Stained-glass windows are one of the most striking aspects of St Patrick’s Cathedral. Since the Middle Ages, stained-glass windows have been an essential feature of Gothic architecture since they allow light inside a church, making the space look magical. They also told biblical stories, illustrated the Gospels, and described the lives of the saints for the worshipers, who were mostly illiterate.
In the spirit of medieval tradition, St Patrick’s features 94 stained-glass windows designed by various American, French, and English artists who worked on them up to the 1940s.
Every window tells a story. One is supposed to read the windows from the bottom up, starting on the left.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Andrew and St. Catherine of Alexandria
The scene on the bottom left depicts St. Elizabeth of Hungary taking bread to the poor. When her husband forbade her from doing so, God turned the bread into flowers. The saint is shown with the flowers on the left-center panel. The next panel is dedicated to St. Andrew. He was one of Christ’s disciples and was crucified for his beliefs on an X-shaped cross. The right panel shows St. Catherine, who was sentenced to die on a wheel. She is depicted holding a palm branch—a sign of martyrdom—standing next to the wheel.
St. Henry
St. Henry II was a Holy Roman Emperor who ruled in the 11th century. He was canonized as a saint for his remarkable personal piety and enthusiastic promotion of the Church. He is depicted in one of his many battles, aided by St. Adrian, St. Lawrence, and St. George.
St. Patrick and the Founders
The Founders’ window is very special. It was a gift from James Renwick, the architect of the Cathedral. It depicts St. Patrick, the Irish patron saint and the Cathedral’s namesake. When St. Patrick was a boy, he was captured and enslaved in Ireland. After his escape, he became a bishop and returned to Ireland to preach. The bottom image depicts James Renwick presenting the cathedral plan to Archbishop Hughes, who is sitting in a majestic purple robe at the table.
St. John the Evangelist
This is one of the windows depicting gospel writers. In the center is St. John the Evangelist, holding a pen and his gospel. Below him is his symbol—an eagle. He is surrounded by four scenes illustrating events from his life. Counterclockwise from the top left: St. John and St. Peter curing a cripple, John next to Jesus during the Last Supper, John converting a criminal, and finally, John writing the Book of Revelations.
The Death of St. Joseph
St. Joseph was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. He was a kind and compassionate man who worked as a carpenter. This window portrays Joseph on his deathbed with Mary and Jesus beside him. Leaving a saintly life, he died peacefully surrounded by his family. St. Joseph is considered the patron of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants, and of Good Death.
The Adoration of the Child Jesus
St. Mary is showing the baby to the Magi and shepherds: a conflation of two Nativity scenes. Joseph, the Patron of the Universal Church, is standing behind. The sleeping lamb at Mary’s feet is the symbol of Jesus as the Lamb of God.
St. Columbanus
St. Columbanus rejected wealth to live a life of solitude. The window tells the story of a king offering St. Columbanus gifts, which he rejects. Impressed, the king converts, while the queen, shown on the left side, becomes angry at the king’s decision.
The Life of St. Patrick
Located over the 50th Street entrance, this window is dedicated to the life of St. Patrick. The 18 images are read from the bottom up, starting on the left. They describe St. Patrick’s baptism, kidnapping, escape, and multiple events of his saintly life as a bishop.
The Rose Window
The Rose window is a highlight of the Cathedral. It’s 26 feet wide with an ongoing theme of the number 8—a reference to the Sermon on the Mount. The figures inside the window are angels and archangels.
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