The interior walls are of Indiana limestone; and the pavement of pink Knoxville, Tenn., marble and mottled Vermont marble. The Altar is of gray Knoxville marble. On its front is carved the Madonna of the Chair on the left of which, from the spectator’s standpoint, is St. Michael with sword and on the right St. Gabriel with lilies. In the middle of the sculptured Reredos, (above) is represented Christ holding the globe (symbol of sovereignty), and (below) the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist.
On the left of the figures are St. Ansgarius with crozier (above) and Gustavus Adolphus with sword (below), while on the right are St. Olaf with crown and scepter (above) and Luther in gown with book (below). The Altar and Reredos were given by Mrs. Julia Grinnell Bowdoin. In the left (northern) wall of the Sanctuary is a niche made of stones from Worcester and Ely Cathedrals, England. On the upper surface of the stone bracket forming the shelf of the niche is carved “Ely 1320.” The stones from the Lady Chapel of Worcester Cathedral were given to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine by Canon George William Douglas of New York who procured them from Canon J. M. Wilson, Archdeacon of Worcester.[47] On the stones on either side of the recess is carved:
“These Stones from ‖ the Cathedral ‖ of Christ and ‖ St. Mary the Virgin ‖ Worcester, England, ‖ are Memorials to ‖ William Reed ‖ Huntington ‖ Sometime Rector ‖ of All Saints ‖ in Worcester ‖ Massachusetts.”
Three small Windows of two lights each in the Sanctuary contain (from left to right) representations of: (1) St. Willibrod with mitre, archiepiscopal staff, and model of cathedral; and St. Lucian with crown, scepter and sword; (2) St. Ansgarius with mitre and crozier; and King Olaf with crown and scepter; and (3) above the Reredos, St. Eric with crown and scepter; and St. Wilifred with mitre and archiepiscopal staff. The window spaces at the right of the latter are walled up because they are blanketed by the adjacent chapel. In the two bays of the north aisle are two noble stained glass windows, each having five lights and each light depicting two scenes. In the left hand or western window, the upper tier of scenes is chiefly devoted to Old Testament subjects as follows (left to right): Adam and Eve (Gen. ii. 7-25); the visit of the three angels to Abraham bearing the promise of the birth of Isaac (Gen. xviii. 2-22); St. Michael fighting the dragon with a cross-shaped spear (Rev. xii. 7); Abraham offering to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. xxii. 9-13); and Jacob’s dream of the ladder (Gen. xxviii. 12). In the lower tier are five scenes prophetic of the birth of the Forerunner of Christ and of Christ himself: The angel’s visit to Zacharias to foretell the birth of John the Baptist (Luke i. 13); the annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the coming birth of Christ (Luke i. 28); St. Gabriel with lilies as Angel of the Annunciation (Luke i. 28); the angels’ visit to the shepherds (Luke ii. 8-12); and the angel’s visit to Joseph, husband of Mary, to foretell the birth of Christ (Mat. i. 20). The right hand or eastern window depicts Acts of the Apostles. In its upper tier are: St. Peter preaching to the Disciples (Acts i. 15); St. Peter healing the lame man (Acts iii. 2-8); St. Peter with key; the stoning of St. Stephen (Acts vii. 59); and St. Philip baptizing the eunuch (Acts viii. 26-38); and in the lower tier: St. Peter raising Tabitha (Acts ix. 40); the conversion of St. Paul’s jailer at Philippi (Acts xvi. 23-31); St. Paul with sword; St. Paul laying hands on the Disciples (Acts xix. 6); and St. Paul before Felix (Acts xxiv. 24-25). All the windows are by Messrs. C. E. Kempe & Co. of London. In two high niches in the south wall are Statues of Eric, King of Sweden (left) and Canute, King of the English, Danes and Norwegians (right;) and in a niche at the west end of the north aisle is a statue of King Eskiel, all crowned. On the Ambulatory side of the entrance bay are two statues: John the Baptist (above) and St. Ansgarius with crozier and mitre, holding a small cathedral (below). The sculptures are by Mr. John Evans of Boston. In a bay of the chapel temporarily rests a symbolic group executed in Caen stone by Miss Malvina Hoffman of New York, entitled The Sacrifice. It is intended for Harvard University at Cambridge, Mass., as a memorial of Robert Bacon, sometime U. S. Ambassador to France and a Trustee of the University, and of the Harvard men who lost their lives in the World War. It represents a dead Crusader, such as those who went from Cambridge, Eng., in the 12th century, and gave their lives for an ideal, lying upon a cross with his head pillowed in a woman’s lap. According to the traditional position of the feet of the Crusader, he was one of those who never reached Jerusalem, those who did so being traditionally represented with their feet crossed. The woman may typify Alma Mater as well as those women who gave their best to a great cause and made their lonely grief their glory. The two figures symbolize mutual sacrifice. This chapel has an independent Organ played from a movable console on the floor. The chapel, which is the gift of many persons, was dedicated on April 3, 1918. On one of the walls is inscribed:
THE SACRIFICE
“The Chapel of Saint Ansgarius ‖ Consecrated April 3, 1918 ‖ to the Worship of ‖ Almighty God ‖ and in Loving Memory of ‖ William Reed Huntington ‖ for 25 Years Rector of Grace Church ‖ and for 22 Years Trustee of this Cathedral.”