Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Cherry Hill United Presbyterian Church

Studio Name: Phillips Stained Glass Studio

City: Dearborn

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1969

Subject/Title of Window: Through prayer and zeal, the flame of knowledge lifts man closer to God

Brief Description of Subject: Through prayer (the folded hand-shape arising from the base of the window) and zeal, the oranges and reds, the flame of knowledge lifts man closer to God. God is shown by the circle, a symbol of both God and Eternity. The large circle at the bottom of the window reiterates the movement of the circles upward and also symbolizes our world and the universality and the eternal nature of these truths. The small pieces in the center of the window represent the flickering shape of the flame of devotion, of zeal. Small masses of cement in this shape represent in a stylized manner, the separation of the tongs of the flames. A variety of rich deep colors have been used to take advantage of the later afternoon sun on the West and the morning sun on the East, translating rays of light into brilliant interior color patterns. In addition to the practical aspect of light control and interior coloration, color has been used in a symbolic and liturgical sense. Red and orange is the color of love and zeal; yellow the color of goodness and glory; green the color of hope; and blue the color of truth and universality. Violet is the color of penance. In using these colors with symbols, an allegorical theological concept has been created which involves the viewer both emotionally and intellectually.

Condition of Window: Good

Height: 25'

Width: 10'

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

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