Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Click any image to enlarge.

MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Our Lady Queen of Apostles Catholic Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Hamtramck

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Date of Window: 1951

Subject/Title of Window: Baptism of Blood

Brief Description of Subject: This is one of four windows created for the baptistry. This baptistry is located in a private room off the Gospel side aisle and is octagonal in shape, symbolizing Christ's resurrection on the eighth day from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. When this Church was built, baptisms were not allowed in the interior of the Church. Most baptistries were placed in the vestibule, a few either in a separate building, or like here, in a private room off the interior of the Church. Vatican II changed this prohibition and allows baptisms to take place inside the Church even during Mass. This Church has moved the baptistry from this private room.
 
There are three types of Baptism in the canon of the Catholic Church. This window illuminates an example of "Baptism of Blood." Even if you are not a Christian, by dying for Christ, you are considered saved by the baptism of blood.
 
The quotes are from the NRSVCE Bible.
 
The Middle Scene: The Massacre of the Infants. Matthew 2:16.
 
Herod learned from wise men that the King of the Jews had recently been born in Bethlehem. Herod told them on their return trip to tell him exactly where the King of the Jews was so that he could pay homage to him. An angel told the wise men to return by a different route as Herod meant to kill the King. "When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under."
 
Top Scene: The Escape to Egypt. Matthew 2:13 - 15.
 
"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy him.' Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt."
 
The infants massacred are considered saved by the baptism of blood, as they died for Christ so that he could escape to Egypt with his family.
 
Bottom Scene: A decorative putto is pictured reacting to the scene above him.
 
The maker has signed the window at the bottom right "Willet Studio Phila PA."

Inscriptions: Baptism of Blood
Willet Studio Phila PA


Height: 68"

Width: 14"

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