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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Saints Constantine And Helen Greek Orthodox Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Westland

Date of Window: 1996

Subject/Title of Window: The Crucifixion

Brief Description of Subject: At the top of this south transept window is the title of this icon in Greek, "The Crucifixion." All scripture quotes from the NKJV Bible.
 
Christ, arms nailed to the cross and feet nailed to the footstool, is pictured at His death --- head down, and body bowed to the right. In His nimbus are the Greek letters omikron, omega, nu --- "I AM WHO I AM," the name God used to identify Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14.
 
To the left of Jesus is His mother, with halo, being consoled by a woman for the loss of her Son. On the right of Jesus, the haloed man with a hand to his face in bewilderment of what had just transpired, is "the disciple whom He loved" (John 19:26), John the Evangelist. To the far right, is a centurion pointing to Christ. At the moment when Christ died, he had proclaimed, "Truly this Man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39).
 
Below Christ is the skull of Adam. Tradition has Adam's body buried on the very spot where Christ was crucified. The earthquake that occured on Jesus' death, split open the ground and Christ's blood fell on the skull symbolizing that His death had atoned for man's fallen nature caused by Adam's sin.
 
In the background are the city walls of Jerusalem, indicating the crucifixion took place outside the gates of Jerusalem. St. Paul makes use of this fact in Hebrews 13:11 - 14, "the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come."
 
The pen and ink sketch for this icon was made by Willet Hauser and submitted for approval by the Church.

Inscriptions: The Crucifixion (in Greek)


Height: 27'

Width: 22'

Type of Glass and Technique: Slab or Faceted Glass (Dalle de Verre)

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