Christ baptising a child. Left: Whole window. Right: Close-up of the Baptim.

Christ baptising a child, in the south aisle of the nave of William Butterfield's St Mary Magdalene, Enfield. This and the following four windows are undated, but since one in the sequence is in memory of someone who died in 1907, they probably all date from the early twentieth century. They depict the journey of the Christian child /soul from the first sacrament of baptism through reception into heaven after "fighting the good fight," the passage marked by the further sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation, and then the assumption of colours — that is, the flag of St George. Christ is not only present at the first three ceremonies, but actively conducts them, inspires the committed Christian and eventually receives his soul into heaven. Here, the angel stands by what is recognisably St Mary Magdalene's own font, already holding the flag which the tiny infant must one day bear and uphold. Underneath the solemn and sacred scene is written, "Baptising them into the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Ghost & lo I am with you all the days even unto the end of the world" (from Matthew 28, 19-20.

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 in a web document or cite it in a print one. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]

Sources

"The Nave Stained-Glass." St Mary Magdalene. Web. 6 July 2015.

Eberhard, Robert. "Stained Glass Windows at St Mary Magdalene." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 5 July 2015.


Created 6 July 2015