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

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Window

Building Name: Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Grand Rapdis

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1966

Subject/Title of Window: Refuge of Sinners

Brief Description of Subject: The windows throughout the back wall of the church were installed in late 1966 by the Willet Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia. Founding Paster, Fr. Charles Killgoar, O.M.I. had communicated by telephone and letter with Willet and the church architect for many months to finalize the designs and locations of these windows. Scattered throughout the windows are symbols representing the numerous titles for Mary in the Litany of the Virgin Mary. These Marian Titles of Our Lady windows remind parishoners that Mary is their special inspiration and protectoress, continually surrounding them with love and grace.

Fr. Kilgoar printed the names of just five of the symbols in the Church Dedication booklet, so the identity of many symbols was unclear. Amy Pulliam of the Research Library at Willet studios was able to reveal the meaning of all eleven symbols.

A ship was often used by early Christian teachers to like the Church to a ship in which the faithful found safety and were borne to salavation. Here it refers to Mary as the Refuge of Sinners.

Height: 91"

Width: either 57.5" or 65"

Type of Glass and Technique: Antique or Cathedral Glass, Lead Came

Refuge of Sinners
Refuge of Sinners
Marian Titles of Our Lady
Marian Titles of Our Lady
Marian Titles of Our Lady Willet studio sketch
Marian Titles of Our Lady Willet studio sketch

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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.

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