BY SUSAN STEVENOT SULLIVAN

Staff Writer

MARIETTA--The cover of the November issue of Modern Liturgy magazine has a familiar look to parishioners of Transfiguration. It features the major stained glass window in their church.

The window, called "Transfiguration Of Jesus The Christ," was created and constructed by Dale Molnar of Marietta. It won "Best of Show" in the national publication's 1995-96 Visual Arts Award's stained glass category.

The 16-foot by 22-foot window was commissioned as part of a three-part stained glass project in 1991. The window was started in 1992 and installed and dedicated on the parish feast day in August 1993.

It is positioned so that the evening sun causes the face of Jesus to "shine like the sun." As the earth moves through days and seasons the sun's effect on the fractured glass around the central figure changes. Moses and Elijah and their respective symbols are also visible in the uncolored glass. The earthly figures of the apostles kneel in vivid color at the base of the window.

In notes on the window, Molnar describes his intention to convey "a sense of radiance" and an image that can become ". . . experiential and the viewer can participate in the Transfiguration."

When asked how he captured such a spiritual scene, Molnar said, "Glass is an articulate medium with which to depict the Gospel account of the Transfiguration. It's like painting directly with light."

"Dale is a Quaker," said pastor Father Pat Bishop, "his wife, Pat, is a parishioner and he is just as much a part of this parish as anyone else."

Father Bishop said Molnar has done other art for the parish, including large seasonal hangings for the wall behind the altar, one of which has won an award to be announced next year.

"We feel overjoyed. It was challenging, involved and joyful to produce this artwork," said Pat Molnar, who often works with her husband.