The Remarkable Stained Glass Windows
of St. Augustine
In the west transept of the church is an enormous window that celebrates the splendor of Christ the King. Seated upon a throne, the Savior is raising one hand in blessing; the other holds an orb and sceptre. He is clothed in garments of blue and gold, cloaked with a cape of green. On either side of the throne are acolytes; angels hold candles and kneel at a distance. The four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are pictured in the windows below. The first three hold a book and quill, representing their authorship of the Holy Gospels. John holds a cup containing the Body of Christ near his heart.
There is remarkable attention to detail in all of the stained-glass windows in St. Augustine. In the west transept window, the base of each section contains symbols appropriate to the evangelist shown above. Although the symbols are open to interpretation, Rev. Francis McDonough, in a 1938 study of the windows, explained them this way: "St. Matthew is symbolized by a winged man because he brings out in his gospel that the Man, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of a carpenter, is a Messiah..."
"St. Mark's symbol is a winged lion because of the majestic power of his descriptions or because he begins his book with the voice of a lion roaring in the wilderness... The ox or calf is typical of sacrifice and St. Luke is represented by a winged ox or calf because he dwells on the sacrificial aspect of Christ's atonement... The soaring eagle represents the sublime heights which St. John reached in preaching the divinity of Christ..."
Across the church, the eastern transept windows shows Mary in all of her glory as the Queen of Heaven. She is pictured sitting on a throne; in one arm she holds the infant Jesus, in the other a sceptre. Like the western transept window, acolytes and adoring angels are present. The scene is enriched by the deep colors of her golden crown, her blue garments and the crimson decorations.
Back - More About St. Augustine Art