In Memory of Mary Lyon

The Mary Lyon Window

This window is in honor of our church’s namesake,  a native of Buckland, who was baptized in this church, and was the founder of Mount Holyoke College -  Mary Lyon (1797-1849).

Located on the center east wall, this window is the only one that has a painted portrait in the center panel rather than being all glass pieces like the others.

For years many congregants sat in church thinking the image was of Mary Lyon herself.

The portrait is actually a well-known image attributed to Johann Michael Ferdinand Heinrich Hofmann (1824 -1911) who was a German painter of the late 19th to early 20th century. Known as “Heinrich Hofmann,” he is best known for his many paintings depicting the life of Jesus Christ.

Heinrich grew up in a family that harbored a deep interest in art. His father, painted in watercolors, his mother gave lessons in art before she married, and his four brothers all showed artistic talent. Heinrich, however, was the only one for whom art was not only a profession but the center of his life.

At the rear (south end) of our church sanctuary there is a marble tablet over the door in honor of Mary Lyon, and on the wall over the sofa to the right is a framed print of the young Christ in the Temple. It’s an image of the young Christ surrounded by four elders of the Temple and one attendant looking on. The original work also being attributed to Hofmann.

The Mary Lyon window has several Christian symbols. In addition to the Christ image, there are 66 red dots of glass representing the 66 books of the Bible.  There is the open Bible, the word of God. Note there is a lighted torch design at the top of the Bible. 

A torch held up symbolizes life, truth and the regenerative power of flame.

From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torch, we learn that the torch is a common emblem of both enlightenment and hope. The torch resembles the one held by the lady, Statue of Liberty: "Liberty Enlightening the World" lifting her torch. Jesus is the “light of the world.”

These seem fitting symbols for Mary Lyon who has enlightened students and teachers for generations.