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

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Window

Building Name: Mariners' Church

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

City: Detroit

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Date of Window: 1967

Subject/Title of Window: George Stark Memorial Window

Brief Description of Subject: Description of this window as given at its dedication in 1967.

"This stained glass window confronts all of the visitors who enter Mariner's Church through the tower entrance; therefore, the theme of Christ Knocking at the Door and bearing the light of the World is appropriate. The appearance of our Lord knocking at the door forms the center theme of this entire window. It is spoken of in the Bible as one of the letters to the seven churches and this scene is described in the letter to Laodicea. Laodecia (sic) is inscribed in the stone arch over the door, and the words of Christ, appear at the bottom, "Behold I stand at the door and knock".

The door is also centered between grape vines, the symbol of our Lord and His people.

As one looks up the Revelation theme is continued. We first see the Lamb of God standing on the mountain, reminding us of the streaming river next to Mariner's Church. This motif of the streaming river of the Waters of Life is continued throughout the entire border of the window, which also periodically shows the symbol of the water lily that forms a cross with its four petals, backed up by four more petals behind, and is thus a symbol of Baptism.

Finally at the very top of the final vision of the Revelation is illustrated in the form of the four square City of the New Jerusalem, issuing from the Hand of God seen in the clouds at the very top. Appropriate words appear around the Holy City, namely, "and I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven".

This motif is then answered and balanced by the lower part of the window which features a formalized view of the Plaza and downtown Detroit, as seen from the river, with Mariner's Church also to be identified in this scene at the very right. Below the scene of Detroit with its river there appears the words which meant much to George Washington Stark, namely, (Acts 21:39) "I am a citizen of no mean city". At the very bottom appears the memorial scroll, unrolled and bearing the name George Washington Stark, with the dates of his birth and death inscribed right into the window.

This window, therefore, forms a greeting and a reminder to all visitors, with its Holy City, above, and its "no mean city" below, so much loved by George Washington Stark in his work as an historiographer."

Near the bottom right of the window is both the name of the company that made this window, The Lamb Studios, as well as that of its designer, Katherine Lamb Tait.

Inscriptions: In Memory of George Washington Stark
1884 - 1966 Historiographer


Height: ~90"

Width: 18"

George Stark Memorial Window
George Stark Memorial Window
George Stark Memorial Window, top
George Stark Memorial Window, top
George Stark Memorial Window, middle
George Stark Memorial Window, middle
George Stark Memorial Window, bottom
George Stark Memorial Window, bottom
George Stark Memorial Window, signature
George Stark Memorial Window, signature

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