stained glass windows
Mediator's Altar Windows
Above the altar and partially behind and above the Cross are three brilliant lancet windows of stained glass; together they tell the story of the Mediatorial Work of Christ. On the Gospel side we have the Nativity with star, angels and Madonna and Child; in the center there is the larger than life-size figure of the resurrected and reigning Lord with his hand upraised in blessing; and on the Epistle side the Holy Spirit as a dove descends upon the Apostles at Pentecost. Below in all three panels a ring of fire surrounded by thorns forms a circle for the center of the handing and empty Cross.
The altar windows tell a story and the man who created them has an interesting story as well. Leonids Linauts was born in 1914 in Latvia, began intensive art studies there at age 14, taught arts and music in the Latvian public schools and went for further study at the Latvia State Academy of Fine Arts. He began to specialize in liturgical art, particularly stained glass. In 1949, after World War II, Linauts came to the United States as a refugee. He served as supervisor and head of the art department in the J. M. Kase Stained Glass Studios in Reading before establishing his own stained glass studio in Mohnton in 1953. Linauts created stained glass windows for a number of churches in Northeast Pennsylvania, including the Apostles' Creed Window at First Presbyterian Church in Allentown. (See their website for an extensive discussion of that window.)
Mr. Linauts' interests did not end at stained glass. When he left Latvia he brought with him blueprints to construct the Latvian kokle orchestras. "To middle class Latvians, the kokle was representative of Latvian national identity in opposition to assimilating forces (i.e. Soviet culture in Latvia in the 1940s and American culture in the 1960s)" (From Music Revivals: Towards a General Theory, by Tamara E. Livingston, Ethnomuiscology, Vol. 43, No. 1.)
He was active in establishing the American Latvian Artists Association in 1978, bringing together artists who were among the 100,000 Latvians who immigrated to the US from Europe as refugees. In 1987 he was elected as an honorary member in "recognition for exceptional accomplishments in Latvian art and contributions to Latvian culture" (see wwwamericanlatvianartists.org/history).
Linauts' roots were likely in the Orthodox faith, as the picture of Jesus in our window shows Christ with holes in his feet but not in his hands, reflecting the Orthodox belief that the wounds of Christ are healed in the Ascension. The image of Jesus then tells the story of his death, resurrection, and ascension. Knowing Linauts' story can add depth to our appreciation of the images he created.