back
link to photo's of windows
Some
time ago, when ago Bob Wyatt was guest speaker at St. John’s, he pointed out
the beautiful stained-glass windows in our church. He stated that centuries
ago in England worshippers were often illiterate and stained-glass windows
represented scripture lessons from the Holy Bible.
St.
John’s is blessed by so many family members of deceased parishioners, who
have placed eleven priceless windows in the church, including two stunning
Tiffany windows.
When we
enter the vestibule inside the main entrance, to our left, the "Lamb of God”
window with Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, stand out in all its glory.
That valuable window represents a memorial to Benjamin G. Clarke and was
installed when the church was constructed. It is the largest of the church
windows.
Five
additional windows surround the pews to the left as we enter the nave. The
first window, depicting Jesus Christ with children, is a memorial to Robert
and Daisy Dodd. Next the Lord blesses us with a small lamb at his side.
This window is in memory of William and Catherine Blunt. The third window
represents the Lord’s crucifixion and is a tribute to Peter and Stephina
Polakovic, Mary Levandusky’s parents. Fourth is the resurrection of the
Lord in memory of John and Esther James. The fifth window on the left side,
which depicts the Lord as he appears to his disciples on the road to
Emmaus, was placed in honor of Alice Flynn.
Now
return to the entrance isle and look to the right, where the young Jesus
appears in the temple, and you see the names John and Anna Hallas. The
second window, the Lord’s Nativity, is in memory of Maria Karnas Sturdik,
the mother of Mary, Madeline, Bozena and Stephen Sturdik and the grandmother
of our secretary, Margo Ashner. Next, the annunciation by the angel Gabriel
to the Virgin Mary, is a memorial to another Mary (Potisk) and Frank Potisk,
parents of Stephanie and Mary Potisk.
The Rev.
George McKinley is remembered to the left of the altar in the sanctuary.
This beautiful window, “St. Luke the Beloved Physician”, honors Alice
McKinley’s father-in-law, who was the church’s long-time beloved rector.
Finally,
above the altar is the “Christ With Angels,” an original Tiffany window
placed as a tribute to the wife of Stephen S. Palmer, the builder of the
church in 1906. Unfortunately, most of the hand-carved reredos covers the
Palmer name across the bottom of the window. Worshippers in the pews at
times have experienced a spiritual Epiphany as the sun radiates through the
nearby stained glass, almost like flash-bulbs lighting the windows.
The
beauty of the stained-glass colors represent a very special journey of Bible
stories surrounding us at St. John’s.
Gerry Eisenbach