Light striking the stained glass sets the rich colors glittering and glowing inside Bethesda Episcopal Church—like dazzling jewels against dark velvet. The windows in the Saratoga Springs church contain more than Biblical stories; they hold Masonic symbols (like the all-seeing eye on the back of the $1 bill) and genuine mysteries.
One mysterious window shows Jesus at about age 6 with his earthly father, Joseph the carpenter. Joseph's hand is on his heart, as if in pain. A child's coffin is near his feet. Jesus gazes at his dad, worried. There is no Biblical story that this image could possibly be illustrating.
Bethesda's welcoming, informed guides are Mary Shartle, co-editor of book on the church's history, and Mercy House president Gordon Boyd (Bethesda's Mercy House is a haven for those struggling with addiction and varied disabilities).
In the choir loft, three angels in iridescent silver and gold-trimmed robes float above red-streaked dark clouds piled into mountains and gorges that resemble the Grand Canyon.
"The artists used a technique of layering pieces of glass that give those images an almost three dimensional effect," Shartle explained.
The Tiffany windows were installed over years spanning the Civil War through the Gilded Age. The congregation was founded in 1830 taking its name, Bethesda, from the supernatural pool described in the New Testament. The Gospel of John says that whenever angels rippled the pool, the water was imbued power to heal any ailment, disease or disability.
People frantically seeking cures gathered at the pool, waiting for invisible angels.
The huge window behind the pulpit shows Jesus healing the sick at the pool without using a drop of its water. The window was an 1887 gift from financier Spencer Trask and his wife Katrina, who developed and funded the Yaddo artists' colony. Shartle points to the mother with a sick baby at the pool's edge.
"Katrina had four children and all died before adulthood; the window was donated in honor of her daughter who died of diphtheria she may have caught from Katrina," Shartle said.
Mother and baby may reflect Katrina's desperate prayers.
Sometimes the donor's story is as compelling as the window's image. Ellen Wadsworth donated a window showing a sunburned John the Baptist clad in wild animal fur baptizing Jesus in a pale green river where lily pads drift.
Ellen married her violent stepbrother, then fled the abusive marriage. Her son finally shot and killed his dad to protect Ellen. The son was spared prison via an insanity defense.
"Ellen went on to earn an NYU law degree and became a successful writer of scientific papers," Shartle said.
The Gothic Revival building's windows include many symbols related to medieval mysticism.
Two different windows depict a pelican slashing her chest with her beak to feed her nesting babies with drops of her blood. The mystical symbol of self sacrifice had a long, popular life in Britain where Queen Elizabeth I's royal spies wore it carved on amulets.
The church is far more than its works of art. The congregation volunteers for and donates to many charitable efforts including the Salvation Army and the Backstretch Employee Service Team which meets health and social welfare needs of race course backstretch workers. Bethesda is in the process of expanding Mercy House, 26 units of housing for people with chronic health problems.
"Our other program partnerships include the CREATE workshop, which provides art therapy to folks with certain disabilities," Boyd said. "They will be operating in Mercy House once we are up and running."
Stained Glass Series is back
Now that houses of worship are reopening, we hope to provide a monthly showcase for the region's most beautiful, unique or fascinating stained glass. Windows can be modern or historic. Whether your church, synagogue, mosque or temple has one stained glass window or a dozen, if the art holds a special place in your congregation's hearts, we would love to hear about it. Send suggestions to lyedwards@timesunion.com
That appreciation of ethereal beauty and pragmatic service is captured in a window depicting Christ's ascension. He rises toward heaven as the disciples cluster below, heads tilted to watch him soar.
Their expressive glass faces look both awed and determined.
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August 15, 2020 at 08:22AM
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Dazzling windows contain mysteries - Times Union
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