St. John the Baptist, by J. Wippell, 1986

John the Baptist was the son of Elizabeth (a cousin to the Virgin Mary) and Zechariah, named by an angel before his birth. His ministry is described in the gospels: “In the course of time John the Baptist appeared in the Judean wilderness, proclaiming this message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is upon you!’ … John’s clothing was a rough coat of camel’s hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Everyone flocked to him from Jerusalem, Judaea, and the Jordan valley, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:1-6).

Among his followers were Andrew and Peter who later became disciples of Christ. He baptized Jesus in the river Jordan in about 30 C.E.: “This is the testimony John gave when the Jews of Jerusalem sent a deputation of priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He readily acknowledged, ‘I am not the Messiah,’ ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not,’ he replied. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ ‘No,’ he said. ‘Then who are you?’ they asked. ‘We must give an answer to those who sent us. What account do you give of yourself?’ He answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah: ‘I am a voice crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’ Some Pharisees who were in the deputation asked him, ‘If you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, then why are you baptizing?’ ‘I baptize in water,’ John replied, ‘but among you, though you do not know him, stands the one who is to come after me. I am not worthy to unfasten the strap of his sandal.’ … The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him. ‘There is the Lamb of God,’ he said, ‘who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:19-27, 29).

John preached against the marriage of Herod Antipas, and for this he was arrested: “It was this Herod who had sent men to arrest John and put him in prison at the insistence of his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, whom he had married. John had told him, ‘You have no right to take your brother’s wife.’ Herodias nursed a grudge against John and would willingly have killed him, but she could not, for Herod went in awe of him, knowing him to be a good and holy man; so he gave him his protection. He liked to listen to him, although what he heard left him greatly disturbed. Herodias found her opportunity when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet to his chief officials and commanders and the leading men of Galilee. Her daughter came in and danced, and so delighted Herod and his guests that the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for anything you like, up to half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl hurried straight back to the king with her request: ‘I want you to give me, here and now, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.’ The king was greatly distressed, yet because of his oath and his guests he could not bring himself to refuse her” (Mark 6:1-26). John’s cult spread quickly in both east and west. His feast days are June 24 (his birth) and August 29 (his death).

The images in this window include John’s traditional symbols: the shell which he used to baptize, the reed cross, and a scroll inscribed “Ecce Agnus Dei” (Behold, the Lamb of God).

This window is located on the north side of nave, lower level, fourth window below the transept.

This window was given in February 1986 in memory of Alfrieda M. Thimler, Katherine Hollander Gibson and Max A. Thimler. The inscription of dedication reads: To the Glory of God & In Memory of Alfrieda M. Thimler, Katherine Hollander Gibson and Max A. Thimler It was made by J. Wippell & Co. of Exeter and was designed by Claud A. Howard.