From this central point in the Basilica one has the best view of the twenty-eight beautiful stained glass windows which adorn the upper walls and which date from the early years of the church.

In the apse are five windows of English workmanship. Each window consists of three panels, the outer ones being ornamented with fancywork, monograms, etc., while the centre panels each contain three figures, depicting altogether the twelve apostles, Our Lord, Our Lady and St. Joseph. Beneath the windows are paintings of scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist.

The other stained glass windows in the upper walls are of English, French and Irish workmanship. All the windows were the gifts of religious societies, or individuals, and mainly date back to the 1880's and the 1890's.

The windows in the galleries and nave represent the following:

In the East Gallery, North to South - The Nativity and the Presentation, St. Francis of Assisi, Queen of the Holy Rosary, St. Joseph, The Ascension. In the East Nave, North to South - St. Luke, The Transfiguration, St. Joseph and the Child Jesus, The Annunciation, St. Cecilia.

In the West Gallery, North to South - Melchizedec, St. John the Baptist, St. Patrick, The Immaculate Conception, The Crucifixion.

In the West Nave, North to South - St. Patrick, St. Brigid, St. Francis Borgia, The Resurrection, The Sacred Heart appearing to St. Margaret Mary.

In the south wall of the Basilica, above the organ gallery, stands the most historically impressive of the stained glass windows - the Pallium Window - erected to commemorate the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Province of Newfoundland and the conferring of the pallium on Archbishop Howley on June 23, 1905.

The picture represents three great Prelates of the Church, vested in full pontificals. The central figure, wearing the pallium, is Archbishop Howley. On the Archbishop's right is Bishop McDonald of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, who conferred the pallium. At the Archbishop's left is Bishop Neil McNeil of St. George's, Newfoundland.

There are over twenty-five figures in the window, including clergymen, dignitaries, altar boys, cross-bearers, etc. The outlilne of the High Altar forms the background, and an inscription across the window reads, in translation, "Commemorative of the Conferring of the Pallium, Juen 23, 1905."

At the bottom of the window are shown the Arms of the three Dioceses which form the Ecclesiastical Province.

The Window is from the workshop of M. Louis Koch of Beauvais, France, and was presented by the Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[Note: The pallium is a narrow circular band of white wool about two inches wide, with two 12 inch pendants of the same material which hang, one over the front and one over the back of the wearer. Six black crosses are embroidered on the Pallium, one each on the front and back, one on each shoulder, and one on each pendant.

The Pallium is specially woven in Rome from lamb's wool which has been blessed. The lambs symbolize Christ as the Lamb of God, and the Good Sheperd. The wearing of the Pallium is significant to the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan in his ecclesiastical province and is a sign of his union with the See of Peter. The Pallium is bestowed by the Pope, or his representative, upon the Archbishop. On an Archbishop's death, the pallium is interred with him.]

The stained glass windows to the eat and west of the Pallium window depict St. Peter (east window) and St. Paul (west window).