Gathering of the folks around the Word and Sacrament

Our Historical Building

This beautiful place of worship was erected by German immigrants in 1886. The interior is 100 ft. x 60 ft. and 75 ft. high to the rafters. The bell tower rises 200 ft. and houses three bells inscribed Glaube, Hoffnung, and Liebe (Faith, Hope, and Charity). They were a gift to the new congregation from the Empress of Germany in the late 1800s. The church was constructed in a Gothic style reminiscent of church architecture prevalent in northern Europe in the latter years of the 19th century. Of particular note in the interior are the ornate and irreplaceable chancel wood carvings, which were hand-carved in the Black Forest of Germany. Immanuel's nave windows, installed in 1973, were designed by Mr. Benoit Gilsoul, a Belgian-born artist living and working in New York City. They were fabricated of faceted glass by Mr. Helmut Schardt of East Northport, Long Island. The windows are a visual meditation on the verses of the ancient Christian hymn Te Deum Laudamus.

Nave Windows

Immanuel Lutheran Church's windows were designed by Benoit Gilsoul, a Belgian-born artist who lived and worked in New York City and who died December 17, 2000. They were fabricated of faceted glass and epoxy by Mr. Helmut Schardt of East Northport, Long Island. They were commissioned by the congregation in July of 1972 and installed between December 1972 and May 1973.

The theme of the windows is the ancient Christian hymn, Te Deum Laudamus. Legend has it that the hymn was composed spontaneously by St. Ambrose and St. Augustine on the occasion of the latter's baptism by the former. Actually, it was probably written by the missionary bishop Niceta of Dacia (modern day Romania) around the turn of the fifth century. The Te Deum consists of two parts. The first is a paean of praise to the triune God and the second is a hymn of redemption. In later centuries a concluding prayer for the people of God was added to the text. This section is not treated in the windows.

Each of the ten windows from top to bottom forms a unit and depicts a part of the hymn. In addition, the windows are unified by a cursive line running throughout the design and by a color progression that moves from cool greens and blues in the back of the church to bright reds and golds in the front.

The windows move in order from the back of our church to the front, from the narthex toward the chancel. The first is in the back on the Lexington Avenue side, and the portrayal of the second part of the Te Deum begins in the back of the church on the Park Avenue side.