Stories Within Our Windows

Within the stained-glass windows of St. Peter’s lies a silent yet vibrant witness to faith.   These windows are dedicated to the memory of beloved members of the parish.  Much has been written about their lives at St. Peter’s.  

On January 6^th, Amy Colson and I invited the ACW into the church, where we presented a talk focusing on the artistry of the designers and spiritual symbols found in these windows.  

Over the years, three different companies designed the windows for St. Peter’s.  The most prolific designer was McCausland and Company (1980-2012), who designed and installed seven of the windows.  Smits and Ramsdale of Toronto created two of the windows in the mid 1950s, and Luxfer Studios installed one window in the church and two smaller inserts in the Bell Tower in 1990. 

As sunlight dances through these multicoloured panes, it illuminates narratives of faith, history and artistry.  The filtered light not only offers a visual spectacle but also illuminates the narrative of Christ and the lives of the saints. 

Hidden within the windows are Christograms, symbols of the early church. Early Christians often met in secret during times of persecution which led to the development of monograms or combinations of letters, or drawings that served as a sacred symbols and codes.  Numerous symbols are seen in the windows here at St. Peter’s.

Some of these symbols are easily recognizable while others are more veiled.  The central window over the altar shows St. Peter.  He is pictured with two keys: one pointing upward to Heaven and the other pointing downward to Hell, along with the two great sacraments of Baptism and Communion on either side.   

The Dove is featured in a couple of windows and represents the Holy Spirit descending.  

A Crown with three rays emitting from it is seen at the top of the window, “The Meal at Emmaus”. It represents Christ – The King of Kings, and the rays symbolize the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (The Trinity).  

The IHS symbol inset in the nativity window is an early Christogram for Jesus.  IHS translates to “Iota, Eta, Sigma” in Greek, with the Latin equivalent “Iesus Hominum Salvator” – Jesus Saviour of Men.  

The small insert above the window of “The Boy Jesus Teaching in the Temple” contains a Torah, which is unfurled to represent the Old Testament, with the words “Courage, Wisdom, Faith” surrounded by “Holy, holy, holy”.  There is a cross in the centre with wheat and grapes representing the communion sacrament showing the connection to God made manifest in Jesus and his teachings.  

In the window depicting “Jesus healing the Child”, we see the medical symbol of a snake entwined with a staff: the Rod of Asclepius, which is still the symbol used to represent Doctors and healing.   

“The Call of The Galilean Fishermen” has several well-known symbols.  The fish represents Evangelism.  The Greek word for fish is ‘Ichthys’, which is an acronym: “Iesaus Christo Theou Yios Soter”, which translates “Jesus Christ God’s Son and Saviour”.   The Alpha and Omega symbols are in the insert above, meaning the first and the last -the beginning and end, signifying that God is eternal.  

We invite you to take some time during Lent to reflect on St. Peter’s stained glass and discover new illuminating details in these splendid historied windows.