Having completed the upper stained-glass windows, we will now look at the ground floor images. These are not original to the church and were installed in the early 2000’s. The openings were there, but they were large jalousie windows covered on the exterior with patterned concrete blocks. Rusted rebar and water damage required extensive renovations and the windows were then replaced with smoky gray glass. The renovation was done in the late 1990’s, at which time the bell tower was rebuilt as well. Once the dust settled, all ground floor windows became stained glass windows in stages, designed by Casola Stained Glass Studio in Ft. Meyers, FL.

We will start on the north side closest to the Altar with the story of Creation. These windows of the six days of Creation were the first created, commissioned in 2002. The first three days of Creation are represented here and encourage us to reflect on the scripture passages of Genesis.

The first Creation window represents Ge 1:1-5, depicting “Let there be light,” and the separation of night and day-the first day. It shows the breath of God which is mentioned many times in scripture as giving life, such as in Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me: the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

The next window shows the separation of earth and sea, by creating a dome in the middle of the waters, separating bodies of water. The dome was called “the sky.” God creates the world and gives names to His creations. This is Ge 1:6-8.

The third window is Ge 1:9-13, the third day. God directed that water be held in a basin, “the sea,” so that dry land, “the earth,” would appear. He directed the earth to bring forth vegetation and bear seeds and fruit, which we see in the trees and shrubs. The world begins to take shape.

We continue our Creation story on the south side, ground floor of the church with the last 3 days of Creation. Starting at the back of the church we have day 4, described in Ge 1:14-19. It depicts lights in the dome of the sky and two great lights to separate night and day and create fixed times. This window is filled with images: stars, planets, sun, moon, a falling star, sea, land, palm trees-familiar to the people of the locale. We now see seasons influenced by the marking of time with the sun and moon; spring and summer flowers, fall leaves, bare trees, snowflakes.

The next window is Gen 1:20-23, day 5. God created an abundance of living creatures in the water and birds of the air. The familiar “Be fruitful and multiply” is included in this passage. The window shows doves and other birds of the air, while the water teems with sea life; fish, whale, shark, dolphin, starfish, sea grass.

The 6th and final day of Creation brings all of God’s creations together in Ge 1:24-31. Now the earth will bring forth all kinds of living creatures and man is created in God’s image to have dominion over all, “Be fruitful and multiply” is repeated. Images include sun, moon, stars, planets, snowflakes, fish, jellyfish, birds, donkey, seagrass, leafy trees, bare trees, and Adam and Eve who are flanked by a lamb, representing Jesus Christ and a lion, a sign of resurrection. If we continued in Genesis, 2:7 tells us “God breathed life into his nostrils and the man became a living being”—again the breath of God which is where we started with the first Creation window.

At the back of the church, we have two more windows on each side. On the north side, in the “Ushers Room” the window has four images from Exodus.

The top, center panel depicts Moses and the burning bush with his response to God “Here I am,” Ex 3:1–6. In the middle section, on the left, is Moses getting water from rock after the Israelites have complained of their hardships, Ex 17:3–6. It is followed by the large center panel showing the parting of the Red Sea rescuing the Israelites from the Egyptians, Ex 14:21–25, and lastly, on the far right middle section Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God, Ex 20:1–17.

On the south side, in the “Family Room” is the story of Noah and the flood from Ge 7:1–10. The rich and colorful imagery shows pairs of animals exiting the ark after the flood waters have receded and the rainbow has come out. Both windows show God’s deep love for us as he saves us, provides for us and leads us to a better place.

The last of the stained-glass windows are those in the north and south transepts—completing the cross formation of the church structure itself. The four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are represented here. They are all winged images referencing the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel where four winged creatures represent the four evangelists, Ezekiel 1:5–13. Let’s start on the south side with Matthew and Mark.

Beginning with Matthew, we see him depicted as a winged man or angel representing Christ’s incarnation, recalling his nature as both divine and human. Matthew is called the divine man because he teaches us about the humanity of Christ and gives us the genealogy of our Savior.

Mark emphasizes the majesty and royal dignity of Christ. He is depicted as a winged lion; the king of beasts. He begins his narrative with the prophetic voice of St. John the Baptist “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” like the roar of a lion.

On the north side of the transept we will be looking at evangelists Luke and John, remembering that they are winged images referencing the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel where four winged creatures represent the four evangelists, Ezekiel 1:5–13.

Because St. Luke’s gospel focuses on the sacrificial atonement of Christ’s death, he is depicted as a winged ox. The ox has always been a traditional sacrificial animal in Judaism and pagan antiquity.

For John we have the majestic eagle whose keen gaze sees far beyond what is immediately present. John’s gospel opens with: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," the divine logos. The eagle is a symbol of that which comes from above. John is called The Eagle of Patmos, an island where he spent his last years in exile. The eagle symbol is prevalent in the church, as you see on our own ambo where the Gospel is proclaimed.

As part of the window representing St. John, we also have an image of the World Trade Towers and a dedication to the firefighters of 9/11. Donated by the Dilley family, the windows are a tribute to the FDNY Engine Co. 8, Ladder Co. 2, Battalion 8 firefighters who lost their lives in that tragedy. Pictured here with Martha Dilley are lithographs of the windows inside the station house memorial to 9/11, on 51st Street in NYC. The lithographs are on the bottom corners.  While living in NYC, Martha and her daughter Maggie came to know the fireman of 8 and 2 and visited often on return trips, becoming cherished visitors. Martha chose to dedicate windows to the 10 men lost from 8 and 2, and the thousands of others who perished that day. She wanted them placed with St. John’s eagle image that symbolizes scaling the heights of perfection and drawing closer to God, as well as honoring her deceased father and son, both named John.