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: 1943

Subject/Title of Window: Raising of Lazarus

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 church and replaced it with a modern styled church which opened in 1957, moving the stained glass to the new church. This window is now located on the second level of the Gospel side transept.

This is a two panel window titled, "The Raising of Lazarus." Each panel is bordered with geometrical patterns alternating with pictures of animals, boats, angels, buildings, et al.

At the top level of the left panel is depicted an angel holding a shield containing a brush aspergillum and an aspersorium which are used in the sprinkling of holy water. At the top of the right panel is an angel holding a shallow bowl. It is not clear whose attributes these pertain to, Jesus, Lazarus, Martha, or Mary. The only one that I could associate with the sprinkling of holy water is Martha. A story recorded in the Medieval book titled "Golden Legend," has Martha, Mary, and Lazarus traveling to a place called Tarascon where a dragon was terrorizing the populace. Martha paralyzed the dragon by sprinkling holy water on it and the people were able to slay the dragon.

This window's scene comes from Chapter 11 of the Gospel of John. All quotes from the King James Version of the Bible. Lazarus lay ill, so his sisters, Martha and Mary of Bethany, sent word for Jesus to come immediately. "Now JESUS LOVED MARTHA, AND HER SISTER, AND LAZARUS, (Verse 5). When he arrived in Bethany he found the crowd at Martha's house mourning the death of Lazarus, who by this time, had already been entombed. Jesus told them to open the tomb. The scene is based on Verses 41 - 44: When they opened the tomb, "Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, FATHER, I THANK THEE that thou hast heard me. And I know that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, THAT THEY MAY BELIEVE that thou hast sent me. And when he had spoken, he cried in a loud voice, Lazarus come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes."

The scene pictures Jesus costumed in his traditional red (Revelation 19:13 "and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood.") and white (holiness and purity), Above his head is depicted God the Father. Jesus is commanding Lazarus to rise. Lazarus is rising out of his tomb dressed in strips of linen (grave clothes). Witnesses to this miracle are Mary, Martha, and above their heads a crowd of mourners --- "that they may believe." At the bottom of the scene is a man with a quill pen and a book with the inscription "John XI" --- this references that this story is written in Chapter 11 of the Gospel of John.

The memorial inscription at the bottom of this window is no longer visible. According to Church records, this window was given in memory of Matilda Harriet Symes and Marie Magdalene Lehmann by their son and daughter, respectively, Mr and Mrs. Russell W Symes and dedicated on October 10, 1943.

Inscriptions: Father I thank thee
That they may believe
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus


Condition of Window: Good

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

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