Christianity and the Family

This window is situated at the southern most end of the west side of the nave. Above are two little tracery openings where an N (nika, meaning conquers) and an X (xpictoc, meaning Christ) say Christ conquers. The pictures begin and end with marriage and means that the Christian family cycle depends on marriage. Up to the left, are the clasped hands of marriage and beneath are the hands of the actual ceremony being performed by an Episcopalian priest. Below these figures, a young mother and a newborn child are seen. At the bottom center there is a shell, symbol of baptism, the font, and a cross-shaped staff, symbol of John the Baptist. Collectively, those figures all symbolize that the child born into the Christian family is reborn into Jesus’ body, the church, through baptism. In the upper middle, we see the family in worship. Behind them is an arch entrance, symbol of the church doorway leading to salvation. Above the family is the dove (Holy Spirit). In the right lancet is the vine, symbol of Christian unity. Below is the young man with the globe below him as he goes into the world to pursue his own destiny. On the bottom right, the young man repeats the cycle as his marriage is symbolized by the ring with the hands over the open Bible. The borders show the ark, representing the souls saved by the water of baptism; the lyre, symbol of concord and harmony; a nugget of gold, the symbol of marriage, since gold does not tarnish with age; two doves, symbol of married happiness; a flame for the warmth and light of the home; a tree symbolizing family growth as like the Jesse tree; the flowering rod, symbol of St. Joseph; the graded cross, symbol of Christianity shared in the home; the manger, symbol of the infancy of our Lord; and, the triangle in the circle, symbols of the Trinity and the encircling love of the family. Made in 1967 by Douglas Phillips of Cleveland. Dedicated to the memory of Olive Price by the L.E. Price family and friends.