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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. Mary Catholic Church

City: Royal Oak

Subject/Title of Window: Queen Conceived Without Original Sin

Brief Description of Subject: This window is located above the altar. It is one of 17 windows illuminating the Litany of Loreto. The remaining 16 windows are positioned in the clerestory, eight on each side.

The verse pictured here is "Queen conceived without original sin, Pray for us." This was added to the Litany in 1883.

The roundel at the very top spells out the Hebrew word for "God," YHWH written in the Bible as  "Yahweh."

Except for the crown, the design of the Virgin Mary portrait and frame was provided by Mary herself. She appeared to the now St. Catherine Labaure in 1830. Catherine was a nun belonging to the Charity of Vincent de Paul when the Virgin Mary appeared to her and told her she wanted medals constructed. Those who wore them would receive great graces. It was to be oval in shape, she was to be pictured standing on a half globe, and crushing a green snake with her heel. It was to have the following words inscribed around the oval, "O Mary, conceived without sin, Pray for us who have recourse to thee." In her vision, St. Catherine saw the Virgin Mary as radiant as a sunrise, and rays streaming down from her outstretched arms. She saw 12 stars rotating around the oval frame --- on this window they are depicted as 12 semi-circle around the frame.

This medal is titled "The Miraculous Medal of Our Lady." According to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, "Since Mary asked Catherine to have this medal struck, devotion to the Miraculous Medal has spread the world over, the image having achieved iconic stature."

Interpretation of the medal by the Marians:

Mother --- Her open arms, the recourse we have in her.
Immaculate --- The words "conceived without sin.
Assumed into heaven --- She stands on the globe.
Mediatrix --- Rays from the hands symbolizing "grace."
Our protection --- Crushes the serpent (Gen.3:15).
12 stars --- 12 Apostles, who formed the first Church.

The artist of this window has added a crown on Mary's head reflecting her status as Queen Mother.

The picture of the medal is from the Miraculous Medal Association. Note there are no stars. The 12 stars are on the reverse side of the medal. 

Height: 13'

Width: 7'

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