Remembered Light

Frederick Alexander McDonald (1908-2002) served as U.S. Army Chaplain during World War II. As he traveled through war-torn Europe, Frederick found himself dismayed by the destruction of sacred places, and he began saving small shards from the shattered stained glass windows in hopes that one day they could serve as testament to the sacrifices made by so many. Today, 25 works of art incorporating these shards, along with Chaplain McDonald’s memories of them, have been created by thirteen artists and assembled into a special exhibition, offering hope that such destruction will never be seen again.

This exhibition was made possible by a generous donation by Frederick McDonald as well as the hard work and dedication of many family and friends. Before his death, Frederick worked closely with Armelle LeRoux, lead artist, in imagining how the shards could be brought back to light. He shared his personal memory of each place where they were found with her, and his words are captured on each piece. This booklet includes these memories along with details on each piece for easier reading and also serves as a guide through the exhibition which roughly follows his march through Europe under General Omar Bradley and the 12^th Army Group. An exhibition catalog, DVD, and his autobiography are also available. The exhibition will be installed permanently at the Main Post Chapel at the Presidio in San Francisco CA  following the exhibition tour . 

For more information about the exhibit while this site is under construction, please click here.