A guide to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the city of New York: Fifth EditionHall, Edward Hagaman
Religion
A guide to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the city of New York: Fifth Edition
Hall, Edward Hagaman
Cathedral of St. John the Divine (New York, N.Y.)
Three small _Windows_ of two lights each in the Sanctuary contain
(from left to right) representations of: (1) St. Willibrod with mitre,
archiepiscopal staff, and model of cathedral; and St. Lucian with crown,
scepter and sword; (2) St. Ansgarius with mitre and crozier; and King
Olaf with crown and scepter; and (3) above the Reredos, St. Eric with
crown and scepter; and St. Wilifred with mitre and archiepiscopal staff.
The window spaces at the right of the latter are walled up because they
are blanketed by the adjacent chapel. In the two bays of the north aisle
are two noble stained glass windows, each having five lights and each
light depicting two scenes. In the left hand or western window, the upper
tier of scenes is chiefly devoted to Old Testament subjects as follows
(left to right): Adam and Eve (Gen. ii. 7-25); the visit of the three
angels to Abraham bearing the promise of the birth of Isaac (Gen. xviii.
2-22); St. Michael fighting the dragon with a cross-shaped spear (Rev.
xii. 7); Abraham offering to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. xxii. 9-13); and
Jacob’s dream of the ladder (Gen. xxviii. 12). In the lower tier are five
scenes prophetic of the birth of the Forerunner of Christ and of Christ
himself: The angel’s visit to Zacharias to foretell the birth of John the
Baptist (Luke i. 13); the annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the coming
birth of Christ (Luke i. 28); St. Gabriel with lilies as Angel of the
Annunciation (Luke i. 28); the angels’ visit to the shepherds (Luke ii.
8-12); and the angel’s visit to Joseph, husband of Mary, to foretell the
birth of Christ (Mat. i. 20). The right hand or eastern window depicts
Acts of the Apostles. In its upper tier are: St. Peter preaching to the
Disciples (Acts i. 15); St. Peter healing the lame man (Acts iii. 2-8);
St. Peter with key; the stoning of St. Stephen (Acts vii. 59); and St.
Philip baptizing the eunuch (Acts viii. 26-38); and in the lower tier:
St. Peter raising Tabitha (Acts ix. 40); the conversion of St. Paul’s
jailer at Philippi (Acts xvi. 23-31); St. Paul with sword; St. Paul
laying hands on the Disciples (Acts xix. 6); and St. Paul before Felix
(Acts xxiv. 24-25). All the windows are by Messrs. C. E. Kempe & Co. of
London. In two high niches in the south wall are _Statues_ of Eric, King
of Sweden (left) and Canute, King of the English, Danes and Norwegians
(right;) and in a niche at the west end of the north aisle is a statue
of King Eskiel, all crowned. On the Ambulatory side of the entrance
bay are two statues: John the Baptist (above) and St. Ansgarius with
crozier and mitre, holding a small cathedral (below). The sculptures are
by Mr. John Evans of Boston. In a bay of the chapel temporarily rests
a symbolic group executed in Caen stone by Miss Malvina Hoffman of New
York, entitled _The Sacrifice_. It is intended for Harvard University
at Cambridge, Mass., as a memorial of Robert Bacon, sometime U. S.
Ambassador to France and a Trustee of the University, and of the Harvard
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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