Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Mariners' Church

Studio Name: Lamb (J. and R.) Co.

City: Detroit

Window Shape: 5 (gothic arched, 2 vertical sections)

Subject/Title of Window: Raphael and Gabriel

Brief Description of Subject: The window is located above the side door entrance to the Church. According to the book "The Windows of Old Mariners' " by Jean M. Fox, the nave windows on the left side were dedicated to different branches of the Armed Forces. This is the 4th window and is dedicated to the Coast Guard. Below the angels are the U.S. Coast Guard Shield and the U.S. Flag shield. Additionally this window and the one next to it, which also features 2 angels (totaling 4 angels), is dedicated to the Four Chaplains of the U.S.A.T. Dorchester --- a Rabbi, a Catholic and 2 Protestant chaplains, who had given their lives so that other soldiers could live after the ship was torpedoed and sinking during WW2.

The Archangel Raphael, in the left lancet, appears in the book of "Tobit". Tobit had gone blind and sent his son Tobias to collect a debt in a far away town. Tobias obtained a guide who said his name was "Azarias" to help him on the journey. When they reached their destination, Tobias married a woman named Sarah who was tormented by a demon. Azarias expelled the devil. When they returned home, Azarias cured Tobit of his blindness, and then told them that he was really the Archangel Raphael who had been sent by God to heal Tobit and Sarah. Thus Raphael is known as the angel that heals. At the bottom left of the lancet is seen 2 snakes on a stick (doctors' symbol). On top of Raphael's head is the "tongue of angels" (1 Corinthians 13:1 and Pentecost).

In the right lancet is the Archangel Gabriel most known as the messenger God sent to announce to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. The flower symbol for this Annunciation is the lily which can be seen at the bottom right. On top of Gabriel's head is the "tongue of angels". In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the second coming of Christ will be announced with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. Although the angel is not named, it has become a Christian tradition that when Gabriel blows his horn, Christ will come again.

Height: ~8'

Width: 4.5'

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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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