Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. Josaphat Church

Studio Name: Detroit Stained Glass Works, The

City: Detroit

Window Shape: 6 (gothic arched, more than 2 vertical sections)

Subject/Title of Window: Crucifixion

Brief Description of Subject: Background: In the 13th Century was written a hymn called "Stabat Mater Dolorosa" about Mary's suffering during the crucifixion. The first stanza:
                                     At the cross her station keeping,
                                      Stood the mournful mother weeping,
                                     Close to Jesus in the end.

"Stabat Mater" means "standing mother". In the High Middle Ages the most common rendering of this subject was to have the Blessed Virgin Mary standing on Jesus' right and on Jesus's left was John the Evangelist. This comes from John 19:26-27. "near the cross of Jesus stood his mother .... When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved, standing by, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother'. From this time on, this disciple took her into his home.". In his Gospel, John always calls himself "the one Jesus loved." Hence that is how John the Evangelist became the one depicted standing next to Mary.

Description of window: The Blessed Virgin Mary, in her traditional blue and white, is standing to the right of Jesus with raised hands and watching the suffering of her Son. To the left of Jesus is John the Evangelist. In the background is a picture of the "Dome of the Rock", although not built until long after the Resurrection, it has become a symbol for the city of Jerusalem. The sky is pictured as in Rev. 6:12 were the sun has been blackened out and the whole moon turned blood red.

Inscription: I.N.R.I., meaning: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudreorum -- Jesus the Nazarine King of the Jews

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