Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel

Studio Name: Emil Frei Associates, Inc.

City: Livonia

Window Shape: 4 (rounded or rose window)

Subject/Title of Window: Felician Sisters Crest

Brief Description of Subject: This rose window is located on the facade of the Public Chapel. At its center is the Felician Sisters Crest. The subjects of the crest are the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi (the Felician Sisters are Third Order Regular of St. Francis). The dominant colors used are those from the Public Chapel (amber), the Felician Sisters Chapel (blue), and the Transept Chapels (Ruby).
 
At the very center is the flaming Immaculate Heart of Mary. The flaming heart symbolizes Mary's burning love for her Son and us. The piercing of the heart with a sword comes from Simeon's prediction that Mary would endure sorrows for her Son --- Luke 2:35, "And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
 
The crossing arms are the arm of Christ with stigmata and the arm of St. Francis who received the stigmata two years before his death. In the background, the cross with the host at its center symbolizes St. Francis' intense love for Jesus. The clouds beneath the arms represent that he is in heaven. The inscription, DEUS MEUS ET OMNIA (My God and my all), was the motto of St. Francis. At the right corner of the central square is the top of the sword which forms a cross. At the other three corners are symbols for the land, sea, and air, which symbolize that St. Francis's teachings have spread around the world.
 
Viewed outside, the window is framed by a square. At the corners of the square are the symbols for the four Gospel writers.
 
Although the date is unknown, this window was in place by 1944.

Inscriptions: DEUS MEUS ET OMNIA


Height: 9'

Width: 9'

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

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