Last Updated on January 3, 2024 by web manager
THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF SAINT LUKE’S (2023)
Stained glass windows were created to tell the story of our Catholic faith. This art developed in the 11th and 12th centuries along with gothic architecture which allowed large windows to be placed in churches. Since many people could not read, the windows became a kind of visual story of our faith. This tradition of stained glass continues here at Saint Luke’s.
Across the south side of the Church, facing the parking lot, are four narrow and tall stained glass windows:
The first window symbolizes the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. The heart is the symbol of charity, the cross of faith, and the anchor of hope. The second window symbolizes baptism. Through the cross there is the light of faith. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit who comes to us, and the shell holds the water which is poured out on us. The third window symbolizes Holy Communion. This window has the elements of wheat and grapes from which are made the bread and wine and which will become the precious Body and Blood of our Lord. It also has a chalice which holds the Precious Blood. The fourth window symbolizes Confirmation where the dove again represents the Holy Spirit. Here the seven flames represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Across the north side of the Church, facing the rectory, are another four narrow and tall stained glass windows:
The first north-side window represents the two tablets on which were written the 10 Commandments and lightning representing the power of God who gave the Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. The next window represents the Sacred Scriptures. The lamp represents the spiritual illumination we gain from reading them. The next window represents the Holy Trinity. The triangle which is pictured is one figure with three sides, and it represents the one God in three Persons. Finally, the last window is very intricate and represents all of creation which comes from the hand of God. We see here the sun and the moon and the land and the sea as well as trees and water and planets and stars and even a comet.
Now to our new window.
The lamb has been a symbol of our Savior from the earliest times in Christian art. Recall Saint John the Baptist who pointed out Jesus by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.” In this image, the Lamb once slain (or sacrificed) who now lives is resting on the book with the seven seals that is described in the Book of Revelation in Chapters 5 and 6. There we read of how all in heaven cried out “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing (5:12).” Only the Lamb is worthy to open the seals on the book, all of which pertain to the end of the world and the final judgement. The banner held by the Lamb is white with a red cross on it to represent the Body of Christ, pure and holy and slain for us. The staff represents the cross on which Jesus died. It’s appropriate to have this symbol of the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God over the altar. He who is now risen from the dead and whose sacrificial offering is renewed each time we celebrate Holy Mass. It is also appropriate that this be on the east window of the Church because tradition says that when Christ comes again, He will come from the east, from the place of the rising sun, to judge the living and the dead.
Saint Luke the evangelist is the patron saint of our parish. He is symbolized by a winged ox. This symbol and those for the other three evangelists also come from the Book of Revelation and are referred to as the four living creatures (Rev 4:6-8) who cried out “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” They are also mentioned in a vision received by the Prophet Ezekiel (1:5-14).
The Evangelists are the authors of the Holy Gospels, and each has his own symbolic creature. Saint Matthew is symbolized by a man because his gospel begins with the human ancestry of our Lord. Saint Mark is symbolized by a lion because his gospel begins with Saint John the Baptist whose voice cries out in the wilderness like a lion who roars. Saint Luke is symbolized by the ox because his gospel begins with the priest Zachariah offering sacrifice, the ox being one of the animals offered in sacrifice. Finally, Saint John is symbolized by the eagle which soars into the heavens and his gospel begins with the Word in heavenly glory.
Next you will see a symbol associated with Saint Willibrord. He was the apostle to Frisians, a people who live along the North Sea where the Netherlands borders Germany. Saint Willibrord was born in Northumbria, England and lived from 658 to 739. As a young man, he went to Ireland and was ordained a priest there. In 690, he returned to England and from there, went as a missionary to Frisia. In 695 he was consecrated a bishop in Rome by Pope Sergius III, and directed by the pope to return to Frisia and continue working to spread the teachings of Jesus there. In that land, Saint Willibrord founded many churches, and established the diocese at Utrecht and was the first bishop of that diocese. During his later missionary activities, Saint Willibrord was joined by Saint Boniface whom he hoped would be his successor, but Boniface would spend most of his life in Germany. Saint Willibrord also established the monastery of Echternach which is now in Luxembourg, and it is there that he died and was buried. The monastery church is depicted on our window. Saint Willibrord’s feast day is November 7th, the day of his death.
So why Saint Willibrord? Our first parish church here in Sandstone was built in 1900 and was entrusted to Saint Willibrord. It’s interesting that one of the first groups of people who settled in our area were people from Holland. These settlers came to work in the sandstone quarries here in town. They also left their influence on the area in that Groningen and Friesland are both provinces in the Netherlands and no doubt areas where these Dutch settlers hailed from. The Dutch pioneers who were Protestants established two Dutch Reformed Churches in the area. One in Friesland and the other here in town. While I have not found any historical evidence, my guess is that the Dutch pioneers who were Catholics were able to influence the naming of our parish and chose Saint Willibrord as our patron saint. He remained the patron of our parish until this new church was built in 1964 and named after Saint Luke, the Evangelist.
