The Stained Glass Windows
The windows in the church are masterpieces of the craft and art of stained glass. Along the walls of the nave, there are ten windows depicting the "Gesta Dei per Homines", the joint activity of God and man in time. The windows are of the medallion type and have six figurative panels arranged in a cruciform shape. These six panels are surrounded by six more panels with a design that remains constant across the ten windows, although the colors vary.
Beginning in the southeast of the nave, there are two windows depicting Old Testament events and figures. Moving north to the transept, there are three windows depicting the early life of Christ: His infancy, His public life, and His parables. Across the nave, in the east transept are three more windows. They portray Christ's miracles, His sorrows, and His glories. Finally, in the southwest of the church, there are two windows representing events in Church history.
A very large window in the sanctuary above the altar, the Passion Window, depicts the passion, the four Evangelists, twelve Apostles, and twelve Prophets. All represented by symbols. On either side of the sanctuary are two windows which list the virtues.
Above the choir loft, and reflecting the shape of the window above the altar, the Last Judgment Window overlooks the nave from the south. It shows the Holy Trinity in the center with the souls of the blessed on the right hand of God, surrounded by angels lifting them heavenward. On God's left are the souls of the damned being dragged down by demons.
The subjects for all of these windows were chosen by Monsignor Corrigan in collaboration with the architect, John T. Comes. In his book, The History of St. Mark's and the Midway District, Corrigan writes that the material was "so vast...that the choice of subjects was a puzzling bewilderment." The windows cover the Old Testament, the life of Christ, and the history of the Church—thousands of years worth of material.
The Artist
These stained glass masterpieces were all designed and made by George W. Sotter of Pennsylvania. George Sotter (1879–1953) was born in Pittsburgh. He was an assistant professor in painting and design at the Carnegie Institute of Technology
at about the time he was commissioned to do the work for Saint Mark's. Sotter was also a friend of the architect John T. Comes and had worked with him on previous projects.
Considered an expert in the art of stained glass, his work was enthusiastically reviewed in newspapers. The Pittsburgh Gazette Times described windows in a building of the Pittsburgh Diocese Chancery, "the windows are so designed that the light from the outside filtering through their prismatic colors makes pure white light...The twilight of a clear day is perhaps the most favorable time for appreciating the amazing, deep, gem-like coloring of the windows. The tones are as rich and as soft as those of a Persian rug, and the black lead lines give a continual contrast to the glowing labyrinth of translucent jewels...each twinkling with an almost barbaric burst of color."
George Sotter was also an impressionist painter in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He painted mostly landscapes and is known for "winter scenes in moonlight and his landscapes
with cloud-filled skies" (see The Michenar Art Museum). Today, his paintings are very valuable (see The Antiques Roadshow).
Other Windows
Later additions to the stained glass in the Church of Saint Mark were finished in 1930. The windows in the entrances, sacristy, and daily Mass chapel were made by A. R. Larsen. A diamond pattern is decorated with small painted symbols and figures. Two windows on either side of the altar in the lower church (now hidden by the front wall) were made by Thomas J. Gaytee. The Crucifixion is depicted on the left, the Resurrection on the right.
