The Windows of St. Mary's Church
Crown Jewels for the Queen of Heaven
As the construction of St. Mary's Church was nearing completion, the Rev. Dr. William
F. Brand, the founding father of St. Mary's, commissioned windows to be made for the church.
Being himself a follower of the Oxford Movement, it was not unusual for Dr. Brand to choose
William Butterfield (1814-1900) of England, another follower of the Oxford Movement, to
design and see to the execution of the windows. Butterfield was the head of a prestigious
architectural firm which had inspired the construction of several notable churches and academic
buildings. In addition to his building prowess, Butterfield was also a designer of stained glass.
His only complete set of windows to be shipped to the "colonies" resides at St. Mary's.
To craft the windows, Butterfield chose the Gibbs Studio in London, where three
generations of the Gibbs family worked on the windows from the 1860's to near 1900. Precise
dates are impossible, as these and many other records of the construction of St. Mary's were lost
in a fire which destroyed the first rectory. Upon completion of their work, the Gibbs family
donated the last window - the small window of St. Michael on the porch (the only window which
does not belong to the original set commissioned by Dr. Brand).
As the first of the windows arrived, they were impounded in New York City for the
payment of duty. The membership of St. Mary's lobbied the federal government and a law was
passed which allowed all church art to enter the country as fine art and thus be free of duty. The
task of installing the windows went to a local man, Henry Frick, a native of Germany who had
settled in the neighborhood. He had been trained for such work in his native country.
The Story
Unlike many church windows, those at St. Mary's tell a complete story. Beginning from
the chancel's south wall, and then moving counter-clockwise ending with the window alongside
the pulpit, these beautiful windows follow the earthly existence of Christ through the experience
of St. Mary.
Look at the center of the center window in the east wall, over the altar, and you will find
the source which Butterfield used in creating most of this collection. Prominent in this panel is
the head of the ox, which is the traditional symbol for the gospel according to Luke; where the
majority of the scenes in the collection can be found.
The tour begins in the chancel opposite the sacristy door:
The Annunciation
(two panels over the second reader’s bench)
Luke 1:26-36
The Feast is observed as "Lady Day" on the 25th of March and commemorates the
announcement made by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin and the conception of Jesus.
This day was so important that it was also "New Year's Day" until 1752, when the English by act
of Parliament changed their calendar. It was here the Archangel Gabriel greeted the Holy Mother
with those famous words, "Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you!”
The Visitation
(double widow to the right of the altar)
Luke 1:39 - 56
This feast is observed on 2nd of July recalls the visit of St. Mary to her cousin Elizabeth,
the mother of John the Baptist. Mary, traditionally in her teens, seeks out the much older
Elizabeth, probably to compare their experiences. It was on this occasion that Mary recited
The Magnificat ("My soul doth magnify the Lord") as her cousin greeted her as "the mother of
my Lord."
The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
(triple window over the altar)
Luke 2:1-20
Commonly called Christmas, this is the central act of our Lord's Incarnation. While
tradition has established the date for this feast at 25 December, it is hardly credible that the
shepherds would have been out in the fields at that time of the year. The windows incorporate all
of the traditional characters from St. Luke's account as well as an import from the gospel
according to St. Matthew. The left hand panel depicts the Visitation of the Magi (St. Matthew
2:1-20). These wise men from the east, probably astrologers, were the first gentiles to worship
the Christ. Their visit is officially observed at The Epiphany (January 6th). The number of wise
men is not biblical, but has been deduced from their gifts of gold, frankincense, & myrrh.
Likewise, their names (Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) are borne of tradition and are not found
in the bible.
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple also called The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(front left window, nearest to the lectern)
Luke 2:21-39
Forty days after the birth of Jesus, the ancient Law required the parents to take their
newborn child to the Temple in Jerusalem. This marks the first public appearance of Mary after
giving birth. Before she would once again actively enter the social life of the community, she
was required to make an offering of thanks to the priests of the Temple. As the family enters the
temple, they are met by Simeon who sings a poem of praise called the Nunc Dimittis. This song
is traditionally sung during the blessing and lighting of candles, to celebrate the bringing of
Christ as "the light of the world" into the Temple. The feasts of the Presentation and Purification
(Candlmas) are celebrated on February 2nd.
The Flight to Egypt
(second window from the front, north side)
Matthew 2:16-18
Herod the Great, having been deceived by the magi who failed to tell him where the
Christ was born, orders the death of all of the boys of Bethlehem two years of age and younger.
Joseph was warned of this in a dream and takes his family to Egypt where they will stay until the
death of Herod. The church keeps this day as The Feast of the Holy Innocents on December
28th.
Christ in the Temple
(third window from the front, north side)
Luke 2:41-50
This is the only childhood story in the gospels and probably recounts Jesus' trip to the
great Temple for his bar Mitzvah. This would have been the ceremony which officially admitted
the boy into the Temple as a man. This is also our first evidence that the boy had any realization
of his higher calling in the faith.
The Wedding at Cana
(fourth window from the front, north side)
John 2:1-12
The first miracle which Jesus performed was a very private miracle, as opposed to the
public ministry which was about to begin. Mary is the instigator, having recognized the peculiar
powers possessed by her son. This story is referenced in the service of Holy Matrimony,
celebrating Marriage as one of the sacraments of the Church.
Jesus Carries His Cross
(fifth window from the front, north side)
Luke chapter 23
This window is the beginning to the Passion of Jesus and represents the whole of the
story of Jesus' arrest by the Temple authorities and his conviction by Pontius Pilate. The stories
surrounding this scene are found in all four of the gospel narratives and represent the apparent
triumph of an evil world over the goodness of Jesus as the Christ of God.
The Crucifixion
(the west window)
Luke 23:33-49
The ultimate sacrifice of Jesus becomes for us the ultimate gift of redemption and grace.
The scene pictured is one of the Seven Last Words from the cross (St. John 19:26-27) "Woman,
behold thy son!" The two figures at the foot of the cross are St. Mary and the "beloved disciple."
As tradition believes the beloved disciple to be St. John, the man is holding a book which
represents his gospel. The skull at the foot of the cross is symbolic of the place of the crucifixion.
The hill on which Jesus died, because of the limestone caves in its face, actually looked like a
human skull, thus the place was known as Golgatha, which means "the place of a skull". The
letters at the top of the cross stand for the sign which Pilate had placed on the cross; the letters
abbreviate the Latin, which read, "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews."
The Body of Jesus is Removed from the Cross
(fourth window from the front, south side)
Luke 23:50-56
There are actually two sets of people in this scene who, according to the gospels, operate
independently of each other. This first was a group of men lead by Joseph of Arimathaea. He
was a member of the Sanhedrin, but had not consented to the arrest of Jesus; he was also a secret
disciple. These men asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. It was granted, and Joseph gave Jesus his
tomb for burial. The other group is the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. Since they
did not know Joseph, they simply followed at a distance and watched to see where they would
take Jesus' body.
The First Easter
(third window from the front, south side)
Luke 24:1-12
The women who had watched as Jesus was buried were forbidden by Jewish Law to
minister to his body until the Sabbath was ended. So it was on the first Easter Sunday that the
women were the first to come to the tomb and make the wonderful discovery that Jesus had
overcome death and the grave. With their message from the angels, it was the women who
became the first evangelists in declaring to the disciples that their Lord had risen from the Dead.
Doubting Thomas
(second window from the front, south side)
John 20:19-31
The traditional gospel story for the Second Sunday of Easter, the story of "Doubting
Thomas" is one of the most familiar episodes in the Resurrection drama. Thomas did not join the
others in prayers or in breaking bread on that first Sunday after the Resurrection and thus he
missed the first appearance of the risen Jesus to his disciples. It was not until the following week
that the Lord appeared again and offered himself as living proof to Thomas.
The Ascension
(first window on south side, next to the pulpit)
Luke 24:50-53
The parting at Bethany is the final episode in the Easter story. Just a short walk up the
Mount of Olives near the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, the Risen Jesus now leaves his
disciples and ends his earthly ministry. Only Saint Luke gives us the details and he does so both
in his gospel in the first fifteen verses of his second work, The Book of Acts. In all, we are told
that there were more than one hundred people present for this final farewell. In the window,
Peter is pictured holding the "keys to the kingdom," a symbol which is always associated with
the Bishop of Rome, of which Peter was the first. The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on the
fortieth day after Easter Sunday and signals the official end of the Easter season.
Michael the Archangel
(small window in the entryway)
Michael is mentioned four times in the Holy Bible, two times in the Book of Daniel as a
helper of the Chosen People, in the Epistle of Jude where he disputes with the devil over the
body of Moses, and once in the Revelation to John when he fights the devil as represented by a
dragon. The quotation at the base of the window, "to beat down Satan under our feet," is from
the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. His feast of Michaelmas is celebrated on September 29th.