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: Sacrament of Baptism Part 2, The Holy Spirit

Brief Description of Subject:
This is the second of a three panel window on the Sacrament of Baptism located in the narthex. The panels are separated by the double doors of the front entrance to the Church. Until modern times, one was not allowed to enter the Church unless you were baptized. This necessitated placing the Baptistry either in a separate building or like here, in the narthex.

The Holy Spirit plays the central part in the Sacrament of Baptism. In Mark 1:4-11, John the Baptist tells the crowd that had gathered to be baptized, "I baptize you with water, but he [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit," and at Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, as he was coming out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on Him." The words said at the Sacrament of Baptism come from Jesus' instructions to the Apostles that they were to spread the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 22:18).

The centerpiece of this window is a descending dove (Holy Spirit) radiating Divine rays of light. A comment on the illumination by the Divine rays at baptism by Pope Paul VI from his #39 Ecclesiam Suam:

"Christians ... must truly look upon Baptism as did the Christians of old, as an 'illumination', which, by drawing down upon him the life-giving ray of divine truth, opens heaven for him, sheds light upon earthly life, and enables him to walk as a child of light towards the vision of God, the spring of eternal happiness."

Seen below are fish swimming in water. The symbolism for this comes from the following passage on Baptism written by Tertullian (c.160 - c,225). (Note he assumes knowledge that "ICHTHYS" is the Greek word for "fish" and forms an acrostic for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior):

"We little fish, after the image of our ICHTHYS, Jesus Christ, are born in water, nor have we safety in any other way than permanently abiding in water."

Thus the fish in this window represent "we little fish" swimming in the living water of Baptism.

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

Condition of Window: Good

Height: 90"

Width: 20"

Type of Glass and Technique: Antique or Cathedral Glass

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