Windows of St. Mark

The sanctuary windows of St. Mark are very special and significant to this congregation. We are delighted to share their beauty with you and explain their story. The description below begins with the window in the narthex, then moves to the windows in the sanctuary, going clockwise as you face the chancel. 

St. Mark WindowThe Winged Lion – The Symbol of St. Mark

Mark, the disciple and saint, is traditionally pictured as a winged lion. The window in the narthex shows the lion with his front foot on the open Bible. The lion, as king of beasts, represents the royal character of Christ, and also refers to the opening verses of the Gospel of St. Mark which tell about “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” It may also be said that Mark’s emphasis on the resurrection is indicated by the lion. For according to an old fable, the cub of a lion is supposed to born dead and after three days is licked to life by his father.
 
 

SMPC Window 2I believe in God the Father Almighty,

Of the many symbols for God the Father, the hand in various forms is probably the most outstanding. In the form chosen for the first sanctuary window, the thumb and first two fingers are extended while the others are bent toward the heel of the hand. The three fingers refer to the grace of our Lord, the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit. The three water droplets are also symbols of the directive to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The crown indicates that God is Lord.
 
 

SMPC Window 3Maker of Heaven and Earth,

The creation window was the most difficult to design, because the individual symbols for creation are simply circles or stars; therefore, this window is different. It does not have one simple symbol. Within this window are six symbols representing the six days of creation. It calls attention to God’s activities in the creation of the world. These are the symbols from Genesis 1. The first: The day and the night. The second: The water and the sky. The third: The land and the trees. The fourth: The sun and the moon. The fifth: The birds and the fish. The sixth: The people.
 
 

SMPC Window 4And in Jesus Christ His only son our Lord;

There are many symbols of Jesus Christ our Lord which we have used on our Chrismon tree. One of the oldest, which came from the ‘Hebrew sacrificial system, is the lamb. In this window, the lamb carries a resurrection banner. The white pennant represents the body of Christ, which is attached to the cruciform staff, representing the cross on which the Lamb of God died and through which the risen Christ saves the world. The lamb is standing which suggests that the Lamb of God is triumphant. He is risen!
  

SMPC Window 5Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary,

The fleur-de-lis is a symbol that has two meanings which is why it was chosen for this window. It represents the Trinity with its three divisions in one whole; and, as a symbol for the lily, it represents the Virgin Mary. The letter Chi (X) which is used to form the manger is also the first letter of the word Christ; therefore, it is one of Christ’s monograms.
 
 

SMPC Window 6Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell;

This window depicts the symbols of Christ’s Passion, or suffering between the Last Supper and His death. The chief symbol is the cross. The other symbols are the crown of thorns, the purple robe, and the blood. Jesus predicted that if He were lifted up, on the cross and into heaven, He would draw all men unto Him.
 
 

SMPC Window 7The third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty!

The chancel window is the resurrection window. This window was probably the reason the theme of the Apostles’ Creed was chosen. No matter what we considered, the chancel window had to be a symbol of the resurrection. It has been a resurrection symbol from the beginning because it contains three empty wooden crosses. We now have eight other symbols visible in the window.
 
 
 
 
 
 

FSMPC Window 8rom thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

Although the pointed cross is traditionally the Passion Cross representing Christ’s suffering, here it is coupled with the scales to symbolize judgment.
 
 
 
 

I SMPC Window 9believe in the Holy Ghost;

This window shows the most common symbol for the Holy Spirit, a descending dove with a three-rayed nimbus. The flames signify intense zeal or devotion. The flames also represent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost when tongues of fire rested upon the followers of Christ, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
 
 
 
 

SMPC Window 10The Holy catholic church;

The cross pictured is called the cross of Triumph. It is also known as the Cross of Victory. Composed of a Latin Cross on a globe, this symbol signifies the conquest of the world by Christianity. We are thus reminded of Christ’s instructions to go unto all nations.
 

 

 
 

SMPC Window 11The communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins;

In this window are pictures of the elements of the sacrament of Holy Communion: the chalice which represents the cup of wine that was served, and the wafer which represents the unleavened bread.
 

 

 
 

SMPC Window 12The resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen

It is perhaps appropriate that the symbols on the last window in the series are the Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They stand for Jesus Christ, the first and the last (Rev 22:13), the beginning and the end, and same today and forever (Heb 13:8). The crown with these signs refers also to the rewards of a faithful Christian life, as in 1 Peter 5:4.