Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Holy Name Church

Studio Name: Detroit Stained Glass Works, The

City: Birmingham

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1955

Subject/Title of Window: St. Ambrose of Milan

Brief Description of Subject: This is one of six aisle windows that portray Doctors of the Church. Due to an annex to the Church, this window is no longer able to receive sunlight. The Church has installed a spot light that illuminates the head region.

St. Ambrose (340 - 396) is one of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church. After the death of the bishop of Milan, the people of that city proclaimed Ambrose their bishop. He is most known for his many theological writings, his fight against the Arian heresy, and his conversion and baptism of St. Augustine of Hippo.

Attributes of St. Ambrose seen here:

At the top, Chi-Rho Christogram and the Greek letters Alpha and Omega. A symbol that Christ is God. This refers to Ambrose's fight against the Arian Heresy which believed that Christ was not God but rather he was the son of God.

Costumed as a bishop. 

In his hands, sheet music for the Te Deum also known as the Ambrosian Hymn. There is a story that as Ambrose was baptizing St. Augustine, they improvised the Te Deum.

Three-corded whip. Legend has it that in 1338, when Milan was under attack, St. Ambrose appeared on horseback and scattered the enemy with a three-corded whip.

Below is a beehive. While still in the cradle, a swarm of bees went in and out of his mouth, foreshadowing his eloquence that would be as sweet as honey. The name Ambrose is derived from the Greek word "ambrosia" meaning the divine food of God which in the Old Testament was honey.

This window was designed by Margaret Bouchez Cavanaugh when she worked at the Detroit Stained Glass Works.

Condition of Window: Good

Height: 112"

Width: 34"

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

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