesus holds a book with the Greek letters, Alpha and Omega. This was inspired by the passages, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the One who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8) and “There is nothing to fear, I am the First and the Last, and the One who lives…” (Rev. 1:17, 18). The two upright fingers on the right hand raised in benediction symbolize the duality of Christ—both human and divine.

In the top portion of the two middle panels there are four creatures which represent the four Gospel writers (these symbols have been associated with the four Evangelists since the thirteenth century). “The first creature resembled a lion, the second an ox, the third had the face of a man, while the fourth looked like an eagle in flight” (Eze. 1:-14).

Matthew is symbolized by the human face or angel, representing Matthew’s depiction of Jesus as the one in whom the divine and human meet. Matthew’s gospel includes Jesus’ genealogy, which shows His ties to humanity (Son of Man), as well as illustrating how this human Jesus fulfilled His destiny as Son of God, according to the Jewish scripture.

Mark, represented by the lion, emphasizes in his gospel the paradox of Jesus’ life on earth - that the Messiah must suffer and die to accomplish His mission. It is only in the cross and resurrection that Jesus’ Divine Sonship becomes apparent. Mark is often referred to as the historian of the resurrection. Thus, the symbol of the lion, a sign of kingliness and new life is given to Mark. The ox is the symbol for Luke. Historically, the ox is the sacrificial animal for the gentiles. It represented patience, strength, docility, and humility. This symbol is appropriate for Luke as he was a gentile and wrote his gospel for the gentile community.

Luke was described by Dante as “the faithful recorder of Christ’s loving kindness.” His gospel stresses the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus and the importance of repentance forgiveness, and prayer for all who read the gospel. Luke’s focus is on working diligently for the good of others.

The soaring eagle is used to describe the spirit that inspired John’s writing, as well as his lofty metaphorical literary style. The eagle, like the lion, is a symbol of the resurrection. The eagle is often said to be the divine counterpart to the earthly lion.

The final six creatures are angels, who surround the throne of the kingdom. Four angels kneel and raise dishes of burning incense, while the other two stand holding censers (incense burners). “An angel came in holding a censer of gold…From the angel’s hand the smoke of the incense went up before God and with it the prayers of God’s people” (Rev. 8:3,4).

The disk of gold glass in the center of the window below the throne depicts the City of God. “The wall was constructed of jasper, the city was of pure gold, crystal clear (Rev. 21:18). This gold disk also signifies the host used in the Eucharist, our bread of Life, which unites us, the people of God, together as one.

“The angel then showed me the river of life-giving water, clear as crystal, which issued from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowed down the middle of the streets. On either side of the river grew the trees of life which produce fruit twelve times a year, once each month; the leaves serve as medicine for the nations” (Rev. 22:1,2). This river is symbolized by the blue glass shaped lie an inverted rainbow and filling the space below the god disk so that the life-giving water flows directly into the Newman Center, symbolically baptizing the community.

The red band which circles the throne and the red rainbow-shaped band have a plurality of meanings. First, they could symbolize the wall of the holy city, made of jasper as in Rev. 21:18,19). Secondly, they represent wine transformed into the blood of the Risen Lord, the life-blood of the Christian family. It not only flows continuously (the circular band), but also down into the Newman Center community (the rainbow shaped band). The third meaning can be found in Rev. 14:18-20, which speaks of the wine press of God’s wrath: “So much blood poured out of the wine press that for two hundred miles it reached…”

Reihs last citation is from Rev. 21:23 and is applied to the central figure of the window, Jesus, the Lamb of God and the light of the world: “the city had no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God gave it light and the lamp was the Lamb.”

The bronze Stations of the Cross were crafted by the sculptor Paul Brandenberg. Not satisfied with his first casting he decided to discard them and cast a second set. The original set was purchased by Arnie Nybach, an artist in San Luis Obispo, California. The Stations were sold to Santa Rosa parish in Cambria in 1962. Unhappy with their modern appearance, the parishioners returned them to Mr. Nybach.

While shopping for a painting at the artist’s studio, Joy Erro, the mother of Newman parishioner Barbara Marsella, purchased the original set and gifted them to Father Sergio Negro.

The copper figures were mounted on rough-sawn wood by Barbara and, years later, text was added beneath them. The content of the text was borrowed from Henri Nouwen’s “Stations of the Cross.” Dale Oftedal, a local artist, calligraphed the manuscript beneath each station on parchment.

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel altar was originally designed and built in Spain for the chapel of the Most Reverend Aloysius J. Willinger, Bishop of Fresno, for his residence on Huntington Boulevard. When he died, Father Sergio Negro inquired about it. Through conversations with Cardinal Roger M. Mahoney, at that time auxiliary bishop in Fresno and rector of the Cathedral, the decision was made to move the altar to the Newman Center, which had been a special project dear to Bishop Willinger’s heart. The altar was taken apart and moved to its present site where it fits as if it were made for that location.

The original altar had an altar piece of the Annunciation. Father Negro traded the painting for the present triptych, obtained from the collection of the Right Reverend Monsignor Francis X. Singleton, P.A., who had obtained it from the collection of Mr. Ernest De Burger. It is a fine art work in the style of the Renaissance. It dates at least from the beginning of the nineteenth century, but nothing more is known.

The platform, carpet, baldachin over the altar, kneelers, and chairs ere added at a later date. David Frederick, a parishioner, built the kneelers for the chapel.

The two large black, ornately carved chairs were a gift to the Newman Center from Bishop Aloysius J. Willinger, C. Ss. R., D.D., when the center was opened. Originally from Spain, they were obtained in Boston, Massachusetts. The chairs were repaired and refinished by David Frederick, a Newman parishioner, and were used in the sanctuary until 1997 when new furniture was purchased.

The smaller chairs, without arms, are part of a larger set that includes a small sofa, two armchairs, and six chairs without arms. The furniture had been imported by Cooper Antiques, no longer in business, from a village near Father Sergio Negro’s home town of Pinerolo in northern Italy. The set was purchased with a gift from Dr. Patricia Collins a Newman parishioner, was repaired by Elmer Shepherd, a Fresno cabinetmaker, and refinished by David Frederick.

The furniture was brought out of storage in the spring of 2008. Through the generosity and craftmanship of David Frederick, it was repaired and refinished. The sofa and one chair are in the Blessed Mother’s Room to the west of the main chapel. The rest of the pieces are currently used in the Chapel and sanctuary.

The Baptismal font was added to Newman Center Chapel In 1983. While on a visit to Santa Cruz, California, Father Sergio Negro found the 15th Century font in an antique store. Through the generosity of Mary Kay Buckley-Hackett, the font was gifted to the Parish. The pottery bowl was custom made for the font by Robert Schumacher.