Stained Glass
Saint Georges is home to many beautiful stained glass windows. They were commissioned from Henry Lee Willett Studios of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1950’s shortly after the church's construction was completed. The following summaries are based on the transcription of a tour by the Rev. Hedley J. Williams found in the appendix of the One Hundred Year History of Saint Georges.
The windows below are those that surround the Nave.
Additional windows will be added soon.
Rose Window
The rose window is named as such because of how a rose unfolds from its center or bud. If you look at the window and imagine it as the face of a clock, in the 10:00 o’clock position you see the symbol of the cup of suffering. The symbol of the cup with the cross rising out of it refers to the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed;, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, Your will be done.” In the 7:00 o’clock position is the symbol of the whips and the whipping post, which of course tells us of the scourging which our Lord Jesus Christ suffered before he was crucified. At the 5:00 o’clock position there is the symbol of the rooster, which tells us the story of Peter, who said he would be loyal to Christ no matter what happened, and our Lord said, “Peter, before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” Then, at the 2:00 o’clock , is the symbol of the crucifixion: that is, the cross draped with a winding sheet. At 12:00 o’clock is the triumphant cross, or the cross of the resurrection standing on the globe, or the orb of the world. All of these symbols which refer to Christ's suffering and resurrection culminate in the center of the window, where we see a lamb lying upon a book from which hang seven seals. We so often refer to Christ, or the New Testament does, as the Lamb of God who was slain to take away the sin of the world and reconcile God and man. The lamb, which symbolizes Christ, holds the banner of victory which is flying from the cross. There is a three rayed nimbus about the lamb’s head which is the symbol of divinity. The Lamb of God, or Christ, because he perfectly fulfilled the will of God, is able to reveal the meaning of the seven visions in the Book of Revelation to the seven churches. Thus, the symbolism of the seven hanging seals.
Creation and Moses
Around the nave are the windows which deal with the Biblical subjects of the Old and New Testaments. On the Fairfax Drive side, starting near the front, is the story of the Creation. At the bottom of this window the artist shows us the flow and evolving of life, also the single-celled creatures. Also, looking up just a bit, are the creatures of the sea, the whales and the animals such as the lion and the giraffe, trees and birds, and then the figures of Adam and Eve with their hands upraised to the one true God, from whom they came and in whom is their destiny, Moving up the window, there are the stars and the sun and the moon and then the eye of God. Remember, in Genesis, God saw everything that he had made and "Behold, it was very good.
Next to the Creation window is the story of Noah and the ark. There is the lumber and the tools with which Noah built the ark. A little way up the window we find the animals, represented here by two sheep and two pigs entering the ark. There is the driving rain, and then above the ark is the figure of the dove. Remember, Noah sent the dove out three times to find out if the water, the food, had subsided. The first time, the dove returned empty, the second time he had an olive leaf in his beak, and the third time he didn't return, so Noah knew the waters had subsided. Then, there is the rainbow, which is the symbol of the covenant that God made with his people that he would nevermore destroy the earth if they kept his commandments and he was their God.
Moses and Daniel
Continuing toward the rear of the church, we come to the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. At the bottom of the window are the tents of Israel, where the people lived. Moses is shown as though he were on a mountain, because it was on the top of Mt. Sinai that he received the Ten Commandments. Notice that one of his hands points down toward the tents where the people live, as though reminding God that they need some guidance and direction. With the other hand he is reaching up to receive the tablets with the Ten Commandments. The nimbus is about his head, and at the top of the window are the Tablets, surrounded by flashes of lightning. We are told that God gave Moses those commandments while a great storm was raging.
While Moses brought the law of God to the people of Israel, it is appropriate that Daniel be next to him. Although he lived many hundreds of years after Moses' time, Daniel and his friends were very careful about keeping God's law and sometimes got into trouble with the earthly rulers because of it. Here is shown a lion, for Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. Perhaps in those days they had different species of lions, but the artist shows that particular lion. Daniel's hand is shown praised as though in worship to God. The flaming furnace is at the top of the picture, in which three of Daniel's friends were thrown-Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were unharmed, much to the king's amazement, and it is these three figures in the furnace, we are told, that gave us that marvelous hymn that is found in the Apocrypha, "O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord." In the upper right hand corner is a crown. Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and as a matter of fact, served under three kings, and was honored by one of them by being made a member of the royal court.
Isaiah and John The Baptist
Next we come to the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, which means "God's helper." The greater part of the symbols in this window of Isaiah are found in the story of Isaiah's vision and call, which is in the sixth chapter of the Book of Isaiah. At the bottom of the window we see a saw, which is a symbol of the martyrdom of this prophet, for it is thought that he was sawed in half when he was martyred. At Isaiah's call, his hands are in a posture of prayer, for he had gone to the temple to pray. We find the seraphim, one of the order of angels, taking the tongs with a hot coal and touching Isaiah's lips. The stars at the top are, I think, the artist's way of telling in symbolism that Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up and responded to the call and said, "Here am I, send me."
John the Baptist was the last of the prophets and the only one who appears in the New Testament. In a sense he is the bridge between the Old and the New Testaments. The word John means "God is gracious." The story of John the Baptist is found in all the early chapters of the gospels. At the bottom of the window are shown the waters of the Jordan. As we move on up the people are listening to John preach, holding his staff. Notice how this is the forerunner of the Christian cross. The lamb in John's arms reminds us that John recognized Christ and told his disciples, "Behold, the Lamb of God." This incident is told in St. John's gospel. At the top of the window is the portrayal of a locust, for one of the foods John ate was locusts.
Mary & The Birth of Christ
Now we begin the actual events in the life of Jesus. The Blessed Virgin Mary is shown kneeling in prayer dressed in blue, which is her appropriate color, surrounded by lilies, or fleurs-de-lis, one of her symbols. The archangel Gabriel is standing above her. We have seen him before, as the messenger of God, and he appears to Mary, telling her that she will bear a son whose name shall be called Jesus. He is dressed appropriately in flaming wings.
At the top of the next window is the Star of Bethlehem. Notice particularly the special nimbus of the Trinity, which is used on the three persons of the Godhead. Here it appears about the head of the Christ Child, and whenever a figure of the Trinity appears you will see this particular form of the nimbus
Epiphany and Baptism
he last pair of windows on this side of the nave show the Epiphany and the baptism of Jesus. The bottom of the Epiphany window is the Christ Child with the three-rayed nimbus, holding his hands up as though to receive with joy the gifts of the three wise men, of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their camels are shown to the right of the picture and the star above tham-the great star in the East, which came and stood over the place where the Christ Child lay.
The baptism of Jesus is the time and incident when Christ's ministry began. Here the artist shows the Jordan river and the reeds. Remember, Jesus said of John, when people were asking, "What did you go out to see, a reed? But I say, 'You saw instead, a great prophet.'" John is clothed in a camel's hair coat, carrying a staff. The Holy Spirit is descending as John pours the water upon the head of Christ, and the rays of the Holy Spirit are coming down as they do in the sacrament of Holy Baptism.
Temptation and Palm Sunday
The story of Christ's life continues on the other side of the nave, the south side of the church. Here is the window of the temptations. After his baptism Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, fasting among wild beasts. Notice at the bottom of the window the satirical figure of Satan, the devil. It is almost comic, and the artist did this deliberately, because evil is really divine comedy, for it turns good into tragedy. Evil makes life meaningless. There are three temptations here: first, Satan said, "If you are the son of God, turn these stones into bread," and there are the stones, just to the right of Satan. In the second temptation, Satan said, "If you are the son of God, go up to the top of the temple and jump off, and the angels will bear you in their hands so that you do not dash your foot against astone." Jesus rejected this temptation. Then Satan is seen holding up the world, with those beautiful sailing vessels and that magnificent building and saying, "If you will worship me I will give you all of this." But Jesus is pointing to the Book, the Word of God, and saying "Man doesnot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of
God."
If we were following the windows in strict Biblical order, the Transfiguration of Christ window would come next, but because of its especially rich symbolism and it size, we will continue with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and consider the Transfiguration window later. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem is shown here at the bottom of [its]window. There is a woman spreading a cloak in honor of Jesus, who is coming into the city. He is riding upon a donkey, which is a symbol of peace. In World War I when the British defeated the Turks, General Allenby rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to signify that he was coming as a figure of peace. The people are acclaiming Christ and shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! "The figures on the left, holding the staff, are probably some of the officials, who are curious and asking, "Who is this?" because this incident appears in the gospels. The palm trees are shown at the top.
The Last Supper and Crucifixion
It was in Jerusalem that the events of the gospels come to their climax as we move along to the Last Supper. You find eleven disciples, one having left, namely Judas Iscariot. The bread is found on two of the plates, for it was the custom to break the bread and distribute it to others at the table. At the top, our Lord Christ is holding the cup. "This is my blood... do this in remembrance of me." And there a loaf of bread is shown to the left at the top, almost in darkness, there is the hand of Judas receiving the thirty pieces of silver, the money to betray Jesus, and of course satire is shown in the figure, because perversion of good is always done in darkness and a black background, for evil prefers darkness.
Jesus was sentenced to death and in the next window is shown hanging on the cross, with the weeping women looking up, wondering why this terrible tragedy had to happen to one who was the Son of God. The crown of thorns is shown about Christ's head, which the soldiers put on him, mocking him, saying that he was King of the Jews. The nails are shown in his hands and his feet. After making sure that Jesus was dead, the permission of Pilate was granted to remove the body from the cross to be buried in a borrowed tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimethea. So that first tragic day ended and a second passed.
Resurrection and Ascension
Then, on the morning of the third day, the women came to the tomb, only to find that it was empty, and they learned that Christ had risen from the dead. One of the symbols of the Resurrection is the pomegranate, shown at the lower right hand corner of this window. It is a flower which bursts forth and scatters seed a considerable distance. So it is the symbol of the power of the Lord, who was able to burst the tomb and come forth alive so as to give new life and new creation to God's world. In the figure of Christ we notice that the artist has represented his features as somewhat changed, for his followers did not recognize him when they met him after the Resurrection. He holds the staff of victory with the Christian flag flying from it. His hand is raised in the blessing of the Trinity. He now appears as King of Kingsand Lord of Lords.
Next to this window is that of the Ascension, for we are told that Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany and there he ascended up to heaven. They are watching him as he ascends. Notice that his hands are pointing and reaching down in blessing as though he were saying, "After I am ascended I will send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Strengthener, to you." The symbol of the Holy Spirit, the dove, in this window is pointed upward, ascending with Christ, so that it will come down when it is sent upon the followers of Jesus.
The Day of Pentecost &
The Last Judgement
The Day of Pentecost, which is some fifty days after Easter, in the window the people are watching and hearing; their expressions are puzzled because they listen to the disciples speaking in their own particular languages. Peter is shown in the center, preaching the great sermon which is found in the second chapter of the Book of Acts.
The Last day of Judgment. In the window that depicts for us the ancient teaching of the Day of Judgment the archangel is at the bottom of the window, holding the sword to divide the sheep from the goats. The angel on the right is separating them, and the goats are going down into the place of punishment. The sheep, on the left looking up, are going to their reward, as the angel reaches out a hand of welcome. the figure of the judge, which predominates the top of the window, depicts the old medieval idea that the judge has a flaming crown because the last day, the Day of Judgment, is a terrible day. Gabriel is shown blowing the trumpet, for the trumpet shall sound on that last day. At the very top of the window are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, reminding us that God is the beginning and the end. This window is based on the story in the 25th chapter of Matthew's gospel, where Jesus said, "inasmuch as ye did it to the least one of these, ye did it unto me."
Transfiguration
The Transfiguration window is the very large stained glass window atthe east end of the nave, over the main door on the Nelson Street side. This window depicts the Transfiguration, when Jesus took three disciples up into the mountains and there was transfigured, in robes glistening white, before them.
Commissioned in 1956 at a cost of $5,000, the window was dedicated at a special service in 1958, when the many donors were recognized, including the Peggy Steed Circle. The following description accompanied the dedication service:
"The central figure of Christ is outstanding, transfigured. 'His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.' On either side of Him are Elias, left, and Moses, right. Elias, or Elijah, is identified by a raven with bread in its beak, reminiscent of the miraculous feeding of the prophet by the brook. His symbol in the tracery is the rod which turned into a serpent. 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.' John 3:14. Above Christ's head is the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove with a tri-radiant nimbus.
"At Christ's feet is the Holy City, Jerusalem, with Solomon's temple predominant. The three disciples, Peter, James, and John, who attended the Savior, are seen lower down the mountainside, watching the scene with awe. Indeed Peter writes of this unforgettable experience in 2 Peter 1:16-18.'
We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came a voice to him-"this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount.' "These words are inscribed in the traceries to left and right of the window. At the top of the right and left lancets are angels who are also worshiping Christ. 'As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistening.' Luke 9:29.
"The remaining nine apostles are shown at the bottom of the window watching the father and his demoniac son whom they were powerless to heal. "At the apex of the window, in the traceries, two crosses appear side by side. the one on the left, draped with the winding sheet, is the cross on which Christ was crucified. The decorative triumphant cross on the right symbolizes the living Christ, the Son of Man risen from the dead. These two events, his death and resurrection, were foretold by Christ to his three companions at the time of his transfiguration, but they did not understand His words. 'And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.' Mark 9:10."
Saint Michael
Flanking the altar and the Rose Window on the left side of the church is this picture of St. Michael, who is known as the militant archangel. He is of princely rank. He is dressed in full armor. His story is in the Book of Revelation, where we are told he and his followers fought against the dragon that is Satan and drove Satan and his angels out of heaven, and ever since Satan has been God's greatest adversary. Toward the bottom of this window we notice the artist has placed what appears to be the hide or the scales of the dragon, which shows us the story of Satan being driven out of heaven. Michael is holding a sword because he is the archangel of judgment and warrior and militant archangel. He also has the scales, because at the Last Day, the Day of Judgment, when the Lord gives the command he is to weigh the souls of men in these scales. The archangel is always represented wearing flaming wings, and thus we see Michael here with the flaming wings.
Saint Gabriel
Flanking the altar on the right side of the chancel, or choir, is the window representing St. Gabriel, an archangel. Gabriel is considered the great messenger of God, and we will find him appearing again on another window. The artist in this particular window shows the symbols of the lily of the valley, or the flower of the lily, which is the fleur-de-lis, because Gabriel was the archangel who told Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. He is shown holding a trumpet in his hands, because on the Day of Judgment it is his order to blow the trumpet: as St. Paul says, "At the Last Day the trumpet shall sound." He, also, as an archangel, is wearing the flaming wings.
Chancel Windows - Right side
The windows begin with St. Augustine of Canterbury on the far right toward the back of the chancel as you face the altar from the nave, Bishop's symbols show his position as the first missionary to England from Gregory the Great, In carrying out Gregory's famous remark upon seeing Saxon boys in the slave market ("Not Angles but angels"). He baptized 10,000 people on Christmas Day, 597.
Next to him is St. Wilfred, Bishop of York, 7th century. who upheld the use of Roman rites rather than Celtic ones. A ship commemorates a famous shipwreck in which Wilfred and 40 priests prayed so effectively over the pagan prayers of a priest of the Saxon pirates that the wind changed and the ship reached haven. A fish marks Wilfred's rescue of the people of Sussex from famine by showing them how to use their eel nets to bring in quantities of fish.
St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, is shown with several symbols, at least one of which is open to interpretation. He is shown with book and pen in recognition of his scholarship, and with a staff of music. He is also shown with a small rabbit, and here the story grows cloudy. According to one legend, Anselm taught the starving people of East Anglia to trap rabbits. But another legend has it that while he was riding along a forest path a hunted rabbit ran under his mule for safety. Anselm wept for the rabbit, which reminded him of the besieged human soul. He held the hunters and hounds spellbound with his words while the little rabbit escaped.
The Venerable Bede, a scholar known for his study of the scriptures and history, is shown with a book. He is dressed as a monk, and is holding the torch of learning, perhaps to signify the knowledge he passed on to future generations.
St. Thomas of Canterbury (Thomas Becket) is reflected in the last of the windows on the right-hand side of the chancel. Engaged in a great struggle between church and state, Thomas is shown with a sword through his head, having been murdered in his own cathedral. He is holding the cross that is the bishop's staff. Renowned poet T.S. Eliot wrote "Murder in the Cathedral," about the martyrdom of Thomas á Becket.
Chancel Windows - Left Side
Moving to the back of the left side of the chancel we find Archbishop Cranmer, a man who never wanted to be Archbishop but who nevertheless accepted the position, and who gave us the first Prayer Book in 1549. He is shown being burned at the stake for his faith.
Next comes Bishop Ridley, holding an open book inscribed with Acts 13, which contains St. Paul's great sermon at Antioch. A chalice and a bunch of grapes reflect the Eucharist. Archbishop Laud opposed the Calvinists, who were dominant in his time. He believed the English Church should remain a branch of the Catholic body and wanted to restore the beauty of the liturgy. He is wearing his cape and mitre, and is shown with a censer, the crucifix, and the Virgin Mary.
Richard Hooker is shown at his desk writing the "Eight Books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity." He was a fellow of Christ Church, Oxford, and the college chapel is seen behind him. Tom Tower, which rang the bells that closed the college gates at night, is seen at the bottom of the window near his name. Hooker "invented" Anglicanism, at least in its self-definition as midway between the excesses of Rome (Catholicism) and Geneva (Calvinism).
Bishop Seabury, depicted in the tenth chancel window, was the first bishop of the American Episcopal Church, the Bishop of Connecticut. He is bearing a banner with his seal, which today is incorporated into the seal of Diocese of Connecticut. The caduceus, the medical symbol, tells us that he was a physician.
Creatures of God’s World
In the now small sacristy closed off from the nave by double doors, now the home of the Altar Guild, is a triptych of windows, done much later and modern in style, that faces Fairfax Drive. This room was once a small narthex at the side entrance to the church. The windows depict the creatures of God's world and show animals, birds, and sea creatures against a very light background.
Saint George & Christ the King
Originally located behind the chancel and altar in the old organ chamber, hidden from view, were the Saint George and Christ the King windows. They were moved to the sides of the small vestibule at the back of the Nave during the 2019 renovation that prepared for the arrival of the new organ.
In the Christ the King window (right) Christ is holding an orb in his hand which represents the world.
Saint George (left) is our patron Saint.
Jesus Windows
Also located in the small vestibule at the back of the Nave are these two windows depicting Jesus and his words from the Gospels.
