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Window of the Month
Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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Window

Building Name: St. John's Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Royal Oak

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1942

Subject/Title of Window: Christ and the Children, Panel 4

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.

The "Christ and the Children Window," in the old Church, consisted of four panels. At the top of each panel is a picture of a youth found in the Scriptures. The scene below is usually called "Suffer Little Children" from the King James Version of the text in Matthew 19:13 - 15, (inscription found at bottom of this panel is capitalized), "Then they brought unto him little children, that he would put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. And he laid his hands on them, and departed hence." The borders of each panel are made up of geometrical patterns alternating with miniature scenes of children at play, school, or in prayer.

The new Church was simply not designed to accommodate the four paneled scene and it was split up into three parts. Thus it can no longer be viewed as the artist intended.

This is panel 4 which was on the far right of the originally designed window.

At the top level is pictured Timothy and his parents. Timothy is first mentioned in Acts 16:1 --- "He [Paul] came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived whose mother was Jewess and a believer, but whose father was Greek," (NIV). Timothy was 14 at this time and he would become a close friend of Paul and accompany him on many of his missions. Apropos of this window is Paul's encouragement to Timothy found in 1 Timothy 4:12 --- "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers," (NIV).

The scene pictures a boy being led towards Christ by his guardian angel (see Panels 2 and 3). The boy is also seen reading the Word of God. The memorial inscription at the bottom is not entirely visible. Church records indicate that panels three and four were given in memory of Clinton and Katherine Edwards and their son Donald Henry Edwards by their daughter and sister, Mrs. Robert V. Vincent and dedicated on December 20, 1942.

Inscriptions: Timothy
Is the kingdom of heaven


Condition of Window: Good

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

Christ and the Children, Panel 4
Christ and the Children, Panel 4
Christ and the Children, Panel 4 upper
Christ and the Children, Panel 4 upper
Christ and the Children, Panel 4 lower
Christ and the Children, Panel 4 lower
Christ and the Children 1947 photograph
Christ and the Children 1947 photograph

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