Left to right: (a) Whole window. (b) St Thomas Aquinas. (c) St Pancras. The window was by James Powell & Sons, and installed in 1914 in the east wall of the north chapel of All Hallows, Gospel Oak, in memory of Sarah Isitt who had died in 1912 (see Eberhard). The learned theologian Thomas Aquinas is honoured as a saint by the Catholic church, while the youth St Pancras, with his palm branch and sword (the instrument of his beheading) was the early Roman martyr from whom the London district takes its name. [Click on the images for larger pictures.]

The angels at the foot of each light bear scrolls inscribed with the saints' names. Below them are lines from the hymn "O Salutaris Hostia" ("O Saving Host"). This Eucharistic hymn was written by St Thomas Aquinas specifically for the Feast of Corpus Christi. In English the words are rendered: "O saving Victim, opening wide, / The gate of Heaven to man below! / Our foes press hard on every side; / Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow." This is doubly appropriate, both for the east end of the church and for times of war.

Photographs by John Salmon and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL, or credit the Victorian Web in a print document.

Sources

Eberhard, Robert. Stained Glass Windows at All Hallows, Gospel Oak." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 30 August 2015.

"O Salutaris Hostia." Our Catholic Prayers. Web. 30 August 2015.

"Saints & Angels. Catholics Online. Web. 30 August 2015.


Created 30 August 2015