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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel

Studio Name: Emil Frei Associates, Inc.

City: Livonia

Window Shape: 5 (gothic arched, 2 vertical sections)

Subject/Title of Window: Apostles

Brief Description of Subject: This two lancet aisle window is located on the gospel side of the public seating section of the Chapel. All aisle windows and transept windows have the same basic pattern, two lancet windows, the top symbol in each lancet sets the topic for that lancet, and the four symbols below are each encased in a geometrical shape surrounded by grisaille glass. The border and filler color used, like the geometric shape, is unique to the section of the Chapel they are located in --- the public section uses an ovalish shape and the color of amber.
 
Left lancet starting at the top.
 
Not positively identified. Most likely a symbol for the Christian Church.
 
St. John: Chalice with serpent crawling out of it. This symbol for John comes from the legend that in an attempt to kill him, he was given a chalice laced with poison, but when he blessed it, the poison turned into a serpent, and crawled out of it. Those who had attempted to kill him converted to Christianity.
 
St. Matthew: Three money bags. This comes from his occupation --- Jesus "saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. 'Follow me,' he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him" (Matthew 9:9).
 
St. Bartholomew: Flaying knife, a fig leaf, and a fig seed pod sliced to show its seeds. Bartholomew was martyred by being skinned alive with a flaying knife. Bartholomew has long been identified as Nathanael in the Bible. This has led to his association with a fig tree from Christ's words to Nathaneal, "I saw you while you were under the fig tree" (John 1:38).
 
Jude: Builder's square and a boat hook. The builder's square --- Jude is believed to have started churches in Arabia, Syria, and Mesopotamia. The boat hook --- Jude sailed with Simon on missions in Persia.
 
Right lancet starting at the top.
 
Simon: A fish lying on a book (Word of God). Simon's profession was as a fisherman. He became a fisher of men when he preached the Word of God.
 
Matthias: A book (Word of God) and an ax. He preached the Word of God, and was martyred when a pagan priest beheaded him with an ax.
 
Thomas: A spear and a book (Word of God). He preached the Word of God, and was martyred when a pagan priest killed him by running him through with a spear.
 
Philip: Spear and Patriarchal cross. According to the apocryphal book "Acts of Philip," while preaching in Hierapolis, he found the people worshipping a snake and "God's Apostle destroyed the snake with a prayer as though with a spear." He was so successful with converting the people to Christianity that the pagan Proconsul had him crucified.
 
James the Less: A Saw. In Jerusalem the Jewish leaders threatened to have him killed if he didn't deny that Jesus was the Messiah. When he refused, he was stoned, and then clubbed to death. His body was then sawed into pieces.
 
Although the exact date is unknown, this window was in place by 1944.

Height: 11'

Width: 6'

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