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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: All Saints Episcopal Church

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

City: Detroit

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Subject/Title of Window: History of the Church Part 2 St. Paul to Christianity Reaches the British Isles

Brief Description of Subject: Information from Charles J. Connick Associates worksheet 3401. Planning for four windows in the south nave began in 1952. The subject was to be the history of the Church from the Old Testament to the Michigan Diocese. In 1955 the Church was still trying to figure out what they wanted included on those windows. 
 
Sometime after this, the Church switched to the J.&R. Lamb Studios to design and make those windows. Each of the four windows contain eight scenes.
 
The small roundel above scene 1 is a ship (Peter's Bark) an ancient symbol for the Church.
 
Scene 1: St. Paul Shipwrecked is covered in Acts 27:27 - 44. St. Paul was being transported to Rome to stand trial before the Emperor when a storm broke out sinking the ship. Through Pauls's action all aboard were saved.
 
Scene 2: St. Paul shipwrecked was covered so extensively in Luke's Acts, that it is believed he must have accompanied Paul on that journey. The background shows the sinking ship and the foreground Luke and Paul helping a sailor. Also seen are a caduceus, alluding to Luke as a physician. In the right corner is Joseph of Arimathea who is found in all of the Gospels to be the one who received permission from Pilate to take the body of Christ. There is a legend that after Christ's death he traveled to Britain introducing Christianity to the Island.
 
Scene 3: Constantine the Great (c.272 - 337) hailed as a friend of Christ and proclaimed Emperor at Eboracum. His father, the Emperor, died in Eboracum, Britain, in 306 and his son Constatine was declared King of the Empire. In 312, before a critical battle, Constantine had a vision of a cross of light with the words "in this sign you will conquer." His labarum, seen in the border, consists of the Chi-Rho Christogram. The labarum would have had images of his three sons who were put in charge of parts of the Empire. Under the laborum are coins with the heads of his sons.  
 
Scene 4: Although not baptized until on his death bed in 337, his conversion is generally considered to be 313 with his issuance of the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.
 
Scene 5: St. Ninian (c.360 - 432), known as the Apostle of the Picts, was the first Christian missionary in Scotland. He made a pilgrimage to Rome where he was made a bishop. On his return trip he stopped to visit St. Martin of Tours and would name his Episcopal See after him.
 
Scene 6: St. Columba, an Irish missionary, along with some of his companions, sailed for Scotland in 583. Columba founded the famous abbey on Iona.
 
Scene 7: St. Odran (Odhran in Gaelic) built a church in County Tipperary, and later accompanied St. Columba to Scotland. There is a legend that soon after landing in Scotland, Columba decided to build a chapel but the chapel walls kept falling down. Columba heard a voice telling him to bury a man alive and build the wall over him. Odran volunteered and the walls held. When they moved his body to be buried on consecrated ground, Columba saw Odran's eyes twitch and heard him speak. Quickly he had dirt piled on Odran's grave and sealed it.
 
Scene 8: Pictured are Ionian crosses, signifying Christianity has come to the British Isles. Also seen are the rose (England) and the thistle (Scotland).
 
Inscription at the bottom of the window indicates the window was designed by Katharine Lamb Tait of the J.&R. Lamb Studios.
 
A plaque under the window reads:
To the glory of God
Douglas and Ruth Roby

Inscriptions: St. Paul Shipwrecked
St. Luke Beloved Physician
Joseph of A
Constantine Hailed As Friend Of Christ And King At Eboracum
The Conversion Constantine To Christ
St. Nimian's [sic] Pilgrimage To Bishop Martin of Tours
Columba And His Companions Land On Iona Whitesunside 563
Sealing The Grave of Odrun [sic]
Christianity Reaches The British Isles


Height: 14' 7"

Width: 21"

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