Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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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: 1945

Subject/Title of Window: Dorcas

Brief Description of Subject: This window was designed for this Parish's Gothic styled church which opened in 1926. Subsequently the congregation needed a larger space and replaced this Church with a modern styled church which opened in 1957, taking the stained glass windows to the new church. This window is now located on the second level of the Gospel side transept.

This is the "Dorcas Window," and is bordered with geometric patterns as well as animals, boats, angels, buildings, et al.

The attribute in the shield at the top, the scene below it, as well as the figure of Dorcas with a youngster, all come from her story found in Acts 9:36 - 42: (paraphrasing) Living in Joppa was a disciple named "Tabatha," which when translated from Aramaic to Greek, becomes "Dorcas." She was devoted to helping the poor, especially by making clothes for them. She died and her body was taken to an upstairs room. They then sent for St. Peter, who was in a neighboring town. When he arrived, he found the widows crying. He then prayed by her bedside and said, "TABATHA ARISE," Verse 40 KJV. He helped her get up and showed the widows and believers that she was now alive.

At the top level of the window is pictured an angel holding a shield with an attribute of Dorcas --- a spinning wheel, symbolizing her making of clothes for the poor.

Below this is the scene with the body of Dorcas laying on a bed, St. Peter telling her to get up, and a crying widow kneeling at the side of the bed.

Below the scene is Dorcas performing an act of charity by giving an article of clothing to a needy youngster. The memorial inscription has been removed from the bottom of the window so that the window could fit into its present location in the new Church. According to Church records, this window was given as a tribute to Mrs. Thrope, Kindergarten Leader, by the Church School, and dedicated on June 3, 1945.

Inscriptions: Tabitha Arise
Dorcas


Condition of Window: Good

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.

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