Stained Glass Windows from Two Churches

The church window of the Original Congregational Church of Wrentham, done to Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" from the Messiah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRmDO-qt8z4&list=PLYTtL1FB2XCqRlBa-eUkRBSnoioKOtXQk&index=22

Multiple church windows of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Wrentham, done to Riu, Riu Chiu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGJk5cSqfBg&index=1&list=PLYTtL1FB2XCqRlBa-eUkRBSnoioKOtXQk

The footage is over thirty years old, from the days when I could still handle some video camera moves. I moved to this town from Chicago, when Chicago still had small town connection between strangers on the street. I didn't understand how connected Chicago was until we moved to Westchester County in NY and I realized that people dropped their eyes on the street as you passed them. Going back to visit Chicago, I counted 18 people who met my eyes on the street and smiled to acknowledge my existence in the block and a half walk to the grocery.

This tiny town in Massachusetts had that same interconnectivity, which made me fall in love with it. When mother died while visiting from Chicago, the neighbor across the way came over to say how sorry she was. I asked how she knew and she explained she had recognized the license plate of the mortician's car, Richard Ross, now a MA Senator, in front of our home. I had fumbled about with Richard trying to act professional while prostrate with grief but Richard refused to talk business until he had picked mother up at Mass General. He asked me to tell him about her because he didn't want to touch her until he knew who she was. I'd walk over glass to vote for Richard.

These videos were part of my set to celebrate this wonderful, tiny little town.

Best, Mary

For some reason, those Chartres windows leave me emotionally cold. The profusion of color is lovely, but only intellectually interesting. Back at U of Chicago I switched in my senior year from physics to the History of Art, Near Eastern Ancient. I could sit in a room with the front projector filling the view with images that made me cry from their beauty. Schroedinger Equations never did that for me. I don’t know why this just really doesn’t reach me either. But grateful for the link.

Indeed - I’ve survived many a long and tedious sermon over the years by meditating on the beautiful, magical light coming through the lovely stained glass decorating the sanctuary - brought me closer to God than what most any preacher had to offer....

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