Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Click any image to enlarge.

MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. John's Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Royal Oak

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1975

Subject/Title of Window: St. Francis-Honor Thy Father and Mother-Consider the Lilies of the Field

Brief Description of Subject: This window, designed by Eric Sundean, is located on the ground floor of the Epistle side transept and features three scenes.

Top Scene: St. Francis of Assisi is costumed in the habit of a Franciscan Friar (he founder the Order). The cincture with three knots represent the vows all Franciscan Friars must take --- poverty, chastity, and obedience. The oil lamp symbolizes guidance --- Proverbs 6:20 - 23, "My son, keep your father's commands ... for these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light," (NIV). The bird in his hand references any of a number of stories of St. Francis' interaction with birds, usually involving his ability to communicate with them. At his feet is the wolf of Gubbio which comes from the story that when he was living in Gubbio, a wolf began eating their livestock and attacking people. St. Francis walked up to the wolf, and making the sign of the cross, the wolf sat meekly by his side. St. Francis then had the wolf agree not to attack creatures made by God and in return the townspeople were to feed him.

Middle Scene: The inscription, "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" is the fifth Commandment. The scene pictures the Holy Family at work. Jesus helping his father in his profession as a carpenter while his mother is sewing.

Bottom Scene: The inscription is from the Sermon on the Mount. This scene depicts Jesus' preaching "Do Not Worry" as found in Matthew 6:28 - 30: "And why are you anxious about clothing? CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD, how they grow: they neither toil or spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" (ESV).

The predella contains the memorial inscription.

Inscriptions: St. Francis of Assisi
Honor thy father and they mother
Consider the lilies of the field
A tribute to James Watt 1884-1940
Amy Ellen Watt 1885-1973
The Watts Family


Condition of Window: Good

Height: 80"

Width: 16 1/2"

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

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