New Windows in the Church
It has been a long time coming but we have finalized designs for three new stained glass windows for the church’s west wall, and selected a studio to do the work. What remains to be done is fundraising and then execution and installation of the windows. This is a project begun under the previous rector, Doug Fisher, and was sparked in particular by the efforts of people at Arlington High School and our own General Bill Augerson, M.D. to gain recognition for Charles “Buddy” Johnson, a Black Korean War hero, who gave his own life while saving many others during a midnight battle. He was recently awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor in our country for military valor. He and his family were members here at Grace, his funeral was held here in August 1953, and he is buried at Nine Partners Cemetery, a local hero.
In addition to Johnson, another window will honor Eleanor Roosevelt, another local hero and Episcopalian, a member of St James, Hyde Park, where her husband, FDR, was warden for many years. A formidable political force in her own right, advocating for civil rights for African Americans and others, we particularly hold up her work as chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights that drafted the Declaration of Universal Human Rights adopted
on December 10, 1948.
In the center, complementing the neighboring west window of St Martin, is an image of Dame Julian of Norwich, a medieval English saint whose Revelations of Divine Love are the earliest surviving English language works attributed to a woman. T. S. Eliot was quoting her when he concluded his Four Quartets with her words: “And all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Her contemplative life and fame as a spiritual director offer a complement to the ideals of active service and self-sacrifice we see exemplified in St Martin.
The drawings shown here are available for viewing in the parish hall. In the coming weeks we will develop more material and plan talks on Johnson, Roosevelt and Dame Julian. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the office of Fr. Matt.
It has been a long time coming but we have finalized designs for three new stained glass windows for the church’s west wall, and selected a studio to do the work. What remains to be done is fundraising and then execution and installation of the windows. This is a project begun under the previous rector, Doug Fisher, and was sparked in particular by the efforts of people at Arlington High School and our own General Bill Augerson, M.D. to gain recognition for Charles “Buddy” Johnson, a Black Korean War hero, who gave his own life while saving many others during a midnight battle. He was recently awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor in our country for military valor. He and his family were members here at Grace, his funeral was held here in August 1953, and he is buried at Nine Partners Cemetery, a local hero.
In addition to Johnson, another window will honor Eleanor Roosevelt, another local hero and Episcopalian, a member of St James, Hyde Park, where her husband, FDR, was warden for many years. A formidable political force in her own right, advocating for civil rights for African Americans and others, we particularly hold up her work as chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights that drafted the Declaration of Universal Human Rights adopted
on December 10, 1948.
In the center, complementing the neighboring west window of St Martin, is an image of Dame Julian of Norwich, a medieval English saint whose Revelations of Divine Love are the earliest surviving English language works attributed to a woman. T. S. Eliot was quoting her when he concluded his Four Quartets with her words: “And all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Her contemplative life and fame as a spiritual director offer a complement to the ideals of active service and self-sacrifice we see exemplified in St Martin.
The drawings shown here are available for viewing in the parish hall. In the coming weeks we will develop more material and plan talks on Johnson, Roosevelt and Dame Julian. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the office of Fr. Matt.
