Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Payne Spiers Studio

City: Lansing

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

Date of Window: 1963

Subject/Title of Window: Te Deum Laudamus Window

Brief Description of Subject: In the 1940's, the Rev. Dr. George H. Selway, the 24th rector of St. Paul's, with the advice and consent of the Vestry, worked with the George Lyman Payne Sudios to design a window that would harmonize with the existing stained glass in the church and, at the same time, present its own message. In October of 1962, the Vestry contracted for the window to be constructed and, in the following winter, began solicitation of funds for the project. Made by craftsmen in England, the window was dedicated on November 24, 1963. As its name suggests, the Te Deum Laudamus Window depicts in stained glass the message of the canticle, "We praise thee, O God." It portrays the entire created order joined in the worship of the Father Everlasting.

At the top of the central lancet, dominating the entire window, is the figure of Christ enthroned and crowned as both the King of Glory and the everlasting Son of the Father. The beams of light radiating from Him affirm that His Mission was to open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. At His feet is the Lamb of God. At the base of the lancet is the figure of Mary, the mother of our Lord, to whom the Te Deum Laudamus pays tribute by affirming: "When thous tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin." On either side of Christ and Mary are the figures representing the host of people who by word and deed have said, in effect, "We praise Thee, O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord." There are three groupings of figures on the lower level. Moving from left to right they are: First the prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel; second the Apostles surrounding Mary in the center; and third the figures of St. Stephen, St. Paul, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and St. John the Baptist. On the upper level, left to right, are St. Thomas More, St. John Chrysostom, Gregory the Great, St. Augustine of Canterbury, and, to the right of Christ, St. Alban, St. Catherine, St. Oswald, and St. Helena.

Depicted in the kites are the heavenly beings who lift their voices in praise of God - "to thee all Angels cry aloud... to thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy." The rose that both occupies and forms the crowning arch of the Te Deum Laudamus Window expresses the longings of the human heart. In effect it says, "O Lord, save thy people. Govern them and lift them up forever." The 12 panels or "petals" of the rose suggest the 12 fruits of the Spirit. In the panels of the flanking rosettes are the symbols of the Twelve who belong to the "glorious company of the Apostles." Here and there are noted the traditional symbols of the Persons of the Trinity. Together they affirm that the Te Deum Laudamus is a hymn of praise to "The Father of an infinite majesty, Thine adorable, true, and only Son, Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter."

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.

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