This happened at First Presbyterian Church of South Bend, but not on my watch. My dear friend David (1946-2011), who has since entered the Church Triumphant, was the officiating pastor for this wedding with a charming story attached.
You must know that First Presbyterian Church of South Bend is one of many very large and elegant Presbyterian Churches by the famed Philadelphia church architect Harold E. Wagoner.
“The great thing about being an architect, is that you can walk into your dreams.” - Harold E. Wagoner, 1986
His fine Presbyterian Churches can be seen across the land, and have an gorgeous and refined quality about them that is worth celebrating. FPCSB’s sanctuary is large, and the proportions follow the proportions of the Temple in Jerusalem, which means that the nave is a long rectangle and has a very long center aisle. It is a lovely place in a suave and subdued Georgian revival style. The sanctuary is placed on the city block so that it runs parallel with Colfax Avenue, which means that there is also a beautiful front lawn to the church, about which I have several stories to share in future.
The narthex, therefore, may be reached from either Colfax or from the parking lot to the rear of the church, and directly opposite the sanctuary from the narthex is the church parlor in which the bride and her attendants prepare for the wedding. As was the case on this particular Saturday. Then, when all things were ready, the bridesmaids entered the church one by one and processed to the Chancel down the long, long aisle.
Which left the bride and her father waiting, as the last to go.
As they stood there waiting, the doors to the sanctuary closed before them, the bride wanted to be sure that her long train was not twisted or tangled in any way. So she whispered a word to the church custodian, who had been standing in the narthex out of sight, watching the lovely event unfold. She said to him, “Would you please take care of my train?”
The custodian seemed surprised but smiled and nodded. And then then ushers opened the door and in a vision of loveliness, the bride and the father of the bride set off down the aisle, to the strains of the mighty organ.
The congregation stood in the bride’s honor.
She beamed at them, and they at her.
And proudly behind her, with a huge smile on his own face, holding the train ever so delicately yet securely, came the church custodian, every step of the way, down the long, long aisle!
