The Rev. John E. Phelps, vicar at Christ Church, Eastport from January 1, 1990, through December 31, 2002, wrote eloquently in the church’s October 1995 newsletter about the three memorial stained glass windows in the sanctuary given by past Christ Church parishioners.
“Those of us,” Phelps wrote, “who have sat and watched the morning sun stream through bright cobalt blue, deep crimson, and rich gold stained glass have, without doubt, reflected on early Episcopalians who once sat in our hard, wooden, straight-backed pews, and were former members of the parish for whom the windows were given.”
The first of the three memorial windows mentioned by the Rev. Phelps, the Odell window, was placed in the church following the reorganization of the parish during the Diocesan Convention of June 1885. The window is framed by Masonic symbols with a seated male figure holding a cross against a background of shades of blue with touches of red. The inscription reads, “Peace I leave with you.” It was given by Daniel Ingalls and Hannah Peavey Odell in memory of their daughter Hannah Elizabeth who died in 1875 at the age of 36.
The second window, the Leavitt window, was most likely installed around 1888 and has the names of three Leavitt’s whose ancestor Jonathan was one of the early settlers of Plantation 8 on Moose Island in 1798. The Leavitt window is lovely with a gold cross entwined with lilies on a tan background. The window is in memory of Harriet L., Benjamin B., and Samuel D. Leavitt.
The Pike window, the last of the three, was given by Lucy Pike and depicts the Nativity of our Lord. It was dedicated in 1959 and was designed and installed by Charles J. Connick Associates of Boston. The inscription reads “To the glory of God and in loving memory of John J. and Mary Alice Pike.”
As the Rev. Phelps reflected in his newsletter article, “Ours is a parish rich in history.” And it is a history that the people cherish every Sunday as they worship at Christ Episcopal Church and appreciate the three memorial windows gracing the sanctuary.