Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: First United Methodist Church

Studio Name: Von Gerichten Studios

City: Kalamazoo

Window Shape: 6 (gothic arched, more than 2 vertical sections)

Subject/Title of Window: Mercy

Brief Description of Subject: This is one of the eight “Gifts of the Spirits” windows. The symbols in the upper row of windows from left to right: The Latin Cross used by any religious body whose doctrines include a confession of the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death, it is the actual form of the cross upon which the Savior died; the descending dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit; the Jeweled Crown symbolic of our Lord’s great victory and Eternal Life. The middle row: St. James symbolized by the pilgrim’s staff and wallet; the sword of Martyrdom against the Lamb’s Book of Life, in which is written the names of the Holy Martyrs; and St. Andrew, the cross saltire, St. Andrew is believed to have died on a cross of this sort while preaching the Gospel in Greece. The bottom row, center window; Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ; the three stages of life history of the butterfly represent the three stages of the Christian; first is the crawling larva, representing the lowly condition of the mortal man on this earth; next is the chrysalis, lying in its shell, and seemingly lifeless, this depicts the body of man in the grave; finally the pupa bursts its outer shell, emerges, dries its wings and soars heavenward with a body beautiful and new; so also does our Lord Jesus raise up all the dead at the last day and the soul and glorified body are reunited, to dwell in Heaven forever; what finer symbol is there of the power of our Savior to raise up the faithful believer?

Condition of Window: Very Good

Height: 50'?

Width: 12'?

Type of Glass and Technique: Antique or Cathedral Glass, Lead Came

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.

If you have any questions, additions or corrections, or think you can provide better images and are willing to share them, please contact donald20@msu.edu