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

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Window

Building Name: St. James Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Lamb (J. and R.) Co.

City: Birmingham

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Subject/Title of Window: One Was Slain By A Fierce Wild Beast - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Brief Description of Subject: This aisle window is located in the Children's Chapel. All windows in the Chapel were designed to relate to children and provide a learning experience for them.
 
This is the last of three windows that together complete a couplet from the children's song "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God," composed by Lesbia Scott. "One was slain by a fierce wild beast" is the last verse of the couplet in the second stanza of that song. Note the last part of this verse "by a fierce wild beast," was not inscribed on this window. The Church selected Dietrich Bonhoeffer as an example of one who was slain by a fierce wild beast.
 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, noted theologian, and author. His two most influential books were "The Cost of Discipleship," and "Letters and Papers From Prison." He became an anti-Nazi dissadent, and was one of the founders of the Confessing Church which was formed in opposition to the Nazi takeover of much of the German Lutheran Church. He would join a resistance group who planned to assassinate Hitler, and was hanged in a Nazi prison in 1945.
 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is pictured giving a blessing to a kneeling young man. In the background is divine light shining through the prison bars. His hand giving the blessing directs your eyes to an illumination of the legend that a mother Pelican will peck its own breast to feed its blood to save its starving young. This is a symbol for Christ who shed his blood for our salvation.
 
In the predella are a logo for the Big Brothers of America, a scene depicting a big brother mentoring children, and a car. These pertain to Robert N. Johns (1883 - 1954). A plaque below the window indicated that this window was donated in his memory. He was a long time successful owner of a car dealership and likely was associated with the Big Brothers of America.
 
Seen near the bottom right of the predella is the inscription "Lamb." This indicates this window was made by the J & R Lamb Studios.

Inscriptions: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
One Was Slain
Big Brothers of America
Lamb


Condition of Window: Excellent

Height: 5'

Width: 39"

Type of Glass and Technique: Antique or Cathedral Glass

One Was Slain By A Fierce Wild Beast - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
One Was Slain By A Fierce Wild Beast - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer predella
Dietrich Bonhoeffer predella

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