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: St. Jude

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 this church with a modern styled church and moved the stained glass windows to their new Church. This window is now located on the second level of the facade, which features the Apostles.

This is the "St. Jude" window and is bordered with geometric patterns as well as pictures of animals, boats, angels, and buildings. St. Jude is believed to be a man named "Thaddeus" and is sometimes listed as "St. Jude Thaddeus." St. Jude Thaddeus is the patron saint of Armenia.

The top level depicts an angel holding a shield with crossed lances and an upside down cross. The crossed lances probably refer to the Armenian legend that St. Peter gave the lance that pierced the side of Jesus in the Crucifixion to Jude, to help him with his preaching in Armenia. The point of this lance now resides in the museum of Holy Etchmiadzin. The upside down cross might relate to the legend that the lance was given to Jude by Peter whose symbol is an upside cross (crucified upside down).

Below this, Jude is seen holding a club in his left hand and, in his right hand, a sail boat with a red sail featuring a cross. The boat with the red sail and cross symbolizes his travels as a missionary. The club comes from the legend he was martyred with a club near a statue of Diana. Above Jude's head, is a scene taken from a legend that is found in the book "Golden Legends." Abgar, King of Edessa, wrote Jesus a letter asking him to cure him of leprosy. Jesus couldn't make the trip, so instead he created an image of himself on a cloth (known as the "Mandylion") and sent Jude with this cloth to King Abgar,This scene shows Jude healing King Abgar of his leprosy. Although not seen here, this cloth with the image of Jesus, is one of Jude's most common attributes.

According to Church records, this window, memorializing Alexander G. Miller, was given as a gift by his wife and her family and dedicated on November 7, 1943.

Inscriptions: St. Jude
To the Glory of God
Alexander G. Miller
In loving memory


Condition of Window: Fair

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

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