Beginning at the bottom left is the Crucifixion of Jesus. Above his head is an eclipse - "There was darkness over all the land." Then follows The Resurrection Window, which is opposite The Nativity Window, the two great festival days of the Christian year. Next is the Ascension of Jesus, the final panel of glass shows at the top The Day of Pentecost, or Whitsunday, when we celebrate the coming of the Holy spirit symbolized as at Jesus' Baptism by the dove and the tongues of fire spoken of in The Acts of the Apostles. At the bottom of the final panel is St. Stephen, our patron saint, who was the first Deacon and Martyr and whose day we celebrate on December 26th. At his foot is a copy of our Communion chalice identifying St. Stephen with our parish church.
The Windows
Of
St. Stephen's
St. Mark
As St. Luke's gospel is full of sacrifice, priesthood, and atonement of the Saviour, the ox, as the animal of sacrifice, is the most fitting as the symbolic figure of our Redeemer.
The Windows of
St. Stephen’s
Designed by G. Milton Small, F.A.I.A., a student of the late Mies van der Rohe, St. Stephen's church was conceived as a spartan yet elegant expression of steel, natural stone, and aggregate concrete. The single major artistic focus of the building was to be the great stained glass window occupying the entire east end of the church, literally surrounding the altar on three sides, forming a triptych with a 34' x 23' center panel and two 22' x 23' side panels.
After extensive interviews with the leading American stained glass studios, the Rambusch Company of New York City and Rambusch artist Leandro Velasco were chosen to design and fabricate this great window. The iconography was delineated by the Rector of the church, the Reverend Joshua Taylor McKenzie, to describe the entire life of Christ. The windows were installed in the newly built church in 1978.
St. John
The eagle, flying higher than any other bird, is a fine emblem for St. John, because in his Gospel he ascends by Divinity of our Lord as "The Word: or "Logos."
In the Church
The story begins with the North Window (to the left of the altar) and unfolds as we move toward the right with the East Window (behind the altar) and finally the South Window (to the right of the altar).
In the Narthex
Looking west (toward the sidewalk) from the left are the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In brief, the four symbolic figures show: Incarnation, Resurrection, Passion and Ascension.
St. Matthew
Shown as a winged man because he wrote much about Jesus as the "Son of Man." At the opening of this gospel, the human genealogy of Jesus is given, and the manhood of His nature is stressed.
St. Mark
Shown as a lion because he begins his gospel by writing about St. John the Baptist as one "crying in the wilderness." The royal dignity of our Lord is stressed by the lion as king of the beasts.
The North Window
Beginning at the top left side we see the prophet called "Second Isaiah" pointing the way with his prophecy of a Messiah who would be a "Suffering Servant." As Christians we identify him as Jesus of Nazareth, our Saviour. Then follows the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by Gabriel that she would be the mother of this child. Next is the Nativity Window with the wise men presenting their gifts. They symbolize Christ for the work, the universality of our Lord. On the right side we see Jesus as a young boy in the temple of Jerusalem.After this comes the "hidden years" of our Lord's life until the beginning of his public ministry at his baptism.
East Window
On the left side is the baptism of Jesus and on the right side is the Last Supper-the two great Sacraments of the Church, Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist. The left scene is of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. The dove over Jesus' head is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, the divine approval of our Lord's ministry. The fish below Jesus' feet is an ancient symbol of Christians. The glass between the Baptism and the Last Supper provides a background for the cross which
