The eyes of all entering St. George’s Church, Taormina, are immediately drawn to this beautiful window, located at the east end, above the Altar. This window, though slightly damaged at the time, is the only one of 3 in the church to have survived the WWII Allied bombardment of Taormina in July of 1943 intact.

It was also the oldest of the stained glass windows in the church, being brought from the private chapel of the Sir Edward Hill, located in a former (and subsequent) convent down the road. Installed when the church was completed in 1922, the window depicts

Our Lord on the Cross,

flanked to the bottom right by

St. George, patron saint of England and patron of the Church,

and to the left by

St. Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of needlework, handicrafts, and young girls.

Mabel Hill, daughter of Sir Edward, and one of the founders of the church, had earlier established a school for needlework and lace to teach a craft to young girls in the area, hence the significance of the inclusion of St. Catherine in the window of the family’s chapel.

Visitors to Taormina, Sicily, are welcome to come to see the church and this beautiful window. The Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday at 11 a.m., and the church is usually opened by 10 a.m. The church is also opened at various times during the week, at the discretion of the Locum Chaplain. A call to the Chaplain at +39 0942 23859 is the best way to guarantee that the church will be accessible, and the Chaplain is usually available to schedule a visit at other times.