St Stephen's Parish
Serving the Catholics of Skipton, Craven and the Dales
North Window
In our church we have a North window, in most churches they have an East window.
The significance of the East window is that churches used to be oriented, which means literally positioned so that they faced east, the direction of the rising sun. This was because the early Christians believed that Christ would return in glory from the east. Moreover, it was the direction of Jerusalem which for medieval Christians in Europe was the centre of the world. There is also a theological significance in associating Christ with the rising sun and the Biblical Song of Zechariah notes that the Saviour will visit us "like the rising sun from on high" (cf Lk 1:78).
As such, the sun would break forth through this window, making it quite a significant feature of a church building. One need only look at those in great cathedrals like York Minster which has a truly enormous and splendid east window.
Incidentally, the east retained its cosmic significance in Catholic worship until very recently. The witness of the early Christians and of Catholics until 1969 and still of Eastern Christians is to celebrate the Eucharist with the priest and all the people facing the east. Hence the Altar was positioned against the reredos to facilitate this custom.
The east window of St Stephen's is a fine example of the early English Gothic style, from the stonework right through to the stained glass design.