Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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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: Baptisms of Adults With Water

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 --- baptism of water, baptism of desire, and baptism of blood. This window illustrates an adult baptism of water also known as "Believer's Baptism," since it is administered to a person that has come to believe in Christ and has been instructed in the Faith.
 
All quotes from the Douay-Rheims Bible.
 
The top scene in this window is based on John the Baptist's words in his baptism of Christ as found in John 1:32, "I saw the spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven." John the Baptist's attire is from Mark 1:6, "And John was clothed with camel's hair." Christ, with a cruciform halo, is dressed in red, the color of blood which symbolizes the blood he will shed for our salvation.
 
The middle scene pictures a believer's baptism of water. The required godparent is seen in the background, and the altar boy, dressed in a white cassock, is holding the Paschal candle which symbolizes Christ's light passing to the one being baptized.  
 
In the bottom scene, one finds a putto dressed in a cassock.
 
At the very bottom of this window is pictured a green circle with the words "Born Again." These words are found in John 3:5, Jesus said to Nichodemus,"Unless a man be born again with water, and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The color green is the color of Spring and has come to symbolize the regeneration of life --- life after death.

Inscriptions: Adult Baptism
Born Again


Height: 68"

Width: 14"

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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.

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